Jerome Bettis Jr. follows in his father's footsteps by committing to Notre Dame

Jerome Bettis Jr. is following in the footsteps of his Super Bowl champion father, as he committed to the University of Notre Dame on Sunday. 

The younger Bettis is a six-ft-two, 195-pound wide receiver who plays at Woodward Academy in the Atlanta area. He is listed by the 247Sports composite as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2025.

He announced his commitment on Instagram on Sunday with a video. 

'Growing up as a Bettis, I've heard about all the ways Notre Dame can change your life academically and athletically,' he said. '[..] I'm blessed to announce my commitment to the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish.'

Bettis Jr. claims he picked the Fighting Irish over schools like Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Duke. He is now the third member of his family to attend the school after his father and older sister, who was admitted to Notre Dame last year. 

Jerome Bettis (R) with dad Jerome Bettis (L) after he graduated from Notre Dame in 2022

'They made sure super early on that it was known they recruited me form me and not my father,' Bettis Jr. said, according to ESPN. 'They wanted me to know that they want Jerome Bettis Jr. at Notre Dame because of what he can bring, not just because of what comes along with me and my name. 

'That's something that was really important to me, because I wasn't sure how they viewed me and my dad and the entire situation, so for them to reassure me was great.'

The older Bettis played three seasons at Notre Dame (1990-92) and was the No. 10 overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 Draft. He played three seasons with the Rams, then 10 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning the Super Bowl in his final campaign. 

Bettis played three seasons at Notre Dame (1990-92) and was the No. 10 overall pick in 1993

Bettis lifting the Lombardi Trophy after the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL in 2006

He ranks eighth all-time in NFL rushing yards with 13,662 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2021, the older Betis returned to Notre Dame's campus for a year to finish his bachelor's degree, something he had started nearly 30 years earlier. He graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in business. 

One thing that'll clearly differentiate father and son to the eyes of the Fighting Irish faithful are their jersey numbers. The older Bettis wore No. 6 at Notre Dame before switching to No. 36 when he came into the NFL. He stuck with the latter throughout his entire, 13-year career in the league. 

Bettis Jr. has chosen to sport No. 6 at Notre Dame. He played his father's position and wore his NFL jersey No. up until the seventh grade.