January 19, 2024 • 34 mins
n this week's interview segment, of Unafraid Show George welcomes USC and college football legend Reggie Bush to the show for a conversation about the state of the NCAA, surrendering his 2005 Heisman Trophy, and how he'd fare in today's NFL that focuses on dual-threat running backs like Christian McCaffrey. Reggie also discusses the roll faith, family, and fatherhood play in his life.
Reggie Bush also sticks around for Wrighster or Wrong, and answers the questions, "Is Reggie Bush the greatest college football player of all time?"
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
We are joined by the college football legend NFL player,
mister Reggie Bush. Reggie, thanks for coming on the show.
Oh sorry, excuse me, Heisman Trophy winning Reggie.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Bush Yes, sir, yes, sir. What's up man? How you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Man?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
It's good man. So we've known each other for a
long time. And it was funny because I've seen a
lot of interviews that you've done and one question that
I've never seen anybody ask you is and I've always
thought because me being All Pac twelve player, playing in
the NFL for a long time, all of that, I
was thinking, Okay, I know what it's like to be popular,
(00:35):
but what is it like to be Reggie Bush? Man?
What is it like to be Reggie Bush? You know what? Man?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
When I was in college and you know, NFL playing,
you know, I always and this is this is who
I am as a person.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
You know, I never have looked at myself as a
mega celebrity.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You know what I'm saying, because I've always know me
as me.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
You know what I'm saying. I'm used to me and
I know me well. And you know, even with you know,
all the success that I had on the field, you know,
I've always felt like, man, just just being me always
felt normal, you know what I'm saying, And you know, yeah,
people show me love in the streets all the time,
and I think that's the best part is being able
(01:23):
to walk by somebody and their memory gets jogged by Oh, no,
I remember a play that you did when I was
in so and so in this place, you know what
I'm saying, or I was doing this in this time
for I was in high school when you was you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And so I love that fact of it. Man.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I love being able to, you know, jog people's memories
and it like takes them back into a place in
time when they were like, damn, I remember watching on
TV and you did X, Y and Z.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
You know what I'm saying. And that's honestly why why
I loved playing a game.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Man. It was because I always wanted to wow people,
always wanted to entertain people, always wanted to amaze people
with my athletic abilities. And I also wanted I knew that,
you know, when this thing is done and over, I
want to be able to look back on my highlights
and be like, damn, okay, and I really did that
you know what I'm saying, Like I really went one
(02:18):
hundred and ten percent in my highlights, you know, a
proof of that, you know what I mean? And I
got nothing to look back and you know and feel
like I didn't give enough effort.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
To At what point time when you were at USC
where you like, oh my god, like this thing is
big because it was before the era of social media
and you were a celebrity in college that was bigger
than some professionals. So at what point were you like, damn, like, bro,
this is getting crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think you know, when we would be at our
games and there'd be every celebrity, knowing the mankind.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
On the sidelines, Snoop Will Ferrell will always there.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Snoop will be out as running rounds with us, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
So that was that was always cool, man, because I
thought Pete. That was one thing Pete did a great
job of it was he was able to.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Capture you know, the greatness of football and winning and
Hollywood together, you know what I'm saying. And that's something
that just it's rare, like you don't really see that
maybe Laker games, you know what I'm saying, or you know,
maybe the you back in the day, but or you
know some Dallas Cowboy games now, but.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But you know, it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
That's when I knew, you know, it was on and popping,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Like, I was like, oh, this is lit up in here.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Every game is sold out, ninety five thousand, ninety seven
aver many seats the stadium holds. Every game was sold out,
you know what I'm saying. We never had a game
that there was an open seat. And you know, that's
when you know, I knew we had something special when
stadiums were sold out. The stadium was sold out, and we.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Had all the celebrities on the sidelines, you know, coming
and watch us play.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, and so so so so I see Terrell Thomas
all the time, and and that all the USC dudes
always talk talking about all them glory days the day
and they're all sad right now, man, Like, what is
it gonna take for USC to get back to to
(04:19):
what USC people believe that USC should be.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Man, you know, I think watching.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
The Lincoln Riley era, watching some of the other coaches
who've come before him, you know, I've been encouraged by
you know, seeing the athletes that have come through there.
