2:39 AM PST, 3/10/2008
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 he often memorialized 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] Reggie's father abandoned him when he was born and his whereabouts are currently unknown. His step-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.
[edit] 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 Southern California, 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, Bush 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 43 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. 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]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Legacy
By the end of the 2005 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] In the 2006 Heisman voting, Troy Smith of The Ohio State University passed Bush in number of first-place votes by 17, with 801, but Smith's 2,540 total points fell one short of Bush's mark.[6] 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 since Charles White & Marcus Allen did so in both 1979 and 1980. 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.
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,[7] released on July 18, 2006.
He was ranked #24 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.
[edit] Controversy
In January 2008, a new book, "Tarnished Heisman", was published. The book alleges that Bush received nearly $300,000 while he was still in college. Bush now faces the possibility of losing his Heisman trophy if found guilty[8][9].
[edit] NFL career
[edit] 2006 NFL Draft
Pre-draft measureables
Weight 40 yd 20 ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic
201 lb (91 kg) 4.33s X X 40.5 in (102.9 cm) 25[10] X
* represents NFL Combine
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.[11] 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 Draft, he signed a multi-year endorsement with the athletic sportswear company Adidas, where he will promote football and training clothes and launched cleats in 2007.[12]
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.[13] 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. At the time, ESPN commentator Len Pasquarelli claimed that Houston selecting Williams ahead of Bush was one of the biggest mistakes made in NFL Draft history.[14]
[edit] New Orleans Saints
[edit] 2006 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.[15] 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' mini-camp 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 Hurricane Katrina victims if allowed to wear #5, he later said he would make that donation no matter what number he wears.[16] 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 is second to Peyton Manning in the NFL in endorsement deals, amounting to roughly $5 million. He has signed contracts with Pepsi, General Motors, Adidas and Subway restaurants. Manning is worth $10 million.
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.[17] 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.[18] 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[19] 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.[20][21][22]
Reggie Bush was fined by the NFL after the game for $5,000 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.[23]
[edit] 2007
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 a 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. Bush finished the season with just 6 total touchdowns and 581 yards rushing, averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
[edit] Media career and personal life
Bush on the cover of NCAA Football 07French mobile game publisher Gameloft announced on November 21 that it had signed Bush as its cover athlete for 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. This 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.[24]
In May 2007, Reggie Bush began dating socialite Kim Kardashian. The pair were introduced by Kardashian's friend Paris Hilton and Bush's friend Matt Leinart. [25]
In August 2007, he signed a deal with Sirius Satellite radio to be a weekly announcer for the 2007 season[26]
In January 2008, a book was released entitled Tarnished Heisman. It claims that ample evidence exists that Bush and his family received more than $300,000 worth of cash and gifts while he was a student at USC -- a clear violation of NCAA rules. Even though these allegations have been talked about since his first year in the NFL, nothing has been proven and no penalty has been placed on either Reggie Bush or the University of Southern California.
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