Our Founder
Jerome Bettis
Pro Football Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, and founder of The Bus Stops Here Foundation.
Jerome Bettis is a Super Bowl Champion, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and one of the most respected figures in Pittsburgh sports and philanthropy.
Over a 13-year NFL career, "The Bus" established himself as one of the game's most accomplished running backs, finishing with more than 13,000 rushing yards and capping his career with a Super Bowl XL championship. In 2015, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But Jerome's story didn't start on the field. It started in a community that invested in him — family, educators, coaches, and mentors who showed up at the moments that mattered. That belief, that no one succeeds alone, is what led him to establish the Bus Stops Here Foundation in 1997.
For nearly three decades, he has dedicated his platform to empowering young people and strengthening communities through education, technology access, mentorship, and life-enriching experiences. From Jerome Bettis' CyberBus to Ready Fore Work and the Annual Toy Drive, the mission remains the same: to make sure the next generation has the opportunities, guidance, and resources they need to succeed.
Talent is universal. Opportunity is not. Jerome has spent his life working to close that gap.
Carry the mission forward
Every gift helps advance opportunity for youth and families across the region.

