DETROIT -- Detroit is embracing two of its native sons -- Pittsburgh Steelers Jerome Bettis and Larry Foote.
On Tuesday, Bettis was given a key to the city by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Bettis knows who he is and where he comes from, and is "a shining example of what a kid with a dream from Detroit can accomplish with hard work and determination," Kilpatrick said.
In Detroit's history, three other people have received a key to the city. The most recent was former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein, who got the key in 1980 for his donation of $250,000 to Sacred Heart Chaldean Church.
On Wednesday morning, Foote was recognized at his alma mater, Pershing High School.
Foote visited with current students during the homecoming, and he broke down into tears while talking about his boyhood dream of playing professional football.
"This made me who I am today," Foote said of the school. "It was my foundation academically and on the football field."
Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued proclamations declaring Wednesday "Jerome Bettis Day" and Thursday "Larry Foote Day."
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Bettis Receives Key
