Category: NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis got to walk at his Notre Dame graduation.

28 years since making a promise to his mother, Pittsburgh Steelers icon Jerome Bettis is officially a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Bettis would leave school a year early to pursue an NFL career. After initially playing with the Los Angeles Rams, Bettis became one of the most unforgettable running backs in league history while in Pittsburgh. He would go on to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer and retire as a Super Bowl champion in his hometown of Detroit. Now, he can say he is a graduate of a fantastic university.

Look at how happy Bettis is to be a member of the University of Notre Dame Class of 2022!

Jerome Bettis graduates from the University of Notre Dame after 28 years

It is not how you start, but how you finish. As it is with anything, life happens. Bettis was probably only a few credits shy of getting his college diploma. While he had great success on the gridiron in his playing career and off the field since retiring, his being able to check the box at 50 years old is still a tremendous accomplishment. This had to have been one the happiest days of his life.

More importantly, think about all the people Bettis will have inspired to go back and finish what they started. Many people for a varying number of reasons never graduate from college. This is why anytime somebody puts in the work to be a college graduate, they should be celebrated for it. Whether it is an associate’s, a bachelor’s, a master’s or a doctorate, the hard will have paid off.

Congratulations on being able to walk at a place that will always hold a special player in your heart.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

Antonio Brown apparently wants to retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On Monday afternoon over Twitter, Antonio Brown made it abundantly clear that he wants to retire with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On paper, he should be a no-doubt Pro Football Hall of Famer. However, off-the-field issues and a tumultuous final few seasons in the league since leaving Pittsburgh somehow leave that up to chance. After taking his shirt off and exiting stage left at MetLife when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, no NFL team in their right mind will let Brown play another snap in the league.

Here is Brown’s initial tweet about wanting to retire with the Steelers on Monday afternoon.

He quickly followed that initial tweet up with this very important clarification on the issue.

Brown may want to retire with the Steelers, but will the proud football organization even let him?

Antonio Brown wants to retire with Pittsburgh Steelers, but will they let him?

It may be a simple gesture of gratitude by the Steelers organization to let Brown back in the building to sign a one-day contract to retire with Pittsburgh. Frankly, it should not be this divisive of an issue, but he burnt so many bridges along the way during his NFL career. If he ever does get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he would need a team like the Steelers to back him up.

No, he has not earned the right to ask for this, but it may mean the world to him if the Steelers organization complies. Regardless of what the team decides to do, they must move on from the previous era of Pittsburgh football if they want to give Kenny Pickett his best chance at success. By allowing Brown to retire a Steeler, it may afford Big Ben opportunities to complicate matters.

If the Steelers let Brown retire with them, they are taking ownership of all the good, bad and ugly that stemmed from his controversial playing career. As far as Ben Roethlisberger fallout, the Steelers allowing Brown to retire as a member of their organization may somehow convince Big Ben in his mind this is still his franchise and he can do whatever he wants. It is Pickett’s team now.

By letting Brown retire with the team, it says a lot about the Steelers organization, good and bad.

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to defend their Super Bowl title. Will one of the team’s second-half sparks from 2021 be on the roster this season?

Back in February at SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Rams rallied to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI. Two of the team’s late-season additions played pivotal roles in the victory. Edge-rusher Von Miller, obtained via trade from the Denver Broncos, had two sacks in the win. And wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., picked up after the Cleveland Browns released him, scored the game’s first touchdown via a 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.

Miller is now a member of the Buffalo Bills. Beckham remains an unsigned free agent due mainly to the fact that he was injured after his 35-yard reception in the Super Bowl. But there’s little doubt that the reigning NFL champions would like to see him return to the club.

“Oh, of course. I really want Odell back on our team,” stated head coach Sean McVay recently on the Rich Eisen Show (via Coral Smith of NFL.com). “He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well…Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here. That’s the goal and continuing to work toward a solution of him re-signing with the Rams.”

In the final eight games of the regular season, Beckham was targeted 48 times and hauled in 27 passes for 305 yards and five scores. But he was even more pivotal during the Rams’ four-game postseason run. He saw 37 throws his way and totaled 25 receptions for 316 yards, scoring one touchdown apiece in the wild card win over the Cardinals and the Super Bowl victory over the Bengals.

“He is truly a great teammate, made so many impactful plays,” added the Super Bowl LVI champion head coach. “It was a shame to see him go down in that game but man, he sure still made an impact with those two catches that he did have.”

Along with Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp and emerging Van Jefferson, the team added veteran Allen Robinson in free agency from the Chicago Bears. That’s an impressive trio. And a healthy Beckham could make this quite the quarter.

It’s tough for any rookie coming into the NFL to drop their childhood fandom, but it’s necessary to survive and thrive in the business for Chiefs rookie Mike Rose.

Rose came in as an undrafted free agent from Iowa State, but his roots are in Brecksville, Ohio, which is a suburb of Cleveland. So, it’s easy to see how Rose grew up a Browns fan, and maintained that fandom during his college years at ISU.

Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on how you look at it — Rose was not drafted by Cleveland, instead forced to find a new home as a UDFA. When the Chiefs came calling, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I definitely grew up a Browns fan but as this became more reality to me, obviously you can’t pick favorites,” Rose said. “A lot of waiting, but I think every team had their different reason for passing up on me…I’m just super glad to have an opportunity here at this great organization. I’m just looking forward to doing my thing in minicamp and making the 53.”

What can Mike Rose bring to the Kansas City Chiefs?

Rose was a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 winner and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020. He’s the kind of decorated college player who rarely goes undrafted, and now has a giant chip on his shoulder.

Making the roster won’t be easy for Rose. The top of the linebacking corps includes Willie Gay Jr., Nick Bolton and Leo Chanal. Behind those three are veterans Darius Harris, Jermaine Carter Jr., and Elijah Lee. If Rose is to beat out even half of the names on that list, he’ll have to make quite the impression in minicamp and beyond.

“I wasn’t highly recruited out of high school,” Rose said. “I had to earn my spot in college. This chip on my shoulder and being counted out, it doesn’t feel all too different to me honestly.”

If anything, that sort familiarity and mentality should work out in Rose’s favor.