One was known affectionately as “The Bus,” while the other was considered the shiftiest running back in NFL history. So, their rushing styles were obviously much, much different.
No player in NFL history had a better understanding of the differences between Detroit Lions’ Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis than former Lions and Steelers offensive lineman Jeff Hartings.
In a sit-down interview with Steelers.com’s Rob King in a “Time Machine” segment, Hartings recalled Sanders’s and Bettis’s running styles. While Sanders was a dynamic running back who made several defenders miss in a phone booth, Bettis was a more power runner who understood the offensive linemen’s blocking scheme and followed it well.