Reggie Bush Going Back To Early Roots
Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Reggie Bush wore No. 5 at USC, were he rushed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns in his three year career. He was than drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the second overall pick in 2006, donning No. 25 with Drew Brees alongside him. He flourished, adding 2,090 yards rushing on 524 carries, with 3.98 yards per carry. However, in New Orleans, Bush thrived the most in their high octane passing attack, led by quarterback Drew Brees. He had 294 receptions, including 88 his rookie season, with 2,142 yards and 12 touchdowns.
His knock as a running back? Critics said he wasn’t an every-down running back. Bush attempted to prove them wrong in Miami, while he did to a point, he’s coming back to Detroit to revive his days as a Saint after rushing for 2,072 yards in two seasons with the Dolphins.
“I think the No. 1 thing that stuck out was the way they wanted to use me and it just made sense. It felt right,” Bush told Detroitlions.com after his press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“Everything we talked about, we were on the same page and the way we thought about football, and when I say ‘we’, I’m talking about Coach Schwartz and Coach Linehan, and it all just made sense.”
In New Orleans, Bush found holes in the running game due to the Saints wide open passing offense. In Detroit, with Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford, he will find himself in the same position.
“I felt like, with my addition, I can only help it be that much better and helping relieve some of the pressure off of Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford and adding that balanced attack to this offense,” Bush said.
“I’ve watched the film and see how defenses play him and a lot of respect is demanded on his part. There’s a lot of double coverages and it’s really a running back’s dream. When you get to run against six- and seven-man boxes, you should be able to run the ball against those types of looks. For me, I think, like I said, it was a no-brainer and an easy decision.”
Bush will now wear No. 21 in Detroit, according to Mike O’Hara. He looks to help the Lions, taking pressure off Calvin Johnson and bringing a safety down into the box. Bush took his discount to play for an offense that puts him in the best position to succeed. So now we say, welcome to Detroit Mr. Bush.