Reggie Bush has agreed to a two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins as part of a trade between New Orleans and Miami, ending the former first round pick's career with the Saints. A career that spanned 60 games over five seasons and included 17 rushing touchdowns, 12 receiving touchdowns and 4 punt returns taken the distance.Bush was the Saints first round pick the season after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast. From his first day wearing the black and gold, Bush embraced the community and his role as an ambassador for the team. On the field, the results were sometimes electrifying, sometimes stupefying and sometimes mortifying.
The "Bush Effect" was in full force in the 2006 NFC Championship game against Chicago. While dancing, gliding and speeding past the Bears defense en route to a game-changing, 88 yard touchdown reception, Bush taunted the pursuing Bears and flipped into the end zone. Six points were on the board, cutting the Chicago lead to 16-14 early in the third quarter. However, the Bears cited Bush's antics afterward as a "wake-up call" in the 39-14 win.Injuries continually kept Bush out of the line-up throughout his time with the Saints, with his rookie season the only year Bush played in all 16 games. With more time in a sweat suit than shoulder pads, Bush's production also tailed off every year. During the Saints Super Bowl winning season, Bush only contributed 855 total yards but did reach paydirt eight times.
In 2010, Bush's last year with the Saints, a broken leg suffered in a Monday Night win over San Francisco k.o.'d half the season for Bush and led to an output of 450 total yards. Bush's $11.5 million dollar salary for 2011 made him expendable. Early Thursday morning, the Dolphins worked the phones, sealed the deal, and closed the door on Reggie Bush's time in the Big Easy.With Ricky Williams also in the fold in South Beach, the Dolphins now have two former Saints first-round picks with Heisman Trophy's on their resume. Although, with Reggie Bush giving his Heisman back, only Williams has a Heisman on a shelf. The writing was on the wall for Reggie's expiration date in New Orleans when the Saints traded back into the 2011 NFL Draft's first round in order to select another former Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama's Mark Ingram. Ingram was unsettled on which jersey number to wear in New Orleans. His #22 is currently sported by Tracy Porter. The #25 jersey is available---and it's barely been used recently.
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