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Michael Bush's Profile at Pro-Football-Reference

Lovin' the Bush

You wouldn’t know it by his size and the ferocity with which he carries the ball, but in college, Bush started out as and desperately wanted to be a QB.  The Raiders now owe former Louisville and current Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino a debt of gratitude.  After being promised the opportunity to play QB for the Cardinals, Petrino reneged and moved Bush to tailback on a permanent basis.  That decision was given its full credence in Bush’s junior year when he went on to rush for 23 TDs and lead the NCAA Division 1-A in scoring, prompting the consideration of Bush as an early Heisman Trophy candidate for the 2006 season.  Bush, though he could have left early for the NFL Draft, decided to stay for that 2006 season, which ended up being the worst decision he ever made.  In the very first game of that year, after having already rushed for 128 yards and three TDs, Bush would break his right tibia late in that game thus ending his entire season and hopes of the Heisman Trophy.

The greatest beneficiary of that injury was the Oakland Raiders, as Bush’s stock dropped immensely from being a sure-fire 1st-round draft pick, all the way down to being the 1st pick of the second day in the 4th round.  Did his talent deserve that kind of depreciation?  Nope, but Al isn’t complaining.  The Raiders scooped him up at a bargain (and with a smile) stashed him on their bench in 2007, and showed him to the world last season.  Ok, fine, maybe a bit over-dramatic there.  But he did rock the pill for 583 yards and three TDs on only 114 touches.  As the main RB in week 17 last season, he ran roughshod over the Buccaneers to the tune of 177 yards and two TDs.

2009 Fantasy Outlook

Things are looking even better for this untapped talent in ‘09.  Though McFadden is the starting RB, there’s been a lot of talk about pairing Bush with McFadden in the backfield to confuse defenses.  However, don’t expect too much of that, because the Raiders went out and signed one of the meanest FBs in Lorenzo Neal from the Ravens.  Neal has been instrumental to successful rushing attacks for years (can you say LT?).

We could be in line for another “Smash & Dash” type of a scene in Oakland – Bush and McFadden are that good.  McFadden has the finesse and speed to turn the corner and is also an able in-between the tackle guy, while Bush is more unabashed brute force coming up the gut – think Michael Turner but a couple more inches.  Throw in Neal as the lead blocker, and it’s tough not to get bullish on these two. For all of Oakland’s woes over the last couple of years, there is one thing thing this team has done consistently well; run the football.   When you draft Michael Bush, you do so as more of handcuff to Darren McFadden, but he could be a good plug and play guy, too.