Jerome Bettis parks 'The Bus' in Canton

PITTSBURGH — The Bus has finally arrived in Canton.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

The sixth-leading rusher in NFL history became the 17th Steeler to enter football's most exclusive club when his bust was unveiled in front of a packed stadium, many of them Steelers fans who made the two-hour trip from Pittsburgh to give Bettis a rousing send-off.

Bettis entered the Hall in his fifth year of eligibility. The six-time Pro Bowler helped the Steelers to six playoff appearances and the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title in 2006, which the team won in Bettis' hometown of Detroit. He retired immediately after the game.

Here are some highlights from Jerome's Hall of Fame speech:

"We're in Canton, Ohio, but this is Steelers Country!" Bettis said to open his speech.

"Now, I'm at home," Bettis said after a Here We Go Steelers chant erupted.

Bettis said Seau “was a better person than he was a football player."

“I could never stand here and accept all the credit for my success, it's about all the people who had a positive impact on my life,” Bettis said.

Jerome started by thanking members of his family.

“I would like to first start by acknowledging the person who is the most important to me - and that's my wife Trameka,” he said.

Bettis credits his daughter, born premature, for teaching him what it means to fight and showing him he needed to fight for a championship

"You have greatness running through your blood," Bettis said to his son, Jerome Jr.

Bettis to his sister Kim: "You helped raise us... you have sacrificed yourself for us, never once complaining."

Bettis to his big brother – “Thanks for stepping in for our father, who couldn't be here with us.”

“We lost our father about 8 years ago, and up until that point I thought I was the tough brother.  But when our father passed away, I learned why he was my big brother,” Bettis said of his brother, John.

“I want to thank my mother, Gladys Bettis.  We call her big time.  How can I thank a woman who, through the course of my career, came to every game I played in in the NFL?” Bettis said of his mother.

Bettis said his mother handled breast cancer like a champion to be there for her family.

"My dad was my hero.  He was my biggest fan.  He taught me how to be a man.  He had two jobs and worked to the bone, never complaining, never asking for a break.  He was the strongest man I will ever know.  It's because of him that I am here,” The Bus said.

Bettis' father said to him before he went to Notre Dame – “I don't have much to give you, but I have a good name, so don't mess it up.”

“Reggie McKenzie was an outstanding football player with no reason to come back to Highland Park, but he did,” Bettis said of his uncle who started him playing football.

Bettis to Coach Dozier – “It was you who came into our house when I was starting to go down the wrong path.”

Bettis credits Coach Dozier with convincing him to switch from linebacker to running back

"I want to think the University of Notre Dame for taking a chance on a kid from Detroit," he said.

"I was going to outwork every guy there was," Bettis said of his time at Notre Dame.

"I got traded to Pittsburgh and the love (for football) came back," Bettis said.

"To my teammates with the Rams, I want to thank those guys, because they did a lot in helping a young football player,” Bettis said of his time with the Rams.

"To the Steelers, I have to thank Tom Donahoe for trading for me. I like to think it was a great trade," The Bus said of the Steelers/Rams trade.

"Coach Bill Cowher -- he was exactly the type of coach I needed to succeed.  He was a blue collar football coach,” Bettis said. "I want to thank him for having ultimate trust in that when he put me in the game... he knew exactly what he was going to get from No. 36."

“Cowher is one of the biggest reasons I stand here today,” Bettis said.

“To Art Rooney, I want to thank you for your friendship outside of football.  You are a person I can confide in and learn from,” Bettis said.

“Dan Rooney, I want to thank you for believing in me and seeing the person I am first and the football player I am second,” Bettis said.

Then The Bus turned his attention to the city of Pittsburgh and “SteelerNation.”

“To Pittsburgh -- I want to thank you all for appreciating the power running game," Bettis said. "Thank you for embracing me and my entire family as your own."

Jerome, of course, thanked his Black & Gold teammates.

"I've had the best teammates a player could ever ask for.  They gave me everything they had every time they stepped on the field,” he said.

"A special thanks to a couple of my teammates --  Alan Faneca, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, Joey Porter and Ben Roethlisberger,” Bettis said. “Brother, without you saving that tackle, I still might be on the doorsteps, brother.  I owe you for life."

"Greatness is not a sports term.  It's a life term,” Bettis said as he began to conclude his speech.

“Sacrifice + pain + failure + love can take you on a path to greatness,” The Bus said.

Jerome wrapped up his speech by going back to his son.

“Son, there's not much that I can give you that's more important than our good name, so don't screw it up,” Bettis joked.

“I really thought the Bus' last stop was in Detroit... but the Bus will always run in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

From Jerome’s presenter, his brother, John Bettis:

"I didn't know he talked as much as he did. But he talked. He talked all the time."

