Former Steelers fullback Tim Lester has passed away at the age of 52, the NFLPA and Eastern Kentucky University announced on Tuesday.
Lester spent four seasons with the Steelers from 1995-98, earning the nickname “Bus Driver” for his prolific blocking for running back Jerome “The Bus” Bettis.
A Miami native, Lester attended Eastern Kentucky, where he was a two-time first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference selection before joining the Rams as a 10th round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons in Los Angeles before joining the Steelers in 1995.
Bettis re-joined Lester in Pittsburgh a year later, rushing for over 1,000 yards in every season that he had Lester as a lead blocker.
Lester finished his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1999. He rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL career and caught 47 passes for 331 yards and eight touchdowns. He played in seven postseason games with the Steelers, including Super Bowl XXX after the 1995 season.
Lester was inducted into the Eastern Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
After his playing career, Lester founded New Found Life Youth Football in the Atlanta suburb of Milton, Georgia, where the youth team became known as the Milton Steelers.