Jerome Bettis--the star running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers--is an excellent bowler. In a tournament he once rolled a perfect 300 game. On the football field Bettis treats defensive players like bowling pins, knocking them down faster than almost any other runner in the National Football League (NFL). In 1996 he earned the nickname "The Bus" and delivered his Steeler teammates into the American Football Conference (AFC) playoffs. Once a player with a bad reputation, Bettis has proven he is one of the most reliable forms of NFL transportation.

Growing up

Bowling Bettis

Jerome Abrams Bettis was born February 16, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the youngest of three children of Gladys and Johnnie Bettis. "When Jerome gets on the field, his dad's gruffness comes out," Gladys Bettis explained to USA Today. "All the rest of it--the sweetness, the kindness--he gets from his mom."

Bettis's favorite sport as a child was...