I think right now with Lincoln Riley, I love their offense,
right and I love the attacking style mentality that you
(04:52):
know that they have built, the reputation they built, but
you know, the defense has to improve.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
And that right.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Now, that's the that's the biggest, you know, eye opener,
and the biggest you know issue I see is the
defense and the offense are not matching up.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And and the.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Reason why I think that's why that's unique is because
usually when you have a unit one that's really dominant,
usually it brings along the other one, you know what
I'm saying. And we made our we made our defense better,
and our defense made us better because.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
We were both really good.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And so even even in the teams when I was
in New Orleans and when I first got to New Orleans,
we were a great offensive team, but we weren't a
great defensive team yet. And it and once you know,
and in some of those practices our offense we would
you know, build up our defense, you know, through the
way that we played. And then in two thousand and
(05:53):
nine for Bowl our defense was lights out and and and.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
They made us better. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So, I think it's just really unique to see, you know,
how well the offense performed, but how poorly the defense
was performing, and even to the point where.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They weren't even stopping to run, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
And that's like, you know, at the at the basic moment, Yeah,
we got to get off the bus stop and a run.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
We got to get off the bus stop and run,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
And like, that's got to be in our DNA if
we do nothing else. The physicality of somebody coming downhill,
meeting the lineman in the A gap, meeting those fullbacks
of whoever it.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Is in those a gaps, that's all about it. That's
a mentality, you know what.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm saying, and run through a mofo face over over
and over and over and over.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So now you go on obviously have hold on.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Sorry, Can I ask you one question, do you think
that's the era that we live in now? Because the
era you're talking about, I don't really see that preached.
You know what I'm saying, A whole lot from coaches,
and you know what I'm saying, even from some a
lot of teams, you know, it's it's more it's become
more of a spread out passing game.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, you see, I think the teams that are winning
at a high level are because I've been at Dan
Lanny's practice, bro the week of the USC game, they
did a they went live in practice live. Everybody was
everybody was a victim. X.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I love that except Nicks.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Bo Knicks was the only person that you could not touch.
Yea and yeah. And I mean and Georgia does that,
Alabama does that, Michigan does that. And I think that
the teams that have a chance to win a national
championship are going to be based in physicality, Like there's
gonna be no uh you know, qut s way to
(07:39):
win a national championship.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It ain't all yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So you go on and win the Heisman Trophy. And
we'll get into other stuff in a minute. But I
got a question for you. Okay, So when when the
whole controversy started and the Heisman Trust says Reggie, we
need your Heisman trophy back, why did you give the
Heisman trophy back? Because they would have had the pride
for my dead, lifeless hands, buddy.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Well, they didn't tell me we needed back. They said,
we're going to strip you of the Heisman Trophy. And
then that's led to other events. But from the beginning,
Heisman Trust that we're going to strip you of the
Heisman trophy.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I ain't just volunteered to.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Give my damn Heisman trophy back. Who wouldn't they, right mind,
would do that?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So were you legally obligated to give it.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Back at that point?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, I had met with with the Heisman Trust with
my attorney. Yeah, we actually went and sat with the
Heisman Trust and explained to them an.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Entire story, broke down all the facts to them.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Why you know this this investigation was flawed. Why you
know a lot of the other stuff that was happening
wasn't being shared and exposed.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And now look what's happening. You know, all of the
facts are slowly unraveling, and now we're starting to see
that this should have never happened from the beginning. And
you know, I think a big major red flag of
that was the settlement of the defamation of character lawsuit
against the n C double A by my running back
(09:13):
coach at.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
The time, Todd McNair, who took a lot of the blame.
You know for what happened, even though he had nothing
to do with anything. And so this entire investigation is
flawed from the beginning. The courts, the courts, not me.
The court has on record saying that this investigation is flawed.
(09:37):
But yet, for some reason in c. Double A decides
to move forward with their agenda, which which you know,
which we now know is an agenda. And you know
we have facts and stuff to prove that.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And do you do you still physically have the trophy?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
No, I don't have it. I don't have the guy trophy.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So that's my that's my question. So if they were
going to fit from you, why didn't you keep the trophy?
Because I'd have been like I lost it. I lost it.
I don't know where that thing.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I mean, once they tell you they're gonna strip you
of it was a workless piece of metal at that point,
you know what I'm saying, Like they told you they're
gonna strip you of it, and you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Saying, it's not again, it wasn't that I wanted to
give it back. Like I still I go up the
stairs right now and pull out my dope walker. Why
why did I get at that you know what I'm saying.
If I was just in the spirit giving ship back, yeah,
just give all of them back, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, bro, because see and that that that's the part
that doesn't even make sense to me, right because the
stuff that the NCUBA has done in terms of like
vacating wins and all of that stuff. I was at
the Orange Bowl when y'all destroyed them in the Orange
Bowl and now that, but then when you look, they're
in the National Championship there, dude, I watched you win
(10:53):
the Heisman Trophy. I watched y'all whin. I watched y'all
in the Origine Bowl what was fifty something too, whatever
the score was. I was in the stands in Miami,
and because I was, I was in the league already,
and I was like, come on, man, this makes no sense.
