Reggie Bush is a successful NFL player with a lot of history. Starting his career back in USC, Reggie has seen so much success over the years and has confirmed that his name will be going down in the NFL history books. However, does Reggie Bush still play in the NFL, or has he hung his boots up for good?
Reggie Bush is not currently playing in the NFL and hasn’t done for several years, as of February 2021. Reggie officially retired back in 2017 and hasn’t played since. Although he has stated that he would like to play again, he says it’s pretty clear he won’t be coming back.
Today, we’re going to take a trip down memory lane, looking into the wonderful moments and memories Reggie Bush created throughout his 11-season career – celebrating the highs of such a fantastic player.
The Golden Age of Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush first came into the spotlight back in 2004 when he was playing for Helix High School in La Mesa, California. Even during his early days, as far back as 2003, platforms like Rivals.com listed Reggie as being a five-star player and even went as far as to say that he was the top (number one) running back in the country.
During his time on the team, he played alongside legends like Alex Smith, who was a 2004 Heisman trophy finalist, and the coveted first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Throughout the year, Reggie earned his worth and actually became joint first place for the 2004 Heisman trophy, making it the first time there were contestants from the same school.
From here, the career of Reggie had become unstoppable.
Receiving his USC scholarship, Bush played the Trojans between 2003 and 2005. In 2005, he won the Heisman Trophy himself, as well as a ton of other accolades for his performance, including;
- Associated Press Player of the Year
- The Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Offensive Player of the Year
- The Touchdown Club of Columbus Player of the Year
- The Walter Camp Award
- The Doak Walker Award
Let us just remind you that he achieved all these in just one year, highlighting his performance across three seasons, which is just insane for a single player to achieve, and this was before he was even drafted into professional NFL. That’s just crazy.
The Professional Chapter
It wasn’t until 2006 when Reggie stated that he was ready to be drafted for the NFL, and with all these achievements behind him, he was one of the most sought-after players in the league. He was meant to be the first player picked, but there was some move from Houston, Texas who drafted Mario Williams the night before the draft, but that’s another story.
However, to quote Len Pasquarelli, an ESPN commentator, ‘Houston selecting Williams over Bush as the first pick is one of the biggest mistakes made in NFL Draft history,’ so that should really say it all.
Bush was instead the second pick and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints. The rest of his career is amazing. He’s broken records, played for some of the biggest NFL teams in the world, and carried out amazing acts of kindness, like donating $50,000 of relief to a New Orleans learning disabilities school after it was hit by Hurricane Katrina, only cementing his popularity with fans further.
Reggie’s legacy is one that will stay with us for a very long time.
The Final Page
Reggie announced he was retiring back in December 2017, but this didn’t surprise a lot of people. He hadn’t played for a season before, in which he had been signed a one-year contract with the Bills, and he seemed rather bitter about not being able to play anymore. Speaking to NFL Total Access, he said;
‘Listen, if I don’t play this year, I’m going to retire.’ Because I’m not going to spend a whole year off, come back, 33 years old, trying to get back in the league. Listen, once you get to a certain age as a running back, they just start to slowly weed you out.”
Since retiring, he hasn’t left the NFL scene but is instead a broadcaster for the NCAA, of which he is hailed as being very successful. Good for you, Reggie. It’s nice to see you’re continuing on your legacy in the sports industry and welcoming the new generation of players.
We’re excited to follow you in whatever you’re choosing to do next.