Michael Bush
Encyclopedia
Michael Bush is an American football
running back
for the Oakland Raiders
of the National Football League
. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at the University of Louisville
.
where he played quarterback
his senior year after seeing action at defensive back
, defensive end
, linebacker
, running back
, safety, and wide receiver
over his career. As a senior, he led the Bulldogs to the state championship game in Kentucky's highest class. In a showdown with future Louisville teammate Brian Brohm
and his Trinity
Shamrocks, Bush threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 116 yards and another touchdown in a 59-56 loss. He also caught two passes for 24 yards, returned a punt and a kickoff, and made five tackles on defense.
Following a successful high school career, Bush became a highly sought after college recruit. He turned down offers from several more established programs (including Ohio State
) to stay at home and attend the University of Louisville, largely because head coach Bobby Petrino
promised the opportunity to play quarterback, his preferred position. As a true freshman, he was forced to play several positions in order to get on the field because Louisville's starting quarterback position was locked down by Stefan LeFors
. Though he was not the starter, Bush was able to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games as a tailback toward the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Petrino had decided to recruit another star quarterback from the Louisville area: Brian Brohm
of Trinity. Though Bush had played various positions his freshman year, he believed this arrangement to be temporary and still expected to be a quarterback in the long-term. The recruitment of Brohm, however, meant Bush would have to find another position. Much to Bush's chagrin, Petrino moved him to tailback permanently.
In 2004 as a sophomore, Bush backed up Lionel Gates
and Eric Shelton
. He rushed for 734 yards and 7 touchdowns, and proved himself worthy of the starting role for next season.
Bush's breakout season came as a junior in 2005, as he rushed for 1143 yards on 205 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, racked up 23 rushing touchdowns, and was second in NCAA Division 1-A in scoring to LenDale White
. He was also widely considered to be a preseason candidate for the 2006 Heisman Trophy
. Though he could have left early for the NFL Draft
, Bush decided to return for his senior season.
He came into the 2006 projected as one of the top 10 players for the 2007 NFL Draft
, and his season began successfully as expected. His first carry of the season was a 48-yard run for a touchdown in the Cardinals' annual rivalry game with Kentucky
. He then scored two more touchdowns in the first half, and had carried for 128 yards when he was tackled during a routine rushing play by Kentucky linebacker Wesley Woodyard
, and suffered a broken right tibia
. The injury was so bad that ESPN announced before the end of the game that Bush would miss the remainder of the 2006 season. The injury required the insertion of a steel rod and a second operation to facilitate the healing process.
Bush participated in 3 bowl games during his career as a Cardinal. The first was a GMAC Bowl
loss to Miami University (Ohio)
in which Bush ran for 33 yards on 9 attempts behind Lionel Gates's 12 carry 128 yard performance. Bush would do better in the Liberty Bowl
victory over Boise State
with 12 carries for 96 yards, his best performance in a college bowl game. He finished his bowl career in the 2005 Gator Bowl
in which Bush ran for 94 yards on 16 carries.
Bush majored in sports administration at Louisville.
in the 2007 NFL Draft
with the first pick of the fourth round. With his broken leg still hobbling him, he was declared Physically Unable to Perform
for the entire 2007 season.
After a two year hiatus, Bush finally returned to the football field in 2008. He was the Raiders' third string halfback but saw some action because of injuries to Darren McFadden
and Justin Fargas
. He also filled in as a blocking fullback.
An early high point in his professional career was the last game of 2008 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, when Bush rushed for 177 yards on 27 carries and 2 touchdowns to help Oakland deny Tampa a spot in the playoffs.
Bush has become a regular feature in the Raiders running back rotation. In 2010 he rushed for 655 yards in 14 games, including eight touchdowns. In week ten of the 2011 season, he started as running back against the San Diego Chargers in place of the injured Darren McFadden. In that 24-17 victory, he gained a total of 242 yards from scrimmage, fourth most in Raiders history and eclipsing Bo Jackson
's total for the most since the AFL/NFL merger
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
.
High school
Bush attended Louisville Male High SchoolLouisville Male High School
Louisville Male Traditional High School is a public secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in the southside of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is part of the Jefferson County Public School District....
where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
his senior year after seeing action at defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, safety, and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
over his career. As a senior, he led the Bulldogs to the state championship game in Kentucky's highest class. In a showdown with future Louisville teammate Brian Brohm
Brian Brohm
Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and his Trinity
Trinity High School (Louisville, Kentucky)
Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within the Louisville Metro governmental area. Trinity first opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by...
