Reginald "Reggie" Bush, birth name: Reginald Alfred Bush II (born March 2,
1985 in San Diego, California), nicknamed 'The Human
Highlight Reel' and 'The President', alluding to President Bush, is an American football player who plays for the New Orleans
Saints of the NFL. He has played running
back/tailback, wide Receiver,
kick returner and punt returner. Bush played
college football at the University of Southern California from 2003-2005, including two
National Championship seasons. He won numerous awards
including the 2005 Heisman Trophy.
Early Years
Reggie Bush grew up in the urban Skyline neighborhood of Southeast San Diego[1] and Spring Valley,
California an unincorporated community in San Diego County. Reggie's humble
upbringing in Southeast San Diego bore special significance to him, and he often memorialized this with "619" (San Diego's area
code) or "S.E." (Southeast San Diego) written in silver on the black anti-glare tape under his eyes during USC games.[1] His father was a campus security officer at
Samuel F. B. Morse High School, and his mother was a deputy sheriff at
the county jail.[1] He attended
Helix High School in La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego,
also with San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex
Smith. Reggie excelled at football and track. In track, he won many
honors and ran a 10.42 100m in the California state championships. Also an excellent student, Bush left Helix with a 3.8 GPA and
many scholarships.
College career
Bush studied political science at USC.[2] Bush often etched the number
"619" on top of his black under eye markings as a tribute to the area code of central San
Diego city / South San Diego county.[3]
Before attending USC Bush was the most highly recruited running back out of high school. His and others expectations during
his college career were very high. When head coach Pete Carroll recruited Bush for Southern
California, he envisioned using Bush as a five-way threat. The freshman quickly proved he could carry, catch, throw and return
the ball with great skill. In 2003, he was a consensus Freshman All-American first-team selection and became the first Trojan
since Anthony Davis in 1974 to lead the Pac-10 Conference in kickoff
returns. His 1,331 all-purpose yards set a USC freshman record. ESPN's Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year amassed 521 yards with three
touchdowns on 90 carries that year. He caught fifteen passes for 314 yards (20.9 avg) and three scores and averaged 27.3 yards on
18 kickoff returns with a touchdown. His number in 2003 was #5.
Despite not having started any games in 2004, he finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman
Trophy, was named the team's MVP, earned consensus All-American honors and was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He finished second on the team with 143 carries for 908 yards (6.3
avg) and six touchdowns, adding on 509 yards and seven scores on 83 receptions (11.8 avg). He returned 21 kickoffs for 537 yards
(25.6 avg) and 24 punts for 376 yards (15.7 avg) and a pair of touchdowns. He became the first Trojan since Marcus Allen to lead the Pac-10 in all-purpose yardage,
totaling 2,330 yards. He also threw for one touchdown, tossing a 52-yard scoring strike.[2]
Bush had an excellent 2005 season, as he was a unanimous All-American first-team pick and the winner of the Heisman Memorial
Trophy. He was named the Associated Press 2005 Player of the Year, Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Offensive Player of the Year,
Touchdown Club of Columbus Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and
Doak Walker Award (nation's best running back). He led the nation with an average of
222.3 all-purpose yards per game. and finished fourth in the NCAA Division 1-A ranks with an average of 133.85 yards per game
rushing. One memorable moment, known as the "Bush Push", occurred against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This is one of the most
controversial calls ever made in sports where Bush clearly pushes teammate Matt Leinart in the endzone for the game winning
touchdown. USC would then go on ,undefeated, into a final Rose Bowl game loss.[2]
Bush led the Trojans with 1,740 yards on 200 carries (8.7 avg) with sixteen touchdowns and ranked third on the squad with 37
receptions for 478 yards (12.9 avg), including a pair of scores as a junior. He returned 18 punts for 179 yards (9.9 avg) and a
touchdown and gained 493 yards on 28 kickoff returns (17.6 avg).[2]
In 39 games at Southern California, Bush started only fifteen times. However, he finished tenth in NCAA Division 1-A history
with 6,551 all-purpose yards. He finished with 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns on 433 carries (7.3 avg) and 1,301 yards with
thirteen scores on 95 catches (13.7 avg). Bush returned 67 kickoffs for 1,522 yards and a touchdown, adding 559 yards and three
scores on 44 punt returns (12.7 avg). He also completed one-of-three passes for a 52-yard touchdown.[2]
After Bush left college for the NFL, rumors began to surface, the nature of these rumors where that, he and his family had
recieved extra benefits from a aspiring sports agent. These alleged NCAA violations have not resulted(to date) in any penalties
for Mr. Bush.