I watched Derek Rose play in the National Championship against Kansas,
(11:14):
but Memphis got no wins that year. I watched that happen.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, and that's one of the biggest issues, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
You know with the nt double A, they are the
jury and the judge, and when you have when you
have that, it's it's I mean, you have these kinds
of issues that continue to happen, and that's why people
don't trust the n C Double A. That's why players
hate them, don't like them.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
And they do the.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Exact opposite of what what they're supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I mean, what what.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
What they're supposed to represent, which is protecting the players
and protecting the athletes, and they do the exact opposite,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
And you got people doing sham classes and all of
that stuff and stuff happening on campus. They're like, oh,
we don't have any power to punish it.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I mean, when when you have I mean, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, a lot of people feel there's also a
lot of racism built into built in systemic racism, you know,
built into the NC Double A and college football, and
you know, everything that goes on, you know, I think
a perfect another perfect example is Johnny manziel documentary. You know,
everything that he talked about in the documentary, accepting money,
(12:36):
accepting cash, lying to the to the n C Double A.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
And Johnny's my guy. I'm not knocking him.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Yeah, he got away you know with with all that,
you know what I'm saying, But when you look at
the facts of his case, and then you look at
my case. It's not even comparable, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
And and but yet at the same time, he has
his Heisman trophy, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And so nobody's even bringing that up.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Nobody even bringing it up, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
And so you know, we understand, and I understand that
there was an agenda here, you know, that had had
to do with me, and a lot more than me.
And again we have the facts and a prof you know,
and it's just gonna make for an exciting documentary.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
And also we have a lawsuit against the NC double A.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
You know right now, have an outstanding lawsuit against them
for defamation and character for a statement that they released
about me saying that I was paid to play, which
is untrue, and they don't have any evidence to prove that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
So that's you know what the defamation of character lawsuit
is over.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So when you watch what's going on now with name,
image and likeness and and I just saw a video
of Caleb's penthouse apartment the other day, and you think
about the the facts of your case where your parents
were getting evicted out of a place, and they were
given temporarily a pose to state.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
They never even spoke to my parents, So you know
all the talk.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
That you know that came from you know, all his
parents were doing this, they were doing that.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They never spoke to my parents.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
So if you're doing an investigation, okay, and you're supposed
to be doing a full complete investigation, but you don't
even speak to my parents, I'm come confused.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
So how did you come up with lee?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
How did you come up with all the other you know,
things that were being said, you know about my family,
Like where did that come from?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Then? Where's the proof?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah? You know?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And so that's that's where we are. You know what
I'm saying with this with this case.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So the so when you see Caleb's apartment, you're seeing
all of that and all of this stuff is legal.
Now are is it frustrating? Or are you saying boy
or you like them old heads when when they talk
about how much we made in the NFL and all
this stuff, like man, if I played in that day, boy,
you know how much money I would have made?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
What? Nah?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
You know, I'm happy for these kids now, man, because
they deserve it, and they they're working hard for it.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
It's not like it's being given to them. This is
something they're actually working for, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And so I think that's what people have to understand is,
you know, these kids are not just stepping you know,
into a campus and they're just handed you know, you know,
a bag of money for not doing anything right, Like
they've earned their way to be there, right, They've.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Earned their spot to be there.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There's a reason why they're highly recruited because the team
that they're with or other teams see them as value.
And you got to understand that value is added also
to the university as well. They're making money off those
kids as well. So it's not like just the kids
are making money like, no, the university is also making
money off of them as well. So there's a benefit
(15:52):
you know obviously, you know, for new universities. But you
know again and nt douaa, but I love seeing kids
being able to make money now, being able to provide,
you know, for their families now at a much earlier age.
Because I've always said that when you're eighteen nineteen twenty,
you're in your prime, you know what I'm saying, Like,
you may not be You're in your prime as as
(16:13):
as a man, right, as as a as an athlete, right,
And so you know that's and that's when you know
you're you're starting to peak, you know, as an athlete.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
And that's when universities are capitalizing.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Now there's a lot of young players that look at
you as the goat, right, is the greatest the running
back or college player of all time? For me, when
I came out, it was Peter Ward. Like I looked
at Peter Wark, Bro's my guy.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I love watching Peter Ward.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He was was so who was your goat?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
So Barry Sanders?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You know, I would say it was was the So
I liked Barry Sanders because I love the way that
he played the game. Obviously the pattern my game after him.
But then Dion Sanders was also a guy who I
just loved his showmanship on the football field, the way
(17:10):
that he captured the crowd, the way that he would
high step, the way that he would go back to
return the punt and get the crowd hyped.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
You know, the swag, the the way that he talked
to the cameras. You know, all of that stuff jumped
out to me off the TV screen, and I just
I ate it up, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
As a young as a young kid man, as a young.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Athlete, as a young black kid, hoping to make it
to the NFL, and just to be able to experience
a small piece of what them does was going through,
you know what I'm saying. And so you know, I
wanted to always wanted to play at the highest level,
always wanted to be the best, always wanted to you know,
you know create you know, the best highlights because the
(17:51):
guys that I idolized, you know, that's what I saw them doing,
you know what I'm saying. Any when Barry was playing,
it was showtime, you know what I'm saying. And when
when Diona Sanders playing, it was it was showtime. You know,
it was prime time, you know what I'm saying. And
so those are the guys that I wanted to emulate
my game after. And that's why I think I played
the game, you know, with such excitement, and you know
(18:12):
I tried to also, you know, capture the crowd just
with the way that I played. I wasn't a big
talker like Dion was.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
You know what I'm saying. And he still is, yo.
