Pittsburgh Steelers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish great Jerome Bettis caught up with the GoJo and Golic show during Super Week.

With Bettis having a storied career as a golden domer, he now turns his attention to his son Jerome Bettis Jr., who will carry on the Bettis family tradition in South Bend. He shared how emotional it was to send his son to Notre Dame, calling it a bittersweet moment. While it was tough to see him leave home, the family took comfort in knowing he’d be at a place that meant so much to them. Bettis was incredibly excited that his son would have his older sister, a sophomore at Notre Dame, there to help him adjust. More than anything, he’s proud to see his son begin his journey at the same school where his football legacy began. Senior reassured Bettis that watching his son run out of the Notre Dame tunnel with that iconic gold helmet would be unforgettable. He reflected on his experience of doing it as a player and later saw his kids do the same, calling it a feeling like no other. He told Bettis to brace himself because the first time he saw it, it would hit him in a way he never expected.

As much as we like to think that Bettis was a Notre Dame front-runner when it came to his son’s recruiting process, he assures the crew that his decision to commit to Notre Dame was his decision. Bettis explained that he wanted his son to decide and didn’t want to push Notre Dame on him. However, over the years, his son had quietly absorbed Bettis’s advice to young recruits about choosing the right school. When it was time to decide, he narrowed it down to a few options, including Duke and Texas A&M after Mike Elko’s move. Ultimately, though, Notre Dame won out and not just for football but for its academics, which impressed Bettis the most.

No one knows the running back position like Bettis. However, he played in a time, unlike today’s NFL, when organizations understood the value of the position. Bettis explained that the running back position hasn’t disappeared. Instead, it’s just lacked elite talent in recent years. When teams don’t have a franchise running back, they rely on a committee approach, but the moment a special player emerges, they become a priority. He pointed to first-round picks like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson as proof that game-changing backs still hold value. He also questioned how players like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry were allowed to leave their teams, emphasizing that franchise running backs are rare. He noted that changes in college offenses have made it harder to find traditional power backs, with many of those athletes now shifting to linebackers. Still, when a true difference-maker comes along, teams know they need to get them.

Shifting gears to Bettis’ former team, the Steelers, who head into this off-season with many questions surrounding how they will handle their quarterback situation. Bettis explained that the Steelers’ quarterback struggles stem from them being victims of their past success. They’ve never bottomed out with a losing season, so they’re constantly picking in the middle or late in the draft spots where franchise quarterbacks are rarely found. They won’t land a true game-changer that way unless they get fortunate. He believes Pittsburgh must keep cycling through free-agent quarterbacks or go all-in by trading up for their long-term guy. If they don’t, they’ll keep getting the same mixed results. Bettis suggested that bringing in a veteran like Russell Wilson as a bridge could be key if they draft a quarterback. He sees Wilson as someone a young quarterback could learn how to train, prepare, and carry himself like a pro. If the Steelers want stability at the position for the next decade, he thinks it’s time to make that move.

Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Hour 1: Major NBA Deadline Trades + Super Bowl Pressure + Trey McBride Joins the Show

VIDEO

Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.

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