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Biography
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II (born March 2, 1985 in San Diego, California), nicknamed "The President," alluding to George W. Bush, is a football player who plays for the New Orleans Saints and formerly for the University of Southern California. He played running back/tailback, wide receiver, and punt and kickoff returner for the team. He is generally recognized as one of the best running backs in college football history due to his speed, agility, evasiveness, and outstanding instincts on the field.
On December 8, 2005, Bush was awarded the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award. On December 10, Bush won the most prestigious individual award in college football, the Heisman Trophy, beating out finalists Vince Young and former Heisman winner and teammate Matt Leinart. He rang up the highest-ever percentages of first-place votes (84.9 percent) and possible points (91.7 percent) in the balloting by members of the media and former Heisman winners. Additionally, he was named the 2005 AP Sportsman of the Year.
On January 12, 2006, Bush elected to forgo his senior season at USC and declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Since it was predicted that he would be the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, held by the Houston Texans, Houston was expected to obtain Bush. However, in a surprising move on the night before the draft, the Texans signed Mario Williams, a defensive end from NC State. The New Orleans Saints selected Bush with their #2 pick in the draft.
After being drafted by the Saints, many fans have called him "Saint Reggie", The Messiah and Mardi Gras, à la "King James", a name given to LeBron James because many expected him to be a savior for his team and city. Bush is now under the same hype.
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.
Early history
Bush grew up in Spring Valley, California. His father was a campus security officer and his mother was a deputy sheriff at the county jail. He attended Helix High School, where he excelled at football and track and field. In football, he and former University of Utah and current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the top pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, led the team to two sectional championships. In track, he won many honors and ran a 10.42 100m in the California state championships.
Controversy
On April 24, 2006, a week before the 2006 NFL Draft, a report surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received improper benefits during Bush's final college season. The questions involved a home valued at $757,000 located in Spring Valley, California which Reggie Bush's mother, stepfather and brother lived in during the 2005 season. The home was owned by a man with ties to a recently started sports marketing company. If Bush and his family paid less than fair market value on the rental, then this would equate to a gift prohibited by NCAA policies. USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett said the school has requested that the Pacific-10 Conference look into the matter.[1] If Bush is ruled ineligible, USC could be forced to forfeit every game that Bush played in after losing his eligibility. The school could also be put on probation or banned from bowl games but that would likely depend on how much it knew or should have known about any violations. Bush could also potentially risk losing his 2005 Heisman Trophy because the official Heisman ballot states the following: "In order that there will be no misunderstanding regarding the eligibility of a candidate, the recipient of the award must be a bonafide student of an accredited university. The recipient must be in compliance with the bylaws defining an NCAA student." Bush's former teammate Winston Justice has also been linked to this report.[2]
After skipping a mandatory team meeting on July 28, 2006 as part of a contract hold-out, he signed a contract for six years the following day and reported on July 30. The deal includes $ 26.325 million guaranteed and $51 million total. Incentives can bring the deal up to $62 million.[3] Reggie Bush was fined $10,000 by the NFL for wearing gold and black Adidas cleats. The NFL only allows Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour apparel because of a signed marketing agreement. Bush commented "Adidas took care of it" in response to the fine.
Scouting Report
Statistics
Rushing Stats
| year | team | league | games | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NOR | NFL | 16 | 155 | 565 | 3.6 | 6 | 18 |
| 1 year NFL career | 16 | 155 | 565 | 3.6 | 6 | 0 | ||
Receiving Stats
| year | team | league | games | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NOR | NFL | 16 | 88 | 742 | 8.4 | 2 | 74 |
| 1 year NFL career | 16 | 88 | 742 | 8.4 | 2 | 0 | ||
Punt Return Stats
| year | team | league | games | RET | YDS | AVG | FC | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NOR | NFL | 16 | 28 | 216 | 7.7 | 2 | 65 | 1 |
| 1 year NFL career | 16 | 28 | 216 | 7.7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
Passing Stats
| year | team | league | games | ATT | CMP | PCT | YDS | YPA | TD | INT | SKD | SKY | RAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NOR | NFL | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year NFL career | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Fumble Recovery Stats
| year | team | league | games | TOT | OWR | OPR | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NOR | NFL | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year NFL career | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||