Career
After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears. After his playing career, Tom went on to coach in the NFL for 30 years, including for the 1969-1970 Super Bowl IV Champions and the 1966-1967 American Federation of Labor-Congress Champions, Kansas City Chiefs.
Bettis served as interim coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1977 after the firing of Paul Wiggin.
In seven games as Head Coach, Bettis complied a 1-6 record ending a 12-year stint as a coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He returned in 1988 to be the defensive backs coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tom was inducted into both the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Bettis died on February 28, 2015.