"His senior year I got the chance to see one game and he ran for 202 yards as a full back. Right then I knew it and I was like, 'Wow!'"

"When Jerome first got to the Rams, he had a huge impact. Jerome was inserted into offense and he exploded."

"Big as a bus, quick as a cat. He's an elusive big guy if you can imagine an elusive big guy. He brought a linebacker mentality."

"He took that offseason and thought about. He thought, 'I want to win a championship and the Super Bowl is in Detroit next year.'"

"It was like the culmination of Jerome's career."

"Detroit was insane - it was crazy. Everyone wanted a piece of Jerome that week, and he deserved it."

"It was extremely emotional for us because he made it. He finally made it."

"I am honored to present my brother, Jerome Bettis, for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

The humbled men in gold jackets were unmistakable.

So were the unending seas of yellow Terrible Towels there to greet them.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis headlined the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 on Saturday night, the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history greeted by thousands of fans who made the short trip to Canton and gave the final stop of his singular career a decided western Pennsylvania flavor.

The capacity crowd at Tom Benson Stadium — most of them clad in some version of black-and-gold — roared as Bettis made his way down the red carpet, his enshrinement serving as the final destination for a player who embodied the blue-collar mentality of the city and the franchise he helped lead to a fifth Super Bowl title in 2006.

The adulation surrounding Bettis' induction proved fitting on a night so many saw their lengthy waits to join football's most exclusive club come to an end.

Only linebacker Junior Seau was elected in his first year on the ballot. For the rest, Saturday night was a mixture of relief, joy and wonder.

Defensive end Charles Haley cracked jokes between heartfelt disclosures of his battle with depression. Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff didn't say a word, instead letting Hall of Fame teammate Fran Tarkenton speak for him shortly after Tingelhoff's bust was unveiled.

"He's waited 37 years to get to the Hall of Fame," Tarkenton said as thousands rose to their feet in appreciation.

Kansas City guard Will Shields spoke with the same thoughtfulness that made him one of the best linemen of his generation during a standout career with the Chiefs.

Contributors Bill Polian and Ron Wolf paid tribute to the icons who paved the way for their success. Wide receiver Tim Brown led chants of "Rai-ders! Rai-ders!" in a joyous moment more than a decade after the last of his 1,094 receptions.

Haley, the only player in NFL history with five Super Bowl rings, gave a rousing, freewheeling speech that included a good-natured jabs at everyone from former San Francisco owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. DeBartolo called the decision to trade Haley to Dallas in 1992 his biggest mistake during his tenure.

Haley didn't disagree, though he also made sure to pay emotional tribute to the men who signed his paychecks. That included a touching nod to Jones, who organized a bone marrow drive when Haley's daughter Brianna was diagnosed with leukemia.

While Haley retired after the 1999 season with 100½ sacks and a fistful of championships. Yet he spent the better part of a decade watching former teammates get the call while his phone remained silent.

He blamed it partly on his own struggle with his inner demons. Haley said he was a "22-year-old man with a 16-year-old inside of me screaming for help and I would not ask for it" when he arrived in the NFL in 1986.

Even as he helped the 49ers win a pair of Super Bowls before earning three more with Dallas, Haley couldn't seem to shake the idea that something was wrong, something he couldn't quite articulate.

"My life spiraled out of control for years, for years," Haley said. "But today, guys, I am getting back into the locker room, to my teammates and tell them guys the mistakes that I've made and that the only way you can grow is that you've got to ask for help."

Wolf, who hired Mike Holmgren and traded for Brett Favre shortly after taking over in 1991, led off by praising the core that restored the Packers to legitimacy after two decades of mediocrity.

"There was always a threat to players of other teams that if they didn't shape up, they would be traded to Green Bay," Wolf said. "We worked hard to eliminate that stigma."

Green Bay won its first Super Bowl in nearly 30 years in 1997 when Favre guided the Packers by New England. Wolf, who spent 23 years working for the Raiders, called owner Al Davis a "remarkable teacher" who gave him a chance to grow from a scout scouring for prospects into one of the most respected team builders of his generation.

Polian praised Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy for helping him resurrect the Bills after Polian took over as general manager in 1984. The two men put together the foundation of a team that made four straight Super Bowl appearances behind Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed, all of whom Polian joined in the Hall. Polian finally won a championship with Indianapolis and Peyton Manning, though Polian couldn't help but wonder how a "kid from the Bronx" ended up in Canton.

There was no wondering for Bettis, who wasn't shy about his desire to follow in the footsteps of other Steeler greats who guided the team to greatness.

Many of them were on hand to watch Bettis join them, including Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Mel Blount and Lynn Swann. Several of Bettis' former teammates, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward, watched from in front of the stage as the Hall's doors finally opened for the player known simply as "The Bus."