Jared Wickerham/Getty Images Jerome Bettis addresses fans at Heinz Field during a ceremony for the presentation of his Hall of Fame ring on October 1, 2015.
The only Pittsburgh Steelers who will be delivering a message on Super Bowl Sunday are former Steelers. That includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Jerome Bettis, who are among a handful of ex-NFL stars who appear in a two-minute Frito-Lay commercial that will premiere during Super Bowl LV.
‘Twas the Night Before Super Bowl’
The commercial—titled ‘Twas the Night Before Super Bowl’—is a follow-up to the ‘Twas the Night Before Kickoff’ commercial that premiered during the NFL Kickoff game in September.
Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch serves as narrator, with Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders also playing starring roles, not to mention Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning, with Peyton and Eli wearing pajamas while getting ready for bed.
But Bradshaw and Bettis author the most memorable segment, as they argue over the Immaculate Reception, with Bradshaw insisting that it should be referred to as the “Immaculate Pass.”
“It was below the man’s ankles,” counters Bettis, making reference to how Steelers running back Franco Harris hauled in the deflected pass just inches from the ground before running the ball into the end zone, giving the 1972 Steelers a 13-7 playoff win over the Oakland Raiders.
The duo then attempt to re-enact the Immaculate Reception—with Bradshaw as the receiver.
As it happens, Bradshaw catches a ball thrown by Bettis, then crashes headfirst into a table of Frito-Lay snacks, with Doritos, Tostitos and Lays potato chips spilling all around the former Steelers quarterback.
Never mind that the commercial’s creators took artistic license, as the Immaculate Reception did not occur in a Super Bowl, nor did it lead to a Super Bowl appearance. Bradshaw doesn’t catch the ball at shoe top level either, no doubt because at the age of 72 he has long since lost the ability to bend down that far.
At least Bradshaw and Bettis are both Super Bowl winners, with Bradshaw having quarterbacked the Steelers to victory in Super Bowls IX, X, XIII and XIV, and Bettis a winner in Super Bowl XL, his last NFL game.
Many of those Super Bowls have recently been rebroadcast, with the Super Bowl XIV Game Rewind featuring new interviews with Pro Football Hall of Famers John Stallworth and Donnie Shell. For its part, the Super Bowl XIII Game Rewind includes insights by Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier.
The Chiefs and Buccaneers Employ Many Former Steelers
As for this year’s edition of the Big Game, it will of course be contested between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kansas City’s roster features former Steelers Le’Veon Bell, Stefen Wisniewski and practice squad punter Dustin Colquitt.
Tampa Bay’s roster includes former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, as well as cornerback Ross Cockrell and defensive lineman Steve McLendon. Center A.Q. Shipley, selected by the Steelers in the seventh-round of the 2009 NFL Draft (Penn State), is on injured reserve.
More notably, still, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians is a former Steelers offensive coordinator, and his staff features four former Steelers players and coaches.
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