Awards
On December 8, 2005, Bush was awarded the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award. On
December 10, Bush won the Heisman Trophy, beating
finalists Vince Young and former Heisman winner and teammate Matt Leinart. Additionally, he was named the 2005 AP Sportsman of the
Year.
Legacy
By the end of the 2007 season, Bush had amassed 2,611 all-purpose yards and scored 18 touchdowns (15 rushing, 2 receiving, 1
punt return).[4] He was awarded the Heisman Trophy on December 10, 2005.
He had 784 first-place votes while Texas quarterback Vince Young finished second with 79
first-place votes, with an overall edge in voting points of 2541 to Young's 1608. The 933 point margin-of-victory was the 17th
highest of all time. Matt Leinart came in third with 18 first-place votes. Bush had the
second most first-place votes in the history of Heisman voting at that time, only behind O.J.
Simpson's 855 in 1968.[5] Troy Smith of Ohio State University exceeded the mark for first place votes in the 2006 Heisman voting. Bush
became the 71st winner of the Heisman Trophy, and the 7th USC player to receive the award. In addition to his Heisman Trophy,
Bush also won the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp
Award, and was selected as the PAC-10's offensive player of the year.
He and teammate Matt Leinart became the first pair of Heisman Trophy winners to play
together in a single game in the Rose Bowl on January
4, 2006 against the University of
Texas Longhorns. USC lost 41-38. Bush had a decent performance, amassing a total
of 279 all-purpose yards (82 rushing yards, 95 receiving yards, 102 kickoff return yards) and one touchdown scored, but he was
overshadowed by his runner-up for the Heisman, Vince Young, and Bush's teammate
LenDale White, who led USC in rushing with 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bush also attempted
to lateral when he was tackled after a long run, but the lateral fell to the ground and was
recovered by Texas. The bad lateral nullified a drive where USC may have scored, and set up a Texas scoring drive, potentially
losing at least 10 points for the Trojans. This game gave Bush a total of 2,890 all-purpose yards for the season.
In celebration of their stellar careers, Bush and Leinart appeared on the cover of the December
25, 2005 issue of Sports Illustrated; the
magazine anointed the pair as the "Best in College Football" in 2005.
- Finished 10th in NCAA Division I-A history and with 6,551 all-purpose yards
- Only 12th player in NCAA history to gain over 2,000 all-purpose yards twice (2,330 yards in 2004 and 2,890 yards in
2005).
He was featured on the cover of NCAA Football 2007,[6] released on July 18, 2006.
He was ranked #24 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.
NFL career
2006 NFL Draft
On January 12, 2006, Bush elected to forgo his senior season
at USC and declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Draft analysts predicted that he would
be the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, held by the Houston Texans. However, in a surprising move on the night before the draft, the Texans signed
Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State. The New Orleans Saints
then selected Bush as the number 2 overall pick in the draft.[8] On January 3, 2007, Bush was 5th in
the voting for Associated Press NFL
Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On April 23, 2006, a report surfaced raising questions about
whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA
policies. The school has requested that the conference investigate the matter.
On April 26, 2006, three days prior to the 2006 NFL Draft, he signed a multiyear endorsement with the athletic sportswear company Adidas, where he will promote football and training clothes and even launch cleats in 2007.[9]
On April 28, 2006, it was announced that Mario Williams signed a deal with the Houston Texans, meaning that Reggie Bush would not be the first
draft pick.[10] Bush's representatives spoke that night
with the New Orleans Saints, who said they intended to use their second overall pick
to select the USC product.
Reggie Bush was indeed drafted by the Saints with the second overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans' decision
to not take Bush was derided by many sports analysts. ESPN commentator Len Pasquarelli
claimed that Houston selecting Williams ahead of Bush was one of the biggest mistakes made in NFL Draft history.[11] The Texans had a big need for a pass rusher and thought that
they were set at running back with Domanick Davis. But Davis would miss the 2006
season with a knee injury and was released on March 22, 2007.
