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.
"I didn't care about the guys coming up behind me," Bettis said Friday. "I cared about me! C'mon.