Reggie Bush

Early life

Bush was born in 1985 in Spring Valley in San Diego County, California, and named after his biological father, Reginald Sr. He was a running back at Helix High School in La Mesa, California. While at Helix, he played with 2004 Heisman Trophy finalist and first overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft Alex Smith. During his prep career with the Helix Highlanders, he won the prestigious Silver Pigskin trophy awarded by KUSI's Prep Pigskin Report. Smith and Bush were later finalists for the 2004 Heisman, making it the first time a high school had two finalists at the same ceremony. He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Bush was listed as the No. 1 running back in the nation in 2003.

Bush was also a track star at Helix, placing second (10.72) -1.7m in the 2002 CIF California State Meet 100 meters final and posting bests of 10.42 seconds in the 100 meters (both the fastest prep time in the state and among the nation's senior football players) and 21.06 seconds in the 200 meters (third fastest prep in California in 2002). Bush is still 3rd all-time on the 100m dash list for San Diego. He placed second in the boys' 50 meters, clocking at 5.85 at the 2003 Los Angeles Invitational Indoor Meet.

College career

USC

Bush received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Southern California, where he played for the Trojans from 2003 to 2005 under head coach Pete Carroll. When Carroll recruited Bush he envisioned using him as a five-way threat.

The freshman quickly proved effective in carrying, catching, throwing, and returning the ball. Bush was a consensus first-team Freshman All-American selection in 2003, and became the first Trojan since Anthony Davis in 1974 to lead the Pacific-10 Conference in kickoff returns. His 1,331 all-purpose yards set a USC freshman record. The ESPN Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year also amassed 521 yards rushing that year, with three touchdowns on 91 carries.

University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith and Bush were both finalists for the 2004 Heisman Trophy, making it the first time a high school had two finalists at the same ceremony. In 2004, Bush finished fifth in the Heisman voting and was named the team's MVP. He 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 509 yards and seven scores on 43 receptions (11.8 avg). Bush 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.

In 2005, Bush had amassed 2,611 all-purpose yards and scored 18 touchdowns (15 rushing, two receiving, one punt return). He led the Trojans with 1,740 yards on 200 carries (8.7 avg) with 16 touchdowns and ranked third on the squad with 39 receptions for 481 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).

He led the nation with an average of 222.3 all-purpose yards per game and finished fourth in the NCAA Division I-A ranks with an average of 133.85 rushing yards per game. He set the Pac-10 record for all-purpose yards in a game, with 513 (294 rushing, 68 receiving, 151 return) against the Fresno State Bulldogs on November 19, 2005. Bush also became known for the "Bush Push," which occurred on a game-winning score against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Legacy

Bush started only 15 times in 39 games at USC. However, he finished tenth in NCAA Division I-A history with 6,541 all-purpose yards, racking up 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns on 433 carries (7.3 avg) and 1,301 yards with 13 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 pass attempts for a 52-yard touchdown.

In celebration of their stellar college football 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. Bush was featured on the cover of NCAA Football 2007, released on July 18, 2006.

He would later be ranked No. 24 on ESPN's 25 Greatest Players in College Football list.

USC athletics scandal

In 2006, reports surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies. The school requested that the conference investigate the matter, and Bush denied any impropriety.

Sports agent Lloyd Lake sued Bush and his family in November 2007 in an effort to recoup $291,600 in cash and gifts. Lake also agreed to cooperate with the NCAA. In April 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that the NCAA had merged its investigations of Bush and former USC basketball player O. J. Mayo into a single probe of the Trojans athletic programs. On December 28, 2009, it was announced that Bush had lost his bid for confidential arbitration in this matter and that the case would proceed to trial. The case was settled in April 2010.

On June 10, 2010, the NCAA announced major sanctions against USC. The NCAA found that Bush had received lavish gifts from Lake and his partner, Michael Michaels, from at least December 2004 onward, including a limousine ride to the 2005 Heisman Trophy presentation. As a result, USC was given four years of probation and forced to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season – including the 2005 Orange Bowl – as well as all of its wins in the 2005 season. The Trojans were also banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and lost 30 scholarships over three years. Running backs coach Todd McNair was banned from off-campus recruiting for one year after the NCAA determined he had known about Bush's dealings with the agents. McNair sued the NCAA for damages related to his dismissal and the NCAA lost. The judge in the case found the NCAA conducted the USC investigation and that of McNair with "malice". The NCAA also forced USC to disassociate itself from Bush for 10 years.

The NCAA determined that, given Bush's high-profile status, USC should have invested more effort in monitoring Bush's relationships. In announcing the penalties, NCAA infractions committee chairman Paul Dee said, "High-profile players merit high-profile enforcement."