But you know I tried to do it, you know,
with the way that I played my game, and I.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Wanted the way that I played the game to just
you know, speak volumes, you know, and just you know,
jump out to people, you know on the TV screen.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Now you were a player, I think you were ahead
of your time in terms of like people look at
Christian McCaffrey and what he's able to do as a
route runner, as a running back, and that's to me.
Who if people were to ask me compare him to
a current player, I'd be like, Oh, it's Christian McCaffrey.
(18:58):
They do the exact same things except for a little
more flash to it.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Think that your game has helped change the NFL and
the way that it's played and the way the running
back position has been played?
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You know, I definitely think so, you know, but I
also know that before me, I was watching Marshall Falk.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
You know what I'm saying, run routes and catch the
ball out of the.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Backfield and literally you know, do everything that you know,
I ended up pattering, you know, pattering my game, after
pattenting my game, after sorry, and you know, watching him
when he was with the with the with the Rams
when they were the greatest show on turf, and watching
(19:43):
the way that they, you know, would run him out
of the backfield on wheel routes, option routes, and the
option route really became like my bread and butter.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Out of the backfield. And you know a lot of that, a.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Lot of tapes that I studied in college, and even
when I was with the New Orleans Saints, we studied,
you know, that team, We studied the greatest show on turf.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
We studied what Andy Reid was doing in Philly, you know, with.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Brian Westbrook and in New England. Uh was Westbrook as well, right, ye,
the Westbrook brothers.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
But but you know it was it was just.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
You know, wanting to catch up all the backfield, wanting
to be a running back, wanting to return punts and kicks,
and you know, I just wanted to be that guy
that could score from anywhere on the football field. And
you know, I think I took a little piece of
all of the other players, like like the guys I'm mentioning,
like Dion.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Sanders, Barry Sanders, Marshall Fall, and I think I kind
of molded that into my own game.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
But you know, it really for me came from watching
guys you know, like them. You know, so I can't
take all of the credit, you know, as much as
I love that, you know, a lot of the young
kids now watch me growing up, guys like Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I actually met Christian McCaffrey when he was in high school. Yeah,
and a crazy story. So I'm me and my wife.
I'm in the NFL obviously, and we're on vacation. And
this is in March, and so you know, it's spring
break for school, and so we're in Miami. I forget
what hotel were staying at, but.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I'm in the hotel gym working out, me and my wife,
and I see these three little white kids in there
getting it right.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I'm like, damn, I'm kind of peeking out the inside
of mind.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Like, man, these kids are going hard right. And I
was impressed. And so we started talking.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I was like, man, what do you guys do? And say, oh,
we played football from Colorado. I was like, okay, that's cool, man,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
We started talking like, what's your name, man, Reggie, Christian,
what's your last name?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
McCaffrey.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
McCaffrey, McCaffrey, you live in Colorado. Who So we started
talking and then he was like, yeah, man, I'm going
to Stanford next year.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I was like, hey man, you know, best of luck.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And you know I knew from seeing them working out
and they're on spring break, these.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Little these kids, these little kids.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Are in a gym, grinding and getting it and just
going after it like it's training camp mode, you know
what I'm saying. And so I have respect for him
then and then now to see that work ethic continue
and then knowing his pedigree and where it comes from, you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Know, it's just, uh, it's amazing to see, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And you know I definitely know that, you know, in
talking to him. He went number five because of me
in college.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So you know, I know that I had some effects there,
you know, on his game. But he's doing that at
a much different level man right now.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
And he is cold bron He can do it all,
you know, and he can he can also go back
there return funds too, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
So he got that in the bag. He can do
that too.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And you talk, So we talked about a lot about
your football career. We know you've been on television, on Fox,
everything else in between. But the thing that I've been
most impressed with you about, honestly is seeing you as
a father and seeing you as a husband. And it
though from the outside looking in, it looks like it's
(23:22):
important to you and so so can you talk about
that part of your life and how that has either
changed you or you know, like grown you in a way?