New Orleans Saints
2006 rookie season
Bush's selection by the New Orleans Saints in the NFL draft generated excitement
and celebration among New Orleans Saints fans. By the end of the week after the draft, Reebok
reported receiving over 15,000 orders for Bush's Saints jersey, even though his jersey number with the Saints had not yet been
determined.[12] Bush had petitioned the NFL to wear number
5 on his jersey, which he has worn throughout his high school and college careers. However, in order for him to wear #5, the NFL
would have to revise its numbering regulations, which require running backs to wear a number between 20 and 49. Bush was allowed
to wear the number 5 during the Saints' minicamp practices pending the NFL's ruling. On May 23,
the NFL competition committee officially rejected his request, and on May 25, it was officially
announced that Bush would be wearing number 25, acquired from Saints running back Fred McAfee. Although Bush had earlier pledged
to donate a quarter of the money he receives from jersey sales to Katrina victims if allowed to wear #5, he later said he would
make that donation no matter what number he wears.[13] As
part of the deal with McAfee to wear #25, Bush agreed to allocate half of that money to charities of McAfee's choosing. McAfee
pledged to donate his share to Katrina victims in his home state of Mississippi. Bush has also already set an amazing record. He
is the second youngest NFL player with the largest money in endorsement deals this early in his career, amounting to roughly 5
million dollars. He has signed contracts with Pepsi, General
Motors, Adidas and Subway restaurants. He is
the runner up in this category to Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, who was worth 10 million in endorsement deals this early in his career.
Amazed by the warm reception he received from the fans in New Orleans, as well
as the magnitude of the devastation caused there by Hurricane Katrina, Bush expressed excitement about playing with the Saints
and has pledged to help the city recover from the hurricane. On May 15, 2006, Bush donated $50,000 to help keep Holy Rosary High School, a local Catholic school for students with learning
disabilities, from closing.[14] In training camp, Saints
receiver Joe Horn dubbed him "Baby Matrix" because of his seemingly impossible evasive
maneuvers (obviously comparing him to the movie The Matrix, which features characters who
move faster than humanly possible to dodge bullets).
Bush's rookie season had both ups and downs, although as the season wore on, he became more productive and integral to the
Saints' surprising success. In the first game of Bush's NFL career, he amassed 141 total yards against the Cleveland Browns. He carried the ball fewer times than his counterpart Deuce McAllister, putting off any speculation that he would immediately supplant McAllister as the
starter in New Orleans. The Saints won the game by a score of 19-14. This effort lowered his league-worst rushing average among
running backs to only 2.55 yards per carry. However, he finished the midway point of the season with 46 receptions, the most by
any running back in the NFL. At only 6.8 yards per reception, Bush ranked 20th out of 29 qualified running backs in the
league.
At the midway point of the season, Bush had yet to score a single touchdown either receiving or running the ball; however, on
November 12, 2006, Bush rushed for his first touchdown from scrimmage on a reverse
against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[1] On December 3, Bush tied the Saints'
single game touchdown record, held by Joe Horn, by scoring 4 touchdowns against the
San Francisco 49ers. He gained 168 all-purpose yards as he sparked the Saints to
their 8th win of the season. On December 10, Bush scored a 62 yard touchdown against the
Dallas Cowboys[2] in Dallas, contributing to the Saints' surprising 42-17 drubbing of the Cowboys in
what was expected to be a more competitive match up that would be important to the playoff race. On December 24, Bush scored a 1 yard touchdown on a reverse against the New
York Giants. Bush also had a career high 126 rushing yards on the day. On December
31, Bush scored a 1 yard touchdown against the Carolina Panthers, but only
carried the ball three times, even though backfield counterpart Deuce McAllister did
not play. This was because the New Orleans Saints had already clinched the #2 NFC
seed in the playoffs.
On January 13, in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, Bush ran for 52 yards on 12 carries and
scored a touchdown and added 3 catches for 22 yards as New Orleans edged Philadelphia, 27-24 to earn its first NFC Championship
Game appearance in the team's 40-year history. The game was also notable for the vicious hit that Bush absorbed from
Sheldon Brown while attempting to catch a swing pass on the Saints' first play of the game. On January 21, in the
NFC Championship playoff game, Bush caught a pass on the 22 and ran 78 yards downfield (eluding the Chicago Bears safety) for an
88 yard touchdown thrown by Drew Brees. This comeback was the first score of the second half
and closed the gap from 16-7 (in favor of Chicago) to 16-14.[3][4][5]
Reggie Bush was fined by the NFL after the game for $5,000 dollars for
taunting: which consisted of wagging his finger at All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher and
doing a somersault after the 88-yard reception score. Bush apologized immediately after the event.[6]
Many people consider Reggie's first season as a disappointment. While proving himself as an above average receiver, he
struggled running the ball. He had 565 yards with only a 3.6 yards per carry average, and was constantly caught behind the line.
