Posted on 01/12/2006 11:47:34 AM PST by WinOne4TheGipper
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 12, 2006) -- Reggie Bush is skipping his senior season at Southern California to enter the NFL draft.
The Heisman Trophy winner made the expected announcement Jan. 12, a day after running mate LenDale White made his decision to leave early and turn pro.
Bush is expected to be one of the first players taken in the draft -- with many projecting him going to the Houston Texans with the No. 1 pick.
The electrifying running back had 1,740 yards rushing and 2,890 all-purpose yards this season for the Trojans, who fell short of an unprecedented third national title when they lost 41-38 to Texas in the Rose Bowl last week.
"It's a happy day, I don't think it's a sad time," Bush said at a campus news conference. "It was tough. ... You want to please everybody. You want to return for your senior season."
Wherever Bush winds up in the draft, he'll become a rich man.
Bush, who turns 21 in March, has flashed such blinding speed, great moves and an uncanny ability to change direction that he's been compared to such greats as Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Tony Dorsett and Marshall Faulk.
Bush, a 6-foot, 200-pounder from Spring Valley, Calif., averaged an amazing 8.7 yards per carry. He also caught 37 passes for 478 yards and led the nation in all-purpose yards with 222.3 per game.
Bush was a runaway winner of the Heisman, with Texas quarterback Vince Young far back in second place. Matt Leinart, Bush's teammate the past three years and the 2004 Heisman winner, was third. Those players figure to go 1-2-3 in the NFL draft on April 29.
The Texans, though, already have a young quarterback in David Carr so they could opt for Bush and pass on a hometown hero. Houston has 3 1/2 months to make a decision.
Had Bush stayed in school, he would have had a chance to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only two-time Heisman winners. Griffin won the award in 1974-75.
After winning his Heisman, Leinart decided to return to USC for his senior year although he almost surely would have been among the top players picked in last April's draft.
As a quarterback, Leinart was in a far different situation than Bush, since running backs are such a target, with even the best at risk every time they carry the ball. On average, standout running backs have far shorter pro careers than top quarterbacks.
Bush came to USC as one of the most highly recruited prep players in the country. He shared the tailback position for three years with White, and the two combined for 99 career touchdowns, breaking the NCAA record of 97 set by Army's Glenn Davis and Felix "Doc" Blanchard from 1943-46.
Bush represented the "Lightning" to White's "Thunder" at USC. Bush rushed for 3,169 yards and White 3,159, helping the Trojans go 37-2. They had won 34 straight before losing to Texas.
White, a 6-2, 235-pounder from Denver who turned 21 last month, rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, probably improving his standing with NFL scouts. He scored a school-record 57 career touchdowns.
ping
Hook'em Horns
So long as Houston doesn't try to make him a 30 carry a game back, this kid should be a bonafied super star.
The Texan's O line is probably only a pair of Guards away from being an average NFL unit, and the team could surprise this year.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
L. White and R. Bush will be fun to watch in the pros. So long thunder and lightning, the Trojan nation will surely miss you.
I see that ESPN has LenDale White ranked as the 18th best player of the draft. He'll be a welcome addition to the Eagles backfield...
Of course, a lot depends on how Reggie Bush is used, but I wouldn't be surprised if LenDale White is the better player ten years from now.
I'd love to see the Eagles run the ball 40 times a game behind a wall of 350 lb line men, but you and I both know, so long as BFA (Big Fat Andy) is the head coach, that ain't gonna happen. And that's not a shot at Reid either. The guy has done an amazing thing with this club and he ought to be bronzed and put on top of city hall. While I'd rather run the ball, even more, I'd rather win like we have pretty much ever since Andy came along (13+ players on IR this year is a major asterisk).
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Reggie--Please don't try any more laterals!
White is listed as the 18th best player in the draft? WOW! I would have rated him higher then that.
I decided to check out the message board at ESPN to see what they were saying when one of the topics leaped out at me -- Patrick Leahy and Edward Kennedy so I clicked on to see what the discussion was about and it is about abortion. On a sports message board I find a discussion about Leahy and Kennedy on abortion -- amazing:
http://forums.espn.go.com/espn/thread?forumID=821&threadID=2990324&lastPostID=18250028
I know -- blew me away when I read the comments. Was not expecting that on ESPN to say the least! I double checked to make sure I was still on ESPN.
surprising to me, in this day and age, that both of these players will only be 21 on draft day. with the red-shirting in college and hold-overs in HS, seems like most draftees are 23-24 years old. good for USC.
18th is pretty good for the second string running back!
I wouldn't mind trading the Cardinal front line with either Rose Bowl teams'.
He's a once in a lifetime talent. Remember Barry Sanders?
I actually think he looks better than Barry Sanders did in college (Sanders is probably the player he reiminds me the most of), but it's tempered by the fact that he's running behind two of the best Guards in college football in Lutui and Matua. Sanders never had a line like that.
I'm not sure what would happen if they tried to make Bush a 25-30 carry a game back, but if he's used like a Brian Westbrook or Eric Metcalf (8-10 carries, 5-8 passes) he could be the ultimate weapon.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
I dont't think Sanders had much of a line when he was playing. I think Reggie will do just fine.
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