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah, My family is my foundation, you know, they're they're
the They give me all the strength that I need,
you know, to be a great man, to challenge myself
to be the best version of myself each and every day,
to be the best father, the best husband, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
And my kids are are everything to me, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
And you know, like like all of us, we want
to give our kids all the things that we didn't have,
you know, and so that it starts right there, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
For me, I want to give my kids everything that
I never had. I want to give them the best relationship,
you know, with their father that I didn't have.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I didn't have a relationship, you know, a great relationship
with my father, and I wasn't even I wasn't raised
with my dad, you know. So that's already we're already
talking about changing and breaking you know, you know, breaking
down some walls, you know, and changing the narrative you know,
within my family, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
And so you know, I always look back on.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
The moments that we shared, the things that we've built
over the years, and it's just a blessing, man, to
be able to have your own family and to.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Raise your kids.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
And it's important to me that my kids see mommy
and Daddy together, you know, working together, getting through things,
working through things, figuring out life, you know, but but
just creating that ultimate you know, family atmosphere for.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
My kids, you know, is near and dear to my heart. Man.
And so, like I said, I coached my kids. We
were talking earlier.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
I coached my kids and almost everything, you know, football, basketball,
my daughter plays tennis.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
They all golf. Golfer mandatory in this house. You got
a golf is mandatory.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
When did when did you start playing playing golf? Because
I remember Rashem Mathis got me to playing golf. So
we were both in Jacksville together because we came out
together and and he started playing golf. So I started
playing golf with him, Josh Scoby, and that got me
in the golf. So when did and I was what
(25:42):
twenty four to twenty five and we started playing, when
did you start?
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Started much younger than me.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Yeah, because hey, brou because I'm looking at that swing.
You look putting that work in, man.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Bro, I'll be putting the work in. I can't lie.
I'll be putting the work in, man, you know. And
golf is really giving me.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Something to to challenge myself athletically.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
You know. You know, we can't play football at high.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Level anymore, you know, even though we wish we could.
But you know, so golf has really been that replacement
for me.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's been that place where I can go and play
against my dogs, play with my boys. We can bet money,
talk trash, you know what I'm saying, play some music,
you know, play good golf.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
It's challenging.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
What are you shooting? Because I need to know if
I need to come out there with you or not.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
I'm shooting right now. High seventies.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Oh man, I'm beau want I'm gonna shoot ninety because
ninety I'm not coming out there playing playing with you.
I gotta get get back.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
It's but it's man, you know, golfers are work in progress. Man,
it's you know, you never finished product in that game.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
And I think that's the thing I love about it
is is that it's always challenging every time I step
on that golf course.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Man, I don't know what I'm gonna get, you know
what I mean, that's all on me.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah, and your and you talked about your family and
I did did a little research and your daughter is
on a home renovation well a renovation show. How's that going?
And uhh when are we supposed to see that? You know,
how's that process been?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's been great.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
We did uh so Hollywood Houselift Jeff Lewis and it
was great.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Jeff was awesome. He's hilarious. He got to meet my kids,
you know, and they my kids. You know, kids have
no filter.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
But I know some episodes are have already aired. Yeah,
a portion of it has already aired. And you know,
I think the best part about doing the renovation show was,
you know, we got to choose, Okay, what area of
our house do we want to renovate? And you know, uh,
it just goes back to I think that you know,
(27:51):
that fatherhood thing that we were just talking about you know,
we wanted to renovate our kids' bedroom because you know,
we wanted to be able to you know, build something
for them, them that they can like remember and look
back on him and be proud.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Of, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
So and feel like that they were a part of
it as well, because they were a part of picking
out the decorations.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And like how they wanted it to look, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And a big thing for us is, you know, I
love teaching my kids new things. And they have a father,
they have a grandfather, my father in law, who is
a mastercraft who can literally build anything, and so anytime
they go to his house, he's always teaching them how
to build stuff, you know. And so I think you know,
(28:35):
them having that that experienced an opportunity to learn how
to build things, and then them being able to learn
how to you know, renovate and pick out different things,
you know, within the rooms. I think it's so important
for for for kids and for you know, the young kids' generation,
you know, and just learning some of those old school
traditional you know ways of just building things with your hands,
(28:55):
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Oh so, so y'all are ready if that End of
the World movie come true, We're ready.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
We ready over here.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
We got exactly who we need.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, all right, So now now we're gonna get to
the reister or wrong portion. So I'm gonna ask you
five questions and then you tell me, am I reister
or am I wrong? You can elaborate a little bit
if you want to, but just tell me, am I
rister or am I wrong?
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Reggie Bush is the greatest college football player of all time?
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Oh, Man, don't put me on the spot.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Am I reister or am I wrong? Reggie Bush is
the greatest college football player of all time?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Man, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
I hate answering that question, Bro, I really do, because.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I don't like putting myself above some other players who
I think were also great players and ghost of the game.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But I'm also not going to say, know you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Do you realize how mind blowing this thing is? That
this is even a possibility that like it's like, damn,
I actually might be the goat man? Like he realize
how crazy that is? Like I mean, the Peyton Manning
can't even say, yeah, Bro, might be the greatest Colt. No,
he can't say that. Man, Just say yes, Reggie, you
(30:23):
know you wanted to say yes, yes, all right, yes,
all right, all right? Am I reister? Or am I wrong?
