Ceremonially delivering the Lombardi Trophy to Atlanta on Saturday, Jerome Bettis smiled from ear to ear at the opportunity.
Then he became the latest NFL Hall of Famer to weigh in on the Antonio Brown situation.
A former Steelers great himself, "The Bus" said it was a disappointment to see the situation play out.
In past days, NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens have spoken out regarding Brown and mostly about how A.B. would fit in playing for San Francisco and that Brown's days in Pittsburgh were likely done.
Bettis, though, seemed more disappointed than anything that the saga had transpired. He was in town, white gloves and all, to deliver the Super Bowl trophy, but afterward in a media scrum was asked about the Brown-Steelers drama.
"It's disappointing because I know how great Antonio Brown is, I know how much he loves the city of Pittsburgh and I do know how much he appreciates that organization," said Bettis, whose decorated career began with three seasons playing for the Rams and came to a close with the Steelers.
Bettis reached six Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XL with Pittsburgh.
Brown has reached seven Pro Bowls, but the Steelers last reached a Super Bowl (losing to Green Bay) in his rookie season of 2010 when he was barely a contributor.
While Brown's individual resume speaks for itself, Bettis also worries about what impact his current standoff with the Steelers will have on his legacy.
"There's that issue where they gotta kinda talk through those things, but I would hate for this to be the end of his career [in Pittsburgh]," Bettis said. "But also I think for his legacy, when I think you look at him 10 years down the road, I don't want that this moment defining the player he is, because he's much more than this issue; incredible football player and he's a really good person if you get a chance to know him."