Shamrocks, Bush threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 116 yards and another touchdown in a 59-56 loss. He also caught two passes for 24 yards, returned a punt and a kickoff, and made five tackles on defense.
University of Louisville
| Year | G | Att | Yrd | TD | Lng | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 13 | 81 | 503 | 6 | 81 | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 12 | 132 | 734 | 7 | 31 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 10 | 205 | 1143 | 23 | 73 | 5.6 |
| 2006 | 1 | 17 | 128 | 3 | 51 | 7.5 |
| Totals | 36 | 435 | 2508 | 39 | 81 | 5.8 |
Following a successful high school career, Bush became a highly sought after college recruit. He turned down offers from several more established programs (including Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
) to stay at home and attend the University of Louisville, largely because head coach Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
promised the opportunity to play quarterback, his preferred position. As a true freshman, he was forced to play several positions in order to get on the field because Louisville's starting quarterback position was locked down by Stefan LeFors
Stefan LeFors
Stefan Wayne LeFors is a former quarterback in American and Canadian football who is currently a high school coach. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. Though he was not the starter, Bush was able to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games as a tailback toward the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Petrino had decided to recruit another star quarterback from the Louisville area: Brian Brohm
Brian Brohm
Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
of Trinity. Though Bush had played various positions his freshman year, he believed this arrangement to be temporary and still expected to be a quarterback in the long-term. The recruitment of Brohm, however, meant Bush would have to find another position. Much to Bush's chagrin, Petrino moved him to tailback permanently.
In 2004 as a sophomore, Bush backed up Lionel Gates
Lionel Gates
Lionel Theron Gates is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
and Eric Shelton
Eric Shelton
Eric Shelton is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. He rushed for 734 yards and 7 touchdowns, and proved himself worthy of the starting role for next season.
Bush's breakout season came as a junior in 2005, as he rushed for 1143 yards on 205 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, racked up 23 rushing touchdowns, and was second in NCAA Division 1-A in scoring to LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
. He was also widely considered to be a preseason candidate for the 2006 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. Though he could have left early for the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, Bush decided to return for his senior season.
He came into the 2006 projected as one of the top 10 players for the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, and his season began successfully as expected. His first carry of the season was a 48-yard run for a touchdown in the Cardinals' annual rivalry game with Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
. He then scored two more touchdowns in the first half, and had carried for 128 yards when he was tackled during a routine rushing play by Kentucky linebacker Wesley Woodyard
Wesley Woodyard
Wesley Woodyard is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky, where he helped lead the team to a victory in Music City Bowl over Clemson in 2006.-High school career:Woodyard was born in LaGrange,...
, and suffered a broken right tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
. The injury was so bad that ESPN announced before the end of the game that Bush would miss the remainder of the 2006 season. The injury required the insertion of a steel rod and a second operation to facilitate the healing process.
Bush participated in 3 bowl games during his career as a Cardinal. The first was a GMAC Bowl
2003 GMAC Bowl
The 2003 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was the 6th edition. The game took place in December 2003, and featured the , and the Miami RedHawks....
loss to Miami University (Ohio)
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
in which Bush ran for 33 yards on 9 attempts behind Lionel Gates's 12 carry 128 yard performance. Bush would do better in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
victory over Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
with 12 carries for 96 yards, his best performance in a college bowl game. He finished his bowl career in the 2005 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
in which Bush ran for 94 yards on 16 carries.
Bush majored in sports administration at Louisville.
Oakland Raiders
Michael Bush was chosen by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
with the first pick of the fourth round. With his broken leg still hobbling him, he was declared Physically Unable to Perform
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
for the entire 2007 season.
After a two year hiatus, Bush finally returned to the football field in 2008. He was the Raiders' third string halfback but saw some action because of injuries to Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
and Justin Fargas
Justin Fargas
Justin Fargas is an American football running back who is a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. He also filled in as a blocking fullback.
An early high point in his professional career was the last game of 2008 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, when Bush rushed for 177 yards on 27 carries and 2 touchdowns to help Oakland deny Tampa a spot in the playoffs.
Bush has become a regular feature in the Raiders running back rotation. In 2010 he rushed for 655 yards in 14 games, including eight touchdowns. In week ten of the 2011 season, he started as running back against the San Diego Chargers in place of the injured Darren McFadden. In that 24-17 victory, he gained a total of 242 yards from scrimmage, fourth most in Raiders history and eclipsing Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
's total for the most since the AFL/NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
.
External links
- Michael Bush fan site
- Oakland Raiders bio
- Michael Bush Louisville Cardinals bio
- Career Statistics The Football Cube
- http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6118010