Marcella's wileye is a better youth football coach than Reggie Bush.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Wrong as Hill.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
He No, no, I'm gonna definitely say you're wrong, man, me, me,
and no.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Marcella's is my dog. I love him. But you know
when it comes to this offensive thing, is that isn't
what he do? You know, like he played defense, played
eat n you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
And and and we know d ns are built for
one thing and one thing only.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
So you know, as Carrie who ran that league? Ask
Carrie who ran that league? When my kids with jugged
every year hoisting trophies?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Huh was you there?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah? I know that. Yes, yeah, bro, I think I
think we saw each other on the field once and
then yeah, bro, we ran that league. Yeah, we ran
that league.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Win. So I'm just getting started in this league right now, man, honestly,
so just for this conversation, I'm coaching my son's flag
football team and we have our first game on Sunday.
So this is my first year actually coaching as head coach.
But you know, I got some players up for these boys.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I got I got some tricks and tips for you.
He stuff, Yeah, I got you, got you? It works
every time, every time? All right? Am I reister? Or
am I wrong? Pete Carroll is seventy two years old.
He will coach till he's eighty.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
You're right, you, reister. That boy will coach until they
will him up out of it. I swear to Gotta
He's gonna coach until they will him about it.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
There.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Yeah, Oh, am I reister? Or am I wrong? In
this new era of NFL passing and the way the
game is, Reggie Bush isn't isn't it? Oh? I forget
in this In this new era of passing in the
(32:35):
NFL running backs, the way that they're playing, Reggie Bush
is an MVP candidate.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
You're right. You are one hundred percent right about that, bro.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
And you know one thing I'll say is when you
look at my rookie year, I had ninety eight receptions
as a rookie running back and I didn't start, you know,
and then the next year I got injured. A year
after that, I got injured. So if it wasn't for injuries,
you know, I always felt like my number of my
(33:06):
productions would have been a lot higher. But that time period,
that era, you know, was still not fully where it
is now when we talk about the use of running
backs in the passing game, and like I was doing
that back then, but it wasn't as you know, widely
accepted as it is now.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
So I think one I would have been an MVP
candidate for sure.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Last one, Am I reister or am I wrong? Vince
Young's knee was down and USC did have another championship.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Vince young knee was down then and it's still down
right now. I was just talking about this the other
day and just how you know, amazing that game was,
you know, and obviously it came out to those last seconds.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
A lot of back and forth in that game.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
But boy that knew there was nothing more clear than
Vince Young, Stevie wonder to see that.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You guys, he's Reggie Bush. Reggie, thanks for coming on
the show, Man
Speaker 1 (34:16):
M
Yo.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
We are joined by the college football legend NFL player,
mister Reggie Bush. Reggie, thanks for coming on the show.
Oh sorry, excuse me, Heisman Trophy winning Reggie.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Bush Yes, sir, yes, sir. What's up man? How you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Man?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
It's good man. So we've known each other for a
long time. And it was funny because I've seen a
lot of interviews that you've done and one question that
I've never seen anybody ask you is and I've always
thought because me being All Pac twelve player, playing in
the NFL for a long time, all of that, I
was thinking, Okay, I know what it's like to be popular,
(00:35):
but what is it like to be Reggie Bush? Man?
What is it like to be Reggie Bush? You know what? Man?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
When I was in college and you know, NFL playing,
you know, I always and this is this is who
I am as a person.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
You know, I never have looked at myself as a
mega celebrity.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
You know what I'm saying, because I've always know me
as me.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
You know what I'm saying. I'm used to me and
I know me well. And you know, even with you know,
all the success that I had on the field, you know,
I've always felt like, man, just just being me always
felt normal, you know what I'm saying, And you know, yeah,
people show me love in the streets all the time,
and I think that's the best part is being able
(01:23):
to walk by somebody and their memory gets jogged by Oh, no,
I remember a play that you did when I was
in so and so in this place, you know what
I'm saying, or I was doing this in this time
for I was in high school when you was you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And so I love that fact of it. Man.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I love being able to, you know, jog people's memories
and it like takes them back into a place in
time when they were like, damn, I remember watching on
TV and you did X, Y and Z.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
You know what I'm saying. And that's honestly why why
I loved playing a game.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Man. It was because I always wanted to wow people,
always wanted to entertain people, always wanted to amaze people
with my athletic abilities. And I also wanted I knew that,
you know, when this thing is done and over, I
want to be able to look back on my highlights
and be like, damn, okay, and I really did that
you know what I'm saying, Like I really went one
(02:18):
hundred and ten percent in my highlights, you know, a
proof of that, you know what I mean? And I
got nothing to look back and you know and feel
like I didn't give enough effort.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
To At what point time when you were at USC
where you like, oh my god, like this thing is
big because it was before the era of social media
and you were a celebrity in college that was bigger
than some professionals. So at what point were you like, damn, like, bro,
this is getting crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I think you know, when we would be at our
games and there'd be every celebrity, knowing the mankind.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
On the sidelines, Snoop Will Ferrell will always there.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Snoop will be out as running rounds with us, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
So that was that was always cool, man, because I
