Jerome Bettis Jr. follows in his father’s footsteps by committing to Notre Dame

Jerome Bettis Jr. is following in the footsteps of his Super Bowl champion father when he committed to the University of Notre Dame on Sunday.

The younger Bettis is a six-foot, 195-pound wide receiver who plays at Woodward Academy in the Atlanta area. He is listed as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2025 by the composite 247Sports.

He announced his engagement on Instagram on Sunday with a video.

“Growing up as Bettis, I heard about all the ways Notre Dame can change your life academically and athletically,” he said. ‘(..) I am blessed to announce my commitment to the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish.”

Bettis Jr. claims he chose the Fighting Irish over schools like Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Duke. He is now the third member of his family to attend the school, following his father and older sister, who were admitted to Notre Dame last year.

“They made sure it was known very early on that they recruited me because of me and not my father,” Bettis Jr. said. ESPN. “They wanted me to know they had Jerome Bettis Jr. wanted to go to Notre Dame because of what he can bring, not just because of what comes with me and my name.

‘That was something that was very important to me because I wasn’t sure how they viewed me, my father and the whole situation, so it was great that they were able to reassure me.’

The elder Bettis played three seasons at Notre Dame (1990-92) and was the No. 10 overall pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 Draft. He played three seasons with the Rams, then ten with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning the Super Bowl in his final campaign.

Bettis played three seasons at Notre Dame (1990-92) and was the No. 10 overall pick in 1993

Bettis won the Lombardi Trophy after the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL in 2006

He ranks eighth all-time in NFL rushing yards with 13,662 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2021, the elder Betis returned to Notre Dame’s campus for a year to complete his bachelor’s degree, something he had begun nearly three decades earlier. He graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

One thing that will clearly distinguish father and son in the eyes of the Fighting Irish faithful is their jersey numbers. The elder Bettis wore No. 6 at Notre Dame before switching to No. 36 when he came to the NFL. He stuck with the latter throughout his entire 13-year career in the league.

Bettis Jr. has chosen to play No. 6 at Notre Dame. He played his father’s position and wore his NFL jersey No. until seventh grade.