Former Steelers star Jerome Bettis officially graduated from Notre Dame with his business degree 28 years after he left campus for the NFL.
“The Bus” tweeted on Thursday that his degree is complete as he is a member of the Class of 2022. He left Notre Dame in 1993 as a junior when he was drafted by the Rams with the No. 10 pick. He was only four courses shy from his business degree, so the 49-year-old returned to campus this semester to finish it.
“A promise made, a promise kept,” Bettis wrote. “28 years after leaving Notre Dame, I’ve completed my degree from the Mendoza School of Business. I hope my journey serves as [a] reminder that education is the true equalizer in life and it is never too late to start.”
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Bettis told the Today Show previously that his motivation to return to school was based on a promise he made to his mother, along with wanting to be a role model for his kids.
“I promised my mother that I would get my degree,” Bettis said. “In my immediate family, I’ll be the first person to graduate from college. But most importantly, I have two children. For them to see dad finish a commitment that he set out some 27 years ago, for me to complete that, I think it says a lot to them.”
The running back is the NFL’s eighth all-time leading rusher. He helped the Steelers to a Super Bowl title in 2006, then retired the same year. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
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