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Bettis Sold Crack / Shot at People Growing Up

jitter77

Owes Jimmy $50
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...om&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

"With his entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, Jerome Bettis is ramping things up with a media circuit discussing his life and professional career.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers halfback gave an interview to Graham Bensinger (h/t Detroit Free Press' James Jahnke), which was posted to Yahoo Sports on Thursday.

In the interview, Bettis spoke on his rough beginnings as a kid growing up in Detroit. He told Bensinger how he and his brother began dealing crack cocaine to make money for their struggling family:

The mind-set was, "We're in the hood. Mom and Dad, they're working their butts off. There's no money around. We need to make some money." So we said, "You know what? Let's give it a shot." And it was one of those moments that you regret, but at the moment, that was the only thing that was really available to us.

Bensinger pursued the point, asking if violence—specifically shooting at someone—had ever been a part of his life. Bettis said it had:

Yeah. That was part of growing up in our environment, in our neighborhood. That wasn't out of the realm of normal. When you go back, it's nothing that I ever wanted to glorify, because I know in retrospect that it was awful. Here you are in a position to take someone's life, and that's never a good thing. And so as I look back on it now, I always see the wrongs that are in it and never want to bring light to it in that respect: that it was a good thing. It was the worst thing that I could've ever done. It was a bad decision, but it was the decision that I made and that I lived with at that moment.

Life could've been a lot different for The Bus.

Clearly, he regrets the bit of it he spent doing things that could've quickly curtailed his life, much less his chances at becoming a professional football player and Hall of Fame member.

Never go full Bodie, guys. It's not worth it.



Dan is on Twitter. The NFL wouldn't be the same without The Bus."

Interesting quick read. Never would have thought that about the Bus
 
Who didn't?

I sold cigarettes and shot BB guns at people. Same **** when you're 14.
 
Not Detroit but lived on the streets as a kid, been shot at, stabbed. Bettis is right you never glorify it as it is nothing that should be wished on anyone.

Thing is I had little choice because of what I went thru, some of these kids hang around the street just to hang around the street. Thinking things are tight lets make some money. If you had two parents working IMO he shouldn't have had to go to extremes, unless it was a abusive household.

In this instance not sure I am buying too much into Bettis "rough upbringing". As he had two loving parents at his disposal. I could be wrong, but how it is written, not buying the kool aid.
 
Old news. Was in his book ten years ago.
 
Not Detroit but lived on the streets as a kid, been shot at, stabbed. Bettis is right you never glorify it as it is nothing that should be wished on anyone.

Thing is I had little choice because of what I went thru, some of these kids hang around the street just to hang around the street. Thinking things are tight lets make some money. If you had two parents working IMO he shouldn't have had to go to extremes, unless it was a abusive household.

In this instance not sure I am buying too much into Bettis "rough upbringing". As he had two loving parents at his disposal. I could be wrong, but how it is written, not buying the kool aid.

I know Alot of kids who had both parents who went hard in the streets. Street life can and will pull all types. The lure to have what other kids have is immense.
 
I know Alot of kids who had both parents who went hard in the streets. Street life can and will pull all types. The lure to have what other kids have is immense.

true... I see you have this I want it, and will do whatever it takes to get it now.....
 
I get it Jerome I really do. Growing up in a tough town like Detroit and the peer pressure is intense and you don't want to look like a punk in front of your homies. I get all that Jerome but did you have to make that public now? Geez, some **** needs to be left in the past where it belongs. It does you no good to bring it up now especially when its someone like you that has become a role model for the youngsters. ****, I did stuff growing up in Pittsburgh that I would never, ever let on to my kids when they were growing up for fear of them thinking it was ok because dad did stuff too. I'm sorry, no value to bring that **** up now. You should have left it in the past where it belongs. Of course I don't think any less of Jerome but you know there will be the haters out there now.
 
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