Bush quiet about on-field success

January 2, 2005

Heisman finalist lets his actions do the talking

By Joe Curley
Ventura (Calif.) County Star

LOS ANGELES – For No. 1 Southern California and No. 2 Oklahoma, the stretch run of their Orange Bowl collision course Tuesday has arrived.

So let's focus on the one player who will have more to say on the destination of the crystal football – without saying a word, of course – than any other. USC sophomore Reggie Bush.

The young man of many one-of-a-kind runs is also a man of few words. Even the man whom Bush considers his father, Lamar Griffin, sometimes struggles to get a word out of him.

“He doesn't even like me talking about him,” said Griffin, a minister who married Bush's mother, Denise, 16 years ago. “But I'm Dad. I get to brag.”

Bush's humility flows from a scripture, Matthew 23:12, introduced by Griffin, which has stayed with him since his first 300-yard rushing game in Pop Warner.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled,” reads the passage, “and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Those 14 words are perhaps the reason why one of the nation's top players never complains about how little he touches the ball.

“He knows that he got picked for the things he does on the football field,” said Griffin about Bush's selection as a Heisman finalist, “not for yardage.”

Asked about his recollections from their meeting at a banquet during Bush's reign as San Diego's top prep athlete, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had a one-word answer for the San Diego Union-Tribune last month.

“Humble,” said Tomlinson.

On the opposite side of the modesty spectrum is the Bowl Championship Series title game, already being hyped as a super-powered meeting of mirror images. The 12-0 records. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks (Oklahoma's Jason White and USC's Matt Leinart). The All-American defensive linemen named Cody (Oklahoma's Dan and USC's Shaun). The head coaches known for their defensive coordination (Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and USC's Pete Carroll).

Which means this game is begging for a difference-maker. And, with apologies to Ohio State's Ted Ginn, Miami's Devin Hester and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, there has been no bigger one in the country this season than Bush. The Sporting News recently listed him the nation's top playmaker.

His quarterback may have won the Heisman Trophy, but Bush was voted by his teammates as the team's Most Valuable Player. His ability to affect the game at a variety of positions – tailback, wide receiver, slot receiver, return man – has enabled USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow to mask a number of deficiencies from last year's powerhouse, including wide receiver depth and the youth of the offensive line.

“Watch when he lines up at a place that's not in the backfield,” said Chow earlier this season. “Ten guys point at him. If 10 guys are covering him, that means we have 10 guys that are uncovered. Reggie understands that.”

In fact, when Oklahoma defensive end Larry Birdine recently decided to wallpaper the USC locker room with bulletin board material after practice, the one Trojan he actually couldn't help but compliment was Bush.

“I feel like they're, I'd say, a one-and-a-half-man team,” said Birdine to The Associated Press. “I want to respect them because I have to play them, but then I watch them on tape and everything, and I realize that they're an average team.

“Besides Reggie Bush – he's a great athlete, he's a fast back, he makes plays or whatever – but nobody else stands out to me.

“Matt Leinart, he's a Heisman Trophy winner, but he hasn't been driving them – or he hasn't been winning games. Up till the last four or five games, Reggie Bush has been their difference-maker. We feel like if we take Reggie out of the game, we're gonna win.”

Well, sure, but that's like saying if you take the Energizers out of the bunny, it's going to stop banging that darn drum.

When the USC offense has needed a jolt, its silent starter has been there to provide the spark. His three touchdown catches held off a season-opening challenge from Virginia Tech. His winding run of a screen pass jump started what had been a slow start at BYU. His punt return set up the winning score in the comeback at Stanford. His punt return in the fog at Oregon State ended a firm upset bid. His two, long, spectacular runs provided the only two touchdowns of a grinding rivalry win at UCLA.

“He has unbelievable vision,” said USC linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who admits to falling prey to Bush's many jukes and jabs during practice. “I sometimes tell the other defense, ‘Don't feel bad. He got me on that twice this week in practice.' ”

Bush has had a hand in 16 touchdowns – rushing for six, catching seven, returning two and even passing to Dwayne Jarrett for one. Bush, who has been dubbed the top San Diego tailback prospect since Marcus Allen, produced 2,181 yards of all-purpose offense, the most by a USC player since Allen had a school-record 2,683 in his 1981 Heisman season.

Tomlinson compared Bush to St. Louis Rams star Marshall Faulk, the player whose versatility caused Chow to take an offseason trip to St. Louis to discuss with head coach Mike Martz.

“He can line up at receiver and run any route,” Tomlinson said, “and he can come in the backfield and give it to you inside and out.”

Bush was home for Christmas in San Diego, where he enjoyed the home cooking of his mother, Denise Griffin. His three favorites – macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler and cornbread – were on the menu.

“He usually likes to see his friends,” Griffin said, “but he stayed home this time and kicked it with his family. We laughed and joked around. We don't get to spend that much time with Reggie (during the season).

“Me, my wife and my son are celebrities now, but we don't walk around with a big head,” Lamar Griffin said. “We have a son that has a gift by God, who blessed him to be as good of a football player as he is.

“Reggie is using his gift to the best of his abilities and you can't be mad about that.”

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