Reggie Bush won't commit to Patriots, signs with 49ers

Greg Katz, ESPN:

If you strip away the NCAA sanctions and Heisman Trophy disgrace, there has been no other USC football player who could change the course of a game in one play like Bush. He had all the moves you could want and the rare fifth-gear that could pull away from the swiftest defender. Say what you want regarding the damage he caused his university, but there is no denying that No. 5 was a once-in-a-generation prodigy and probably the Trojans' most feared offensive player with a football in his hands.

Each time Reggie Bush sets foot on a professional team's campus, the vision is of his record breaking 619 total yards against Fresno State. 8.7 yards per carry in 2005 with the University of Southern California Trojans' bested O.J. Simpson's 5.1 in 1968.

The five years spent with The New Orleans Saints, including a Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, do not resonate. With only 150 yards rushing, one TD and a decline to 4.2 yards per carry average for Bush in 2010, it was on to Miami.

Two years with the Miami Dolphins produced 15 TD's, 2072 yards rushing, 78 catches and eight fumbles. Michael Schottey, Bleacherreport:

He was featured as a rusher for the first time in his career and would parlay that success into a contract with the Detroit Lions, where he never really panned out due to injuries and declining speed. Frankly, when one considers the fanfare with which he arrived in Detroit, calling his tenure there a disappointment would be an understatement.

After rushing for 1,006 yards for the Detroit Lions in 2013, Reggie Bush garnered only 297 yards in 2014. He was productive in the passing game, catching 94 passes. Reggie was able to hold on to the ball in 2014 season after fumbling five times in 2013. His 94 catches were only five fewer than the Patriots' Shane Vereen during the past two seasons.

The New England Patriots had interest in adding Reggie Bush to their role of pass-catching running back. In the end, the Patriots couldn't be teased the way Reggie has done so to three previous NFL teams.

The San Francisco 49ers will utilize Bush in a complementary role with RB Carlos Hyde as the featured back. The Patriots might already have their solution on their roster in 2014 fourth-round draft pick James White. He may be an unknown, but he clearly doesn't have the wear and tear of the 30 year old Reggie Bush.


Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

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