Separated at the draftApril 28, 2011
by Stephanie Mejia
Being raised in Los Angeles and USC alumna, I am heavily tuned with the sports culture that exists especially when it comes to football. One is either a Bruin or a Trojan; there is no in between. To this day, I still support the USC football program, even in the midst of their current struggles. During the time that I spent at USC, the football program was continuously victorious by recruiting the top players across the nation, as well as producing a good amount of NFL prospects. One of the highly recruited incoming players in 2003 was RB, Reggie “The President” Bush, from La Mesa, California. With Bush’s thick list of accolades that were representative of his performance in high school, he set the bar of expectations high before he even wore the cardinal and gold uniforms. The athletic program and the media outlets, as well as, its fans had developed a name for the President, and it was up to him to live up to it.
On the other side of Los Angeles, there was another well-known RB coming into UCLA in 2003: Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew out of Concord, CA attended De La Salle, known for its football tradition. Although Jones-Drew was highly ranked, he did not receive the buzz that Bush did. Let’s face it, Jones-Drew didn’t receive the same buzz in Southern California because he was being overshadowed by a USC player. The truth of the matter is that USC is the “Hollywood” for athletes. Being an athlete at USC produced hype within itself. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that at the time, USC’s football program was reigning.
As their college careers unraveled, Bush did live up to the hype: he was producing numbers and giving USC’s fans a show on the field. As a freshman, he finished with 1,331 all-purpose yards, a USC freshman record, in addition to 521 rushing yards and was made the First-team Freshman All-American. Over at UCLA, Jones-Drew had a solid year but it did not compare to Bush’s. He made the third-team Freshman All-American with 620 rushing yards. As their college careers continued, Bush’s numbers went in one direction: up and the media only gassed it even more when he won the Heisman in 2005.
At the conclusion of the college careers, Bush was a guaranteed top 10 pick in the 2006 draft while Jones-Drew was not. Bush resulted in being the second overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft; He was living the dream even through the NCAA-issues he was dealing with.
Jones-Drew did not get called in the first round, but his name was finally called in the second round as the 60th overall pick in 2006 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There is a pattern that has been consistent up to this point: Bush has had the one-up on Jones-Drew; the Cardinal & Gold surpasses the True Blue & Gold.
The same expectations prior to attending college followed Bush again as he transitioned into the NFL although, it hasn’t played out in the same way.
Bush has struggled finding his niche within the NFL and settling into his new home as a New Orleans Saint. In addition, he was battling the scrutiny of the media and the NCAA as he was making the transition. No longer was he the athlete that the NFL aficionados had grown to adore, but instead he was frowned on by some.
Out in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew time had finally come and his throne was waiting.
One can point the finger and assume that perhaps Bush just didn’t have it in him or that maybe his work-ethic wasn’t effective. As one transitions from one level to the next, different factors come into play. At USC, Bush was surrounded by highlight players along with a strong staff. You’re always going to be as good as the atmosphere that you’re in, and at the time, USC was winning and had all the right pieces. In any sport, it comes down to how do you fit in a system and how many opportunities do they allow you to succeed. With that said, one may wonder, what if Jones-Drew attended USC? How would have his college career differed? Bush fit into the USC’s system and it’s playing scheme and unfortunately, Jones-Drew lived in that shadow throughout college. Jones-Drew is a phenomenal athlete and is a pro-style runner. He hasn’t had to deal with the injuries that have affected Bush. Bush has been injury prone at the NFL level which has set back his production. Bush and Jones-Drew are different players. Bush is known for his speed and will utilize it by running to the outside and not in between tackles while Jones-Drew does the exact opposite. Jones-Drew is the centerpiece of the Jaguars offense. Being a USC alumna, one may think I may be making excuses for Bush’s set back success wise but I’m not. Again I must reiterate that you truly are ‘as good as the atmosphere that you’re in.’.
Lastly, I do find one link between both athletes: Kennedy Pola. Pola was the running backs coach at USC during the same time as Bush. Once Jones-Drew was at Jacksonville, Pola was the running backs coach. During Pola’s time at USC and Jacksonville, he was been credited with greatly developing both of these players. Currently, Pola is back at USC developing the future RBs. Just a small tid-bit that’s intriguing.
Ultimately, an athlete’s success is defined by their talent’s their work-ethic and the atmosphere that they’re in. As of right now, Jones-Drew has had the last laugh, and that’s coming from a Trojan.
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