thought Pete. That was one thing Pete did a great
job of it was he was able to.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Capture you know, the greatness of football and winning and
Hollywood together, you know what I'm saying. And that's something
that just it's rare, like you don't really see that
maybe Laker games, you know what I'm saying, or you know,
maybe the you back in the day, but or you
know some Dallas Cowboy games now, but.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But you know, it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
That's when I knew, you know, it was on and popping,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Like, I was like, oh, this is lit up in here.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Every game is sold out, ninety five thousand, ninety seven
aver many seats the stadium holds. Every game was sold out,
you know what I'm saying. We never had a game
that there was an open seat. And you know, that's
when you know, I knew we had something special when
stadiums were sold out. The stadium was sold out, and we.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Had all the celebrities on the sidelines, you know, coming
and watch us play.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, and so so so so I see Terrell Thomas
all the time, and and that all the USC dudes
always talk talking about all them glory days the day
and they're all sad right now, man, Like, what is
it gonna take for USC to get back to to
(04:19):
what USC people believe that USC should be.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Man, you know, I think watching.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
The Lincoln Riley era, watching some of the other coaches
who've come before him, you know, I've been encouraged by
you know, seeing the athletes that have come through there.
I think right now with Lincoln Riley, I love their offense,
right and I love the attacking style mentality that you
(04:52):
know that they have built, the reputation they built, but
you know, the defense has to improve.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
And that right.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Now, that's the that's the biggest, you know, eye opener,
and the biggest you know issue I see is the
defense and the offense are not matching up.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And and the.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Reason why I think that's why that's unique is because
usually when you have a unit one that's really dominant,
usually it brings along the other one, you know what
I'm saying. And we made our we made our defense better,
and our defense made us better because.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
We were both really good.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And so even even in the teams when I was
in New Orleans and when I first got to New Orleans,
we were a great offensive team, but we weren't a
great defensive team yet. And it and once you know,
and in some of those practices our offense we would
you know, build up our defense, you know, through the
way that we played. And then in two thousand and
(05:53):
nine for Bowl our defense was lights out and and and.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
They made us better. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So, I think it's just really unique to see, you know,
how well the offense performed, but how poorly the defense
was performing, and even to the point where.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
They weren't even stopping to run, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
And that's like, you know, at the at the basic moment, Yeah,
we got to get off the bus stop and a run.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
We got to get off the bus stop and run,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
And like, that's got to be in our DNA if
we do nothing else. The physicality of somebody coming downhill,
meeting the lineman in the A gap, meeting those fullbacks
of whoever it.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Is in those a gaps, that's all about it. That's
a mentality, you know what.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm saying, and run through a mofo face over over
and over and over and over.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So now you go on obviously have hold on.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Sorry, Can I ask you one question, do you think
that's the era that we live in now? Because the
era you're talking about, I don't really see that preached.
You know what I'm saying, A whole lot from coaches,
and you know what I'm saying, even from some a
lot of teams, you know, it's it's more it's become
more of a spread out passing game.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, you see, I think the teams that are winning
at a high level are because I've been at Dan
Lanny's practice, bro the week of the USC game, they
did a they went live in practice live. Everybody was
everybody was a victim. X.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I love that except Nicks.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Bo Knicks was the only person that you could not touch.
Yea and yeah. And I mean and Georgia does that,
Alabama does that, Michigan does that. And I think that
the teams that have a chance to win a national
championship are going to be based in physicality, Like there's
gonna be no uh you know, qut s way to
(07:39):
win a national championship.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
It ain't all yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So you go on and win the Heisman Trophy. And
we'll get into other stuff in a minute. But I
got a question for you. Okay, So when when the
whole controversy started and the Heisman Trust says Reggie, we
need your Heisman trophy back, why did you give the
Heisman trophy back? Because they would have had the pride
for my dead, lifeless hands, buddy.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Well, they didn't tell me we needed back. They said,
we're going to strip you of the Heisman Trophy. And
then that's led to other events. But from the beginning,
Heisman Trust that we're going to strip you of the
Heisman trophy.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I ain't just volunteered to.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Give my damn Heisman trophy back. Who wouldn't they, right mind,
would do that?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So were you legally obligated to give it.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Back at that point?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, I had met with with the Heisman Trust with
my attorney. Yeah, we actually went and sat with the
Heisman Trust and explained to them an.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Entire story, broke down all the facts to them.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Why you know this this investigation was flawed. Why you
know a lot of the other stuff that was happening
wasn't being shared and exposed.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And now look what's happening. You know, all of the
facts are slowly unraveling, and now we're starting to see
that this should have never happened from the beginning. And
you know, I think a big major red flag of
that was the settlement of the defamation of character lawsuit
against the n C double A by my running back
(09:13):
coach at.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
The time, Todd McNair, who took a lot of the blame.
