Who would have thought that Notre Dame 's former RB's son, Jerome Bettis Jr., would take his teammate's dad's advice rather than his own? After following his father's path by joining Notre Dame, Bettis Jr. is ready to make an impact in his second season, but this time, he is no longer asking for his dad's assistance. There's another HOF player who's aiding the wide receiver with on-field tips.
"I reach out to Devin's dad from time to time, asking him for advice," Notre Dame's WR Jerome Bettis Jr. said in a press conference.
Bettis Jr.'s trust in Larry Fitzgerald makes sense, as he is one of the best wide receivers in football history. He played college football at Pittburgh where he gained unanimous All‑American honors. Fitzgerald went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals , catching 1,432 passes for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns, recording the second all-time in NFL career receiving yards and catches. This ultimately led to the Hall of Fame knocking at his door in 2026.
Larry doesn't have a personal connection to Notre Dame, but through his son, Devin Fitzgerald, who committed to play wide receiver for Notre Dame in the 2026 class. Larry's experience and NFL success are a bonus because he's got his father's expertise to lean back on as well. But there is a valid reason why Bettis Jr. prefers Devin's father's advice, which is a light-hearted, subtle jibe at Bettis Sr.
"Not to troll my dad, but he didn't play receiver," the wide receiver added.
Even though he's not a WR or an RB, Jerome Bettis Sr. still holds a lot of wisdom to share. He played college football at Notre Dame, was picked 10th overall in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams (later the St. Louis Rams), and played there for three seasons. He moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996, and a decade later, he secured Super Bowl XL victory in 2006, making him a significant part of the game's history.
Back in 2021, at a 7-on-7 football camp, Jerome Bettis Jr. ran a simple slant route against press coverage. That's when an observer said he wasn't physical enough to fight off the cornerback's hands. Even though he did well in other parts of the FBU camp, that one play stayed a "lost rep" in his father's eyes, or as Jerome Bettis calls it, "an everlasting teaching moment."
"We went over it in the moment; we went over it when we got home," Bettis Jr. recently reflected. "And we just went over it a couple of days ago."
So, even though Bettis Jr. said that for now he didn't take any advice from his father, it's not entirely true. His father never wanted to become the reason for Bettis Jr.'s interest in football; all he ever wanted was to see him successful.
"Sometimes, you push a kid, and he resents you for that," his father, Jerome Bettis, said. "The last thing I wanted was to be that dad that my son resented. I just tried to encourage him… He could hear someone telling him the same things I was telling him, but just in a different voice. I was hoping he wouldn't be turned off to football because of me."
The guidance and advice Bettis Jr. acquired from the veterans of the game are already working for him in his offseason improvement.
Notre Dame football started spring practice on Friday, and sophomore wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. showed up in great shape. It was pretty clear, looking at his size, that he had worked hard during the offseason. When he was recruited, Bettis weighed 190 pounds. Last year, he played at almost the same size and caught one pass for six yards against Navy.
Now at spring practice, Bettis looks bigger and stronger. He has gained 17 pounds since he was recruited and eight pounds more than last season. This change shows he is working to improve his body and his game. This massive change also started gaining the eyes of one of the evaluators, as Notre Dame's editor, Nick Shepkowski, praised his hard work.
"Personally, I love seeing the clear effort Bettis put in this offseason," Nick Shepkowski said. "That doesn't happen without dedication, and it wouldn't surprise me if he got a little sick of hearing about being the son of a legend and used it as fuel in creating his own legacy."
So, now with this momentum, it will be interesting to see how Bettis Jr. makes an impact in a deep receivers room that includes fellow legacy recruit Devin Fitzgerald and other talented players vying for targets. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
