NFL Legend Jerome Bettis Encourages Girls, Minorities to Embrace Golf

By Brian Jones

Jerome Bettis made a name for himself on the football field, being selected to the Pro Bowl six times and helping the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl. Since his football career ended, the 51-year-old Hall of Fame running back has been giving back to the community, encouraging young girls and minorities to enjoy the game of golf. PopCulture.com attended an event hosted by Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) in Atlanta where students of STEM Atlanta Women took part in a "Science of Golf" program where the students got to hit golf balls and design their own golf clubs. At the end of the program, Bettis spoke to the young girls about how golf can help them in life. 

"There's so many opportunities now in golf for everyone," Bettis said. "It's very inclusive now. So I would tell you that this is a game that you will come to love, you will want to play it, and you can play it for the rest of your life. It's one of those games that you see people 85 years old and they're out and they're swinging and they're hitting their golf ball and they're really enjoying the sport. And so trust me when I tell you it is a game. There's a lot of science involved and you guys, I've seen that it's a lot of science. Probably the most science of any sport that you play. Science is really wrapped up in this game. So you are going to get a lot of enjoyment if you are a science person and if you love trying to figure out numbers, it's an incredible game to play."

Following the program at PXG Atlanta, the students went to the John A. White Park Golf course to use what they learned about golf during the morning and experience the reality of golf at the driving range. The girls then received PXG apparel as well as two tickets to the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta this August. 

Bettis knows that golf is not an easy sport, but he told the girls, "If you get a chance, I would tell you to just go out, hit some balls because this is an incredible game. It's one that can take you all around the world and any type of career that you want to have, golf can give to you."

Bettis continued: "So I'm late to the game, haven't started once I retire, but I play two, three times a week if I get the opportunity to because it's that great of a game. And it's kind of like life. What you put into it is what you're going to get out it. If you put everything into it, then you will be successful. And it's the exact same way in life. If you put your foot forward and you want to be the best person you can possibly be, and you study hard, you work hard, you can be as successful as you want to become."

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