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Bettis, Fans React To Hall Of Fame Election

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The bus is headed to Canton.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night.

Dozens of fans were at Bettis' Grille on the North Shore to celebrate his big night.

They say it's long overdue.

"The man deserves it, he earned it, he is Steeler Nation," said fan Larry Miller.

"He's an excellent player, he never -- he was always true to the Steelers and whenever they took him to Detroit, that's all he ever wanted," said Krystal Spurrier.

"It was just a shame that he never got the recognition that he deserved," said Harry Trout.

Bettis talked about what it was like to get the call, after five years.

"This is something that was really special, because my mother and father, they followed me through this entire journey," Bettis said. "My mother didn't miss a high school game, didn't miss a college game, they went to every single game I ever played in the NFL and they took this journey with me."

Bettis teared up as he continued to talk about his parents, saying, "my father is no longer with us and my mother is battling cancer, so for me to take this journey -- with this moment to her, it was special."

Bettis will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.

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