Jerome Bettis Game Quotations

One, I asked them to give me 110 percent. I told them if you walk away from this game giving that, I'm going to say thank you, shake your hand, give you a big hug and tell you how much I appreciate it. The second thing I told them was to get me home.

I'd be lying to you if I said it was complete. Having an opportunity to play in this game takes me one step closer to it being complete.

But it's going to be a tough game at Denver. We're not looking at Detroit, we're looking at Denver.

He understands what you have to have to win and he doesn't deviate from his game plan. That's why we're consistent, year in and year out.

I think he understands he doesn't have to win the game. I think last year he'd be the first one to tell you he was of the thought I have to win the football game. He just needs to make the plays he's supposed to make, and we'll win the football game as a result of that.

It feels incredible -- my team put me on their backs, and I knew they wouldn't let me down. This has been a great ride, and I've always said that you play this game to win championships, and now that I've got that championship ... I think this is the last stop for 'The Bus.'?

I think it's been my work ethic. I've just been a hard worker, a guy that's always trying to be positive and put a positive swing on things sometimes even in the darkest moments. And I think people can relate to that being a blue-collar guy. My game is a blue-collar game. Three yards and a cloud of dust and get up and do it again. That's the way in the Midwest, especially Detroit, which is a very, very blue-collar town. I think people relate to that, as well as Pittsburgh.

I was never a fast guy, ... So the little speed I did have and may have lost is not detectable. People look at me as a guy with quick feet and power. Because of that, I'm able to do the same things I was able to do at 26 and 27. I don't rely on speed, never have, so my game doesn't have to change much.

We had different circumstances. At 7-5, understanding that every game at that point is going to be a playoff game got us battle-tested, ready for the playoffs, a lot earlier, because we turned it on in the latter part of the season. We were in playoff mode.

We know we have the pieces in place, ... That's evident. You look at last year, with us being a game away. So we know that. The question going into this camp is can we create that same chemistry? Can everybody play at that same level that we played last year? Can we be that same football team? In this business, that's the hardest thing to do.

Toward the end of the game today, I said we've been hunting these teams, trying to get respect. And now maybe it's a situation where we're going to be hunted. We've got to understand the situation and stay as hungry and keep trying to prove that we're a good football team.

No question, I think it's a lot easier when there's no expectations. We know what that feels like to have that pressure on you and we came out and said, 'Hey, it's us against everybody.' Nobody expects us to win, nobody is picking us to win, and that's fine. As long as we believe it and the coaches give us a great game plan, we'll execute it and come out on top.

Detroit was always in the back of my mind since we lost in the AFC championship game last year. I thought we could get there and I knew if we didn't turn the ball over we had a great chance.

Detroit, you were incredible. Pittsburgh, here we come. I played this game to win a championship. I'm a champion. I think The Bus ... his last stop is here, in Detroit.

They put me on their backs and made sure they wouldn't let me down. I played this game to win a championship. I'm a champion, and I think the last stop is here.

People say I'm not going to be able to focus because of the distractions but there really aren't any distractions. The possible distraction would be family, but my family comes to every game anyway.

Because of my size, I probably shouldn't be able to do some of the things I'm able to do. I just want to be remembered as a running back who was abnormal but had good feet, loved to play the game and did it right.

I played this game to win a championship. I?m a champion and I think the last stop is here, in Detroit.

You'd have to assume that he'll stay in the lineup. He gives this offense a big-play dimension in the running game that it has never had.

It's not, ?If beat Indy we can beat anybody. We know what type of game we're going to get -- we've got to be ready. Denver presents a different challenge because we haven't played them this year.

It's a tough one to swallow because you feel you had the game in hand and you couldn't get it done.

It's a shame, but I think now people are starting to realize how good a coach he's been for how long. And I think before the game he's being acknowledged for that, so I really think that's a good thing. But ultimately you're only remembered for winning the big game.

It's been a situation where my body's been breaking down. The last thing I wanted to do going into a game like this and going into a season was going to tell my teammates this was going to be the last game. I never wanted to put that kind of pressure on my teammates for them to even think that.

It's been an incredible ride and there's always a time when you have to call it quits. I played this game to win a championship. I'm a champion and I think the Bus...the last time is here in Detroit.

I do know that I would have loved to have been in there late in the game, ... Coach and I talked about all the situations that happened in the game and everything that was going on. But it's a conversation I'm going to keep and not talk about.