Revisiting the 1996 Steelers-Rams Trade for Jerome Bettis

St. Louis Rams head coach Rich Brooks inherited a 250-pound future Hall of Fame running back in Jerome Bettis when he took over the team in 1995. But Brooks moved to install a wide-open passing offense in the heartland, which limited Bettis to just 637 yards on the ground that season.

When asked if he wanted to move to fullback, Bettis requested a trade. The Pittsburgh Steelers ended up acquiring him in April 1996 in what became one of the worst trades in Rams franchise history.

Pittsburgh snagged Bettis and a third-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick that later became tight end Ernie Conwell, plus a fourth-round pick that became offensive lineman Jerome Daniels.

Daniels played in just a handful of NFL games, while Conwell became known more for his blocking than his pass-catching during his seven years as a Ram.

"The Bus," meanwhile, rewarded the Steelers' belief in him over the next decade by running for 10,571 yards and 78 touchdowns while making four Pro Bowls and winning "one for the thumb" in Super Bowl XL. He deservedly ended up with a gold jacket and a bust in Canton due to his formidable combination of size and power that made him almost impossible to tackle one-on-one in the open field.

Who Won The Trade?

There's no debate here: Pittsburgh was the big winner. In exchange for what became an average-at-best tight end and a lineman who played only a handful of games, the Bill Cowher era in the Steel City eventually culminated in a championship, while Bettis got his well-deserved place in Canton. Nice work if you can get it!