CANTON, Ohio — Tim Brown kept doing the math as the years ticked by and the phone call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame never came. So did Charles Haley.
Not Jerome Bettis.
Forget the politics. Forget the bold-faced names nearing eligibility (hello LaDainian Tomlinson). Forget about the statistics, the wholly appropriate nickname, or even the Super Bowl ring that defined his singular career. The sixth-leading rusher in NFL history didn't want to hear any of it.
Bettis wanted his final steps as a football player to take place in Canton. Badly. So while Haley and Brown did their best to remain politically correct every time they were passed over, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back went the other way.