He was new to football, a 10th grader raw in fundamentals. He dreamed
of being a star but didn't know how. The Reggie McKenzie Football Camp
gave him a map.
The free summer instruction from pro and college players began the
transformation of Jerome Bettis from an unknown to, by his senior year,
the best high school player in Michigan. But there was more. He found
mentoring at the camp, positive heroes to admire and a track toward
excellence, something this kid from the rough streets of Detroit gladly
cherished.
"Athletes always are saying they are happy if their community work
makes a difference in just one kid," says Bettis. "Well, I am that kid.
I am not sure where I would be today without what Reggie McKenzie and
his camp did for me. And I've always wanted to see if I could make a
difference in some kid's life, too."
Bettis now runs the camp with McKenzie, a former standout guard on
the Buffalo line that blocked so wondrously for O.J. Simpson. Every
summer, Bettis and McKenzie instruct more than 600 Detroit-area kids
about football and life.
The camp is just one of the programs associated with Bettis'
foundation, the Bus Stops Here. He gives out up to 10 scholarships a
year at Mackenzie, his old high school in Detroit, and has an endowed
scholarship at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He has distributed 2,100
pairs of football cleats to 21 Detroit high schools. He began his
community service by raising and donating money, but his thinking has
evolved into what has become S.C.O.R.E -- Save Children Opportunity
Recreation and Education program.
By developing S.C.O.R.E., Bettis hopes to make a significant impact
on the lives of underprivileged kids. The foundation already helped
develop the pilot Cyber Bus Computer Literacy Program at Carnegie Mellon
University, in which 20 to 35 underprivileged middle school children
from Pittsburgh learned basic computer skills through Saturday morning
lessons. When they were finished, every participant received a computer
to take home.
"Jerome is very passionate about the digital divide," says Matt
Hughes, director of development for Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer
Science. "He feels a lot of underprivileged youth don't have access to
computers, and because they don't, there becomes a large division
between the dos and the don'ts. He wants to find a way to help bridge
that gap."
Ultimately, Bettis wants this program not only to develop new
students but continue to enhance current students as they advance
through the school system. "He knows he hasn't got that many years left
in the NFL, and he is trying to develop a plan for after football," says
Hughes. "This is the kind of commitment he gives to everything he does.
He's a cool guy, and people in Pittsburgh just love him for what he
gives back."
Bettis also is partnering with the city of Pittsburgh to renovate an
inner-city park, a project that could cost more than $100,000. In
Detroit, he wants to renovate the football field at Mackenzie. He is
developing other programs that would give juvenile delinquents a second
chance in life and would assist high school athletes in their
preparation for college admission exams.
"This is a lot harder than I envisioned," Bettis says. "If you want
to be hands-on and make a difference, it takes work. We found raising
money and distributing it is not necessarily the best thing for kids.
You have to get your hands dirty. That's how it works best."
TSN'S GOOD GUY PICK:
Derek Jeter
GOOD GUYS BY SPORT:
MLB: Carlos Delgado | All
NFL: Jerome Bettis | All
NHL: John LeClair | All
NBA: Alonzo Mourning | All
NASCAR: Good guys
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