Reggie improved on all levels in the second half of the 2006 season (with 4.0 yards/carry over the last 8 games) and is expected
to improve vastly for the 2007 season.
2007 season
In the season opener of the 2007 season, Bush and the Saints lost to the defending
Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts 41-10.
Bush was tied for a team-best 38 rushing yards on 12 carries. He also had seven yards on four receptions and a punt return for
two yards in a disappointing opener for Bush and the Saints. The Saints following game was equally as disappointing as the Saints
were beaten 31 to 14 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Reggie averaged only 2.7 yards
per carry and 27 yards from scrimmage, over third of which came on one play. Reggie scored 2 rushing touchdowns, both 1-yard
runs, in the Saints week 3 loss to the Tennessee Titans. In that game Bush carried 7 times for only 15 yards in gains while
catching 6 passes for only 20 yards.
|- align=center |2007 ||NO ||4 ||3 ||25 ||122 ||4.9 ||12 ||0 ||50 ||147 ||2.9 ||13
||2
||281
|- align=center |Career||-- ||19 ||9 ||104 ||812 ||7.8 ||74 ||2 ||184 ||645 ||3.5 ||18 ||8
||1,457
|}
Media career and personal life
Bush on the cover of NCAA Football 07
French mobile game publisher Gameloft announced on November
21 that it had signed Bush as its cover athlete for fine Reggie Bush Pro Football 2007, which was made available in
January 2007 across multiple wireless carriers and cell phones. This marks the second cover endorsement for Bush, who currently
is on the box of Electronic Arts' NCAA Football 07, which is out now for Xbox 360,
Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PSP. Gameloft did not secure the NFL license for this mobile game, which means that actual team names,
logos and NFLPA players (aside from Bush) will not be incorporated into the gameplay.
He recently appeared on the video for Ciara's song Like a
Boy and in a Commercial for Madden NFL 08. The video and appearances Bush made with
Ciara has then circulated rumors of a romance between the two. The was denied by Ciara. Bush has
also dined with Condoleezza Rice at the White
House correspondent's diner and made an appearance in Las Vegas during the 2007
NBA All-Star weekend.
On June 26 2007, David
Beckham's first major U.S. ad campaign since finishing with Real Madrid made its
debut via the web. Titled "Futbol Meets Football", it pairs him with Reggie Bush in a 13-part video series, with additional
television, radio, and online promotion by Adidas.[15]
In July 2007, he also appeared at E3 2007, playing Madden NFL 08 for the crowd in Santa Monica,
California.
In August 2007, he signed a deal with Sirius Satellite radio to be a weekly announcer for the 2007 season.[16]
References
- ^ a b c "Greatness suits him - Trophy hopeful Bush from humble beginnings, tries to stay that way" from the San Diego
Union-Tribune (12.08.05). Retrieved on "2007-09-27".
- ^ a b c
d e Reggie Bush Draft
Profile. FoxSports.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^
- ^ Schrotenboer, Brent. "Trophy
hopeful Bush from humble beginnings, tries to stay that way", SignOnSanDiego.com, 2005-12-08.
Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ "USC's Bush wins Heisman by monumental margin", Associated Press, 2005-12-11. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ EA Drafts
Heisman Trophy Winner Reggie Bush as Cover Athlete (2006-04-28). Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^ Brandt, Gil. "Gil Brandt's Analysis By Position: Running Backs", Packers.com, 2006-04-26. Retrieved on
2007-08-23.
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/specials/draft/2006/04/28/texans.williams.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
- ^ "Reggie Bush signs deal with adidas", Associated Press, 2006-04-26. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^ "Texans ink DE Williams, to draft him No. 1", NFL.com, 2006-04-28. Retrieved on
2006-07-21.
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len. "Snubbing Bush a Texans-size blunder", ESPN.com, 2006-04-28. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^ Halliburton, Suzanne. "Football rookies make a big impact on fans", 2006-05-18. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^ "Reggie Bush won't get his No. 5 this year", Associated Press, 2006-05-23. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
- ^ http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-23/1147672788244480.xml
- ^ http://sdmlsproject.com/adidasbecksandbush.html
- ^ http://news.lalate.com/2007/08/16/reggie-bush-inks-sirius-radio-deal/
External links
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