Reggie Bush had a career to remember at USC.KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/Associated Press
Legacy
Pete Carroll built a dynasty in the mid-2000s at Southern California. The Trojans shared the 2003 national title, won the 2004 national championship and only a stunning Vince Young-led rally kept them from the 2005 national championship. And even though NCAA records don’t recognize it, tailback Reggie Bush played a huge role in USC’s impressive run.
As a freshman in ’03, he set a USC freshman record with 1,331 all-purpose yards, winning consensus Freshman All-America honors, leading the Pac-10 in kick return yardage and adding 521 rushing yards with three scores.
Bush broke out as a star as a sophomore. He rushed for 908 yards and six scores, caught 43 passes for 509 yards and seven touchdowns and averaged 25.6 yards per kick return as well as 15.7 yards per punt returns, scoring a pair of kick return touchdowns. He led the Pac-10 in all-purpose yardage with 2,330 yards and was a Heisman Trophy finalist while helping the Trojans to an outright BCS national title.
As a junior, Bush was even better. He rushed for 1,740 yards with 16 touchdowns, added 39 catches for 481 yards and two touchdowns and also averaged 17.6 yards per kick return and 9.9 yards per punt return with a punt return score. Bush averaged 222.3 all-purpose yards per game, leading the NCAA, including a 513-yard effort against Fresno State.
He won the Heisman Trophy and the Doak Walker Award (given to the nation’s top running back) and was a unanimous first-team All-American. However, he was forced to return the Heisman (which was vacated) after an NCAA investigation showed that Bush and his parents had accepted nearly $300,000 in improper benefits from sports agents.
Defining moment
One of Bush’s most remembered moments was a play that he didn’t score on and never should have counted. But it did, to Notre Dame’s dismay. Southern California entered its contest on Oct. 15, 2005, against Notre Dame ranked No. 1 nationally with a 27-game winning streak. But the Irish pushed the Trojans to the brink and then some.
Trailing 31-28 late, the Trojans made one final, frantic drive inside the Notre Dame 5-yard line. With seven seconds left, quarterback Matt Leinart fumbled the ball out of bounds at the Irish 2. The Trojans had time for two more plays. Instead of spiking the ball and going for a field goal, Leinart tried to sneak for a touchdown. He met resistance at the line, but Bush pushed him forward and into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown and a wild 34-31 win. It was one of the great plays in college football history.
Why he’s here
Reggie Bush was one of the most electric college football players in recent memory. He contributed in a variety of ways, having rushing, receiving, passing, kick return and punt return touchdowns during his three-year USC career.
His memory will be tarnished by his involvement with NCAA sanctions that significantly hurt the Trojans program, but there’s no denying his dynamic abilities, which helped USC claim pieces of a pair of national titles and nearly a third—if not for Vince Young’s heroics that lifted Texas to a 41-38 win in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Regardless, Bush’s place in USC and college football history is secure.