On July 20, 2010, incoming USC president Max Nikias said the school would remove from its facilities all jerseys and murals displayed in Bush's honor, and would return the school's copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy. On August 12, USA Today reported that Bush had called USC's new athletic director, Pat Haden, and apologized for making poor decisions that led to the NCAA sanctions. However, in a subsequent report in the Los Angeles Times, Haden said the characterization of Bush's call as an "apology" was incorrect; Haden described it as "a conversation of him being contrite, but not an apology", and he also noted that Bush had not admitted to any specific wrongful acts.

Professional career

On January 12, 2006, Bush elected to forgo his senior season at USC and declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. Bush's on field performances made him a contender for the top pick in the 2006 NFL draft, and he also made an impressive appearance at USC's highly publicized post-season pro day showcase, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds. Draft analysts predicted that he would be the first overall pick in the draft, a pick 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 University, meaning that Bush would not be the first draft pick. Bush's representatives spoke that night with the New Orleans Saints, who said they intended to use the second overall pick to select Bush.

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.

On April 26, 2006, three days prior to the draft, Bush had signed a multi-year endorsement with Adidas to promote football and training clothes, and help the athletic sportswear company launch cleats in 2007.

New Orleans Saints

Bush's selection by the New Orleans Saints in the NFL Draft generated excitement and celebration among 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. Bush had petitioned the NFL to wear the number 5, which he has worn throughout his high school and college careers. However, in order for him to wear that number, 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, 2006, the NFL competition committee officially rejected his request. 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 received from jersey sales to Hurricane Katrina victims if allowed to wear the number 5, he later said he would make that donation no matter what number he wears. As part of the deal with McAfee to wear the number 25, Bush agreed to allocate half the money to charities of McAfee's choosing, the other half going to charities of Bush's choosing. McAfee pledged to donate his share to Katrina victims in his home state of Mississippi.

Bush was second to Peyton Manning in NFL endorsement deals, amounting to roughly US$5 million annually. He signed contracts with Pepsi, General Motors, Adidas, Pizza Hut and the Subway restaurant chain.

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 pledged to help the city recover from the hurricane. On May 15, 2006, Bush donated US$50,000 to help keep Holy Rosary High School, a Catholic school for students with learning disabilities, from closing. During training camp, Saints receiver Joe Horn dubbed him "Baby Matrix" because of his seemingly impossible evasive maneuvers (apparently 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. In his team's Week 9 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bush finished the game with minus-5 yards on eleven carries despite the Saints' 31–14 victory. 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 league.

Miami Dolphins

On July 28, 2011, the Saints traded Bush to the Miami Dolphins for reserve safety Jonathon Amaya and a swap of sixth-round draft picks. After an 0–7 start, during the Dolphins' first win of the 2011 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bush scored his first rushing touchdown since 2009. Bush had his second career 100-yard game against the New York Giants with 103 yards on 15 carries in the 20–17 loss. In Week 13, Bush rushed 22 times for 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in a 34–14 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Bush again eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a 26–10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles the following week, rushing for 103 yards on 14 carries. On December 18, Bush rushed for a career-high 203 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in a 30–23 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 15. Bush rushed for 113 yards on 22 carries on Christmas Eve in a losing effort at the New England Patriots. Early in the game, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season for the first time in his professional career. Overall, in the 2011 season, he finished with 1,086 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 43 receptions, 296 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

After a solid season opener against the Houston Texans with 14 carries for 69 rushing yards in the 30–10 loss, Bush broke out on the ground with 172 yards on a career-high 26 carries and two rushing touchdowns, as well as 25 receiving yards, in a 35–13 win over the Oakland Raiders. Bush was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 2, the second time since joining the Miami Dolphins, and third time in his career. In Week 15, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 104 rushing yards in the 24–3 victory. In Week 16, against the Buffalo Bills, he had 65 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and four receptions for 42 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 24–10 victory. Overall, on the season, he had 986 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 35 receptions, 292 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.

Detroit Lions

Bush signed with the Detroit Lions on March 13, 2013. Bush's contract with the Lions was a four-year deal, worth $16 million with $4 million guaranteed. Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole reported that Detroit planned to utilize Bush as a "three-down back" and Bush described playing for the Lions as a "running back's dream." He and Joique Bell shared the majority of the workload in the backfield. On his debut for the Lions against the Minnesota Vikings, he recorded 191 yards from scrimmage and a receiving touchdown. On September 29, against the Chicago Bears, he had 18 carries for 139 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 40–32 victory in Week 4.

In Week 10, in the second divisional game against the Chicago Bears, he had 14 carries for 105 rushing yards in the 21–19 victory. In Week 13, against the Green Bay Packers, he had 20 carries for 117 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 40–10 victory. Overall, on the 2013 season, he had 1,006 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 54 receptions, 506 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. He was ranked 85th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

The 2014 season saw Bush's production drop as Bell's production increased. His first rushing touchdown of the season came against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 as part of a season-high 61-yard performance in the 19–7 victory. He only topped 50 rushing yards once more and scored one more rushing touchdown, which came against the Chicago Bears in Week 16, in the 2014 season. Overall, he finished with 297 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 40 receptions, and 253 receiving yards. The Lions made the playoffs and faced off against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. In the 24–20 loss, he had an 18-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

On February 25, 2015, Bush was released by the Lions.

