The Houston Texas passed on selecting Reggie Bush with the first choice in the NFL draft three years ago and signed defensive end Mario Williams with that choice.
Bush was believed to have been the best prospect to come along in a decade and it was a "no-brainer" for the Saints to pick Bush with the second choice. Houston had agreed to terms with Williams before the draft. Williams went on to become a force as a pass rusher while Bush has yet to live up to his projected potential as a running back.
Bush and the Saints practiced against the Texans on Wednesday and will again on Thursday before meeting in a preseason game in the Superdome. After the practice, Bush discussed how close he became to becoming a Texan and the state of the Saints heading into his third season.
Q: How as it practicing against the Texans on Wednesday? A: It was a chance to practice against another team and get some different looks. It was a good chance to compare ourselves to where we are as a team and where we stand. I thought we looked pretty good. I didn't watch the defense, but from an offensive prospective, I think we looked pretty good. That's what you look for.
Q: Did last year's Texans-Saints game remind you of how close you became to becoming a Texan? A: I don't think about that. Once I became a Saint, I didn't think about it. I try to block that out of my mind as far as thinking about how close I was to becoming a Texan. That's two years in the past. I'm focused on bigger and better things right now.
Q: What do you think of Mario Williams after seeing him on film? A: He's a great player. He has a long career ahead of him. I think he's going to be great in this league. All the best to him.
Q: Do you think you will be linked forever? A: Probably. I blocked that out of my mind. I don't worry about that. That story's for you guys to write.
Q: The first team offense looked pretty effective against the Cardinals. What's the goal for this preseason game? A: The same thing. The goal is for us to go out and score on the first drive, put together a solid drive, not turn the ball over, do the fundamental things right, don't jump offsides and try to limit the penalties.
Q: What have you seen from Deuce McAllister in training camp? A: He's getting stronger. Anytime you have an injury like that it's tough to come back from and you don't want to rush yourself too quick. I think he's just taking it day by day. He's looking good right now and hopefully he'll be ready for the first game.
Q: Have you seen any tangible effects from your decision to stay here for the entire offseason? A: I think so. Just being around the facility mor. I had the chance to work with the running backs coach (Aaron Kramer) right off the bat as soon as he got here. I think we built a great relationship and right away we worked on the little things to help me clean up what is needed for me to be a better player.
Q: Do you think you had to become a better professional and sort of learn from those things? A: It's a learning experience. Anytime you're a rookie coming into this league and you're a first round pick, you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders. It's not an easy job. It's not an easy task. It's a learning experience and you just try to do the best you can with it and try not to mess up.
Q: Are there or two things that stand out out that you are doing now everyday in practice that you think has made a difference? A: Just little things like my footwork, carrying the ball with my left hand when I'm running to the left, little things like that, staying patient, knowing my reads and not giving up on the play too quick, just little things like that that you guys probably don't notice, but it makes a huge difference for us.
Q: How would you describe your first two years? Fun, frustrating, or as a learning experience? A: Pretty much all of the above. It's been fun, frustrating, it's a learning experience. It's totally different from college. You start at rock bottom once you get into the league and some people are able to come into this league and have great careers right off the bat. Some people have to learn. Everybody's different. For me, I think that the first two years have been a learning experience and now I'm waiting to put it together.
Q:Do you save any of the negative words that people say about you after your first two years as motivation? A: I know I'm not a bust. I know I'm far from it. I know there's a lot of hard work, focus, determination and patience involved. You have to got out there and continue to work you way through it.
Q: Have you and Mario Williams ever talked about all the comparisons personally? A: No. We actually hung out a little bit this offseason at some different events. We're fine. We talk like normal people. We don't worry about that.
Q: Is there any doubt in your mind about recreating some of the magical moments at USC with the Saints? A: No. I know those are soon to come and whether it's this year, next year or a few years from now, I know it's going to come. Just hard work, it will come, but I'm bot going to force it at the same time, When you try to force it, that's when you find yourself losing your focus. The extra staff comes naturally. You don;t have to force it, it will come.
Q: Did injuries play a role in the lack of highlight plays last year? A: Those first two years, I didn't have a lot of highlight plays. I had a few, but they're hard to come by in this league, too, at the same time. Those guys on the other side of the football are as good as you are, so they're harder to come by. You keep pressing. That's what I try to remind myself everyday. You keep pressing and find something, someway or somehow to gain an edge on my opponents.
Q: What kind of impact do you think Sedrick Ellis will have? A: I think he's going to have a huge impact. He's looked really good. He's with a good group of guys. He has a very good core group of veterans surrounding him that's going to make him a better player. He has a great defensive line coach (Ed Orgeron) that he already has a pretty good relationship with. I think all the pieces are there for him to be a great player.
Q: How much have you talked to Matt Leinart and some of your other former teammates at USC about growing up, the struggles and the pressures on the NFL? A: We talked about it a little bit. We're all kind of dealing with it and going through it. It's a matter of time before I feel that we'll have some good seasons. Lendale (White) had a pretty good season last year. He went over 1,000 yards. Matt is looking good this year right off the bat and I feel I'm doing the same thing. It's only matter of time for the three of us.
Q: By the fact that the fans and media in Los Angeles can treat USC like a pro team, does it make for an easier or harder adjustment to the NFL? A: I think it makes for an easier adjustment because we've been in the limelight, we've been in the spotlight; we've been in the big games before. We've been in the huge market. We're experienced.
Q: Even though you don't get all of the carries of a typical front line running back because of the presence of McAllister and other talented running g backs on the roster, do you feel that you can still be as effective as any player in the league doing things like punt returns and catching passes? A: Definitely, especially returning punts. It's just another way of getting the ball in my hands and making plays happen and taking different opportunities as they come. That can only help me and help the team.
Q: Do you enjoy the celebrity that comes with your football career? A: You kind of take it as it comes. Thing with celebrity is that football is the No. 1 sport in my mind in America right now. There's a lot of attention, you kind of live in a fishbowl and just know coming in that people are always watching you. That;s just the way the world it is. You just have to be smart with it, I welcome the celebrity with open arms because I feel like I can use that to make a difference in people's lives.
Q: Do things like Paparazzi pictures bother you? A: I don't like it, but it comes with the territory. You love to have your privacy as much as possible. The turn that the media market has taken in the past couple of years has gone up. The eyes have gone up. They can see you just about anywhere.
Q: Do you prefer open locker room times and media availabilities to the Paparazzi? A: Yes, I prefer that as opposed to people and cameras just surprising you.
Rookie sensation Adrian Arrington (turf toe) suffered an injury hat is more serious than first thought. "It's a torn muscle," said the seventh-round draft choice from Michigan. The Saints may have to place Arrington on the injured reserve list if he misses too much practice, which means he would miss the entire season.
Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.