San Francisco 49ers

On March 18, 2015, Bush signed with the San Francisco 49ers. His one-year contract was for $2.5 million, with $500,000 guaranteed, and a $500,000 signing bonus. He joined a very crowded backfield that contained Carlos Hyde and Shaun Draughn. On September 14, 2015, in the 49ers season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Bush left the game with a leg injury. On November 1, 2015, during a game against the St. Louis Rams, Bush slipped on the concrete surrounding the field at the Edward Jones Dome and crashed into the wall. He suffered a season-ending tear of his left meniscus. In limited action, he had eight carries for 28 rushing yards and four receptions for 19 receiving yards on the 2015 season.

On January 8, 2016, it was announced that Bush sued the St. Louis Rams, St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority and the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, contending that what he described as a "concrete ring of death" around the field caused his injury. On June 13, 2018, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Bush had won the lawsuit and that the Rams were ordered to pay Bush $12.45 million in damages: $4.95 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages. In making the ruling, the judge left the Rams as the sole defendant, dismissing the convention authority and sports complex from the suit.

Buffalo Bills

On August 1, 2016, Bush signed with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year deal. He joined a backfield that was dominated by LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee. Bush rushed for his first touchdown, and only rushing touchdown of the season, with the Bills on October 23, 2016, in a 28–25 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Bush finished the season with seven catches for 90 yards, and 12 carries for −3 yards and a rushing touchdown, making him the first player in NFL history, other than quarterbacks, to carry the ball at least ten times and have negative yardage for a season.

Retirement

On December 15, 2017, Bush announced his retirement from the NFL.

Bush finished his career with 5,490 rushing yards, 3,598 receiving yards, 929 return yards, and 58 touchdowns.

On June 5, 2019, Bush was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.

Career statistics

Awards and honors

NFL

Super Bowl champion (XLIV)

First-team All-Pro (2008)

NFL PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006)

New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame

Ranked No. 85 in the Top 100 Players of 2014

College

BCS national champion (2004)

2× AP national champion (2003, 2004)

Heisman Trophy (2005)

Walter Camp Award (2005)

AP College Football Player of the Year (2005)

Sporting News Player of the Year (2005)

2× Chic Harley Award (2004, 2005)

Doak Walker Award (2005)

Jim Brown Trophy (2005)

2× Consensus All-American (2004, 2005)

2× Pac-10 Offensive Player of the year (2004, 2005)

2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2004, 2005)

USC Trojans No. 5 retired

Media career

In February 2007, Bush appeared as Ciara's love interest in the music video for her single, "Like a Boy".

On June 26, 2007, David Beckham's first major US television advertising campaign since joining the Los Angeles Galaxy debuted via the internet. Titled "Futbol Meets Football", it paired Beckham with Bush in a 12-part video series, with additional television, radio and online promotion by Adidas.

In August 2007, he signed a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio to be a weekly announcer for the 2007 season.

Bush was nominated for Male Athlete of the Year at the 2007 and 2009 BET Awards.

Bush was featured almost shirtless on the February 2010 cover of Essence for the theme "Black Men, Love & Relationships." However, this appearance generated controversy as some among the magazine's readers took offense to Bush on the cover of such an issue; at the time he was involved with Kim Kardashian and Bush was criticized for dating only non-black women.

Also in 2010, Bush's fundraising work for organizations that benefit Haiti and diamond-producing countries in Africa earned him a nomination for the VH1 Do Something Awards. Specifically, Bush worked on behalf of the Diamond Empowerment Fund, visiting Botswana and South Africa and raising money for education there. He is a founding member of the Fund's Athletes for Africa program. The awards show, produced by VH1, is dedicated to honoring people who do good and is powered by Do Something, an organization that aims to empower, celebrate, and inspire young people.

In March 2012, Bush became a partner and spokesperson for skincare company Barc, makers of BumpDown Razor Bump Relief.

In 2018, Bush appeared as a contestant on Talk Show the Game Show with Guy Branum.

In 2019, Bush signed on with Fox Sports as a college football analyst for their Big Noon Kickoff pregame show. He left the show in 2023 when they could not come to an agreement on his next contract.

Personal life

At one time, Bush dated Kim Kardashian while at USC, after Matt Leinart introduced them at the 2007 ESPY Awards. The pair were reported as having gotten back together on September 28, 2009. Bush was romantically linked to country singer Jessie James Decker in 2010.

Bush began dating Armenian dancer Lilit Avagyan in 2011 and the two married on July 12, 2014. The couple have three children: daughter, Briseis (born May 6, 2013) and sons, Uriah (born July 12, 2015) and Agyemang (born September 2, 2017).