You know for what happened, even though he had nothing
to do with anything. And so this entire investigation is
flawed from the beginning. The courts, the courts, not me.
The court has on record saying that this investigation is flawed.
(09:37):
But yet, for some reason in c. Double A decides
to move forward with their agenda, which which you know,
which we now know is an agenda. And you know
we have facts and stuff to prove that.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And do you do you still physically have the trophy?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
No, I don't have it. I don't have the guy trophy.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So that's my that's my question. So if they were
going to fit from you, why didn't you keep the trophy?
Because I'd have been like I lost it. I lost it.
I don't know where that thing.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I mean, once they tell you they're gonna strip you
of it was a workless piece of metal at that point,
you know what I'm saying, Like they told you they're
gonna strip you of it, and you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Saying, it's not again, it wasn't that I wanted to
give it back. Like I still I go up the
stairs right now and pull out my dope walker. Why
why did I get at that you know what I'm saying.
If I was just in the spirit giving ship back, yeah,
just give all of them back, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, bro, because see and that that that's the part
that doesn't even make sense to me, right because the
stuff that the NCUBA has done in terms of like
vacating wins and all of that stuff. I was at
the Orange Bowl when y'all destroyed them in the Orange
Bowl and now that, but then when you look, they're
in the National Championship there, dude, I watched you win
(10:53):
the Heisman Trophy. I watched y'all whin. I watched y'all
in the Origine Bowl what was fifty something too, whatever
the score was. I was in the stands in Miami,
and because I was, I was in the league already,
and I was like, come on, man, this makes no sense.
I watched Derek Rose play in the National Championship against Kansas,
(11:14):
but Memphis got no wins that year. I watched that happen.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, and that's one of the biggest issues, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
You know with the nt double A, they are the
jury and the judge, and when you have when you
have that, it's it's I mean, you have these kinds
of issues that continue to happen, and that's why people
don't trust the n C Double A. That's why players
hate them, don't like them.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
And they do the.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Exact opposite of what what they're supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I mean, what what.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
What they're supposed to represent, which is protecting the players
and protecting the athletes, and they do the exact opposite,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
And you got people doing sham classes and all of
that stuff and stuff happening on campus. They're like, oh,
we don't have any power to punish it.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I mean, when when you have I mean, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, a lot of people feel there's also a
lot of racism built into built in systemic racism, you know,
built into the NC Double A and college football, and
you know, everything that goes on, you know, I think
a perfect another perfect example is Johnny manziel documentary. You know,
everything that he talked about in the documentary, accepting money,
(12:36):
accepting cash, lying to the to the n C Double A.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
And Johnny's my guy. I'm not knocking him.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Yeah, he got away you know with with all that,
you know what I'm saying, But when you look at
the facts of his case, and then you look at
my case. It's not even comparable, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
And and but yet at the same time, he has
his Heisman trophy, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And so nobody's even bringing that up.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Nobody even bringing it up, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
And so you know, we understand, and I understand that
there was an agenda here, you know, that had had
to do with me, and a lot more than me.
And again we have the facts and a prof you know,
and it's just gonna make for an exciting documentary.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
And also we have a lawsuit against the NC double A.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
You know right now, have an outstanding lawsuit against them
for defamation and character for a statement that they released
about me saying that I was paid to play, which
is untrue, and they don't have any evidence to prove that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
So that's you know what the defamation of character lawsuit
is over.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So when you watch what's going on now with name,
image and likeness and and I just saw a video
of Caleb's penthouse apartment the other day, and you think
about the the facts of your case where your parents
were getting evicted out of a place, and they were
given temporarily a pose to state.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
They never even spoke to my parents, So you know
all the talk.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
That you know that came from you know, all his
parents were doing this, they were doing that.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They never spoke to my parents.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
So if you're doing an investigation, okay, and you're supposed
to be doing a full complete investigation, but you don't
even speak to my parents, I'm come confused.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
So how did you come up with lee?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
How did you come up with all the other you know,
things that were being said, you know about my family,
Like where did that come from?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Then? Where's the proof?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah? You know?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And so that's that's where we are. You know what
I'm saying with this with this case.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So the so when you see Caleb's apartment, you're seeing
all of that and all of this stuff is legal.
Now are is it frustrating? Or are you saying boy
or you like them old heads when when they talk
about how much we made in the NFL and all
this stuff, like man, if I played in that day, boy,
you know how much money I would have made?
Speaker 1 (14:53):
What? Nah?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
You know, I'm happy for these kids now, man, because
they deserve it, and they they're working hard for it.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
It's not like it's being given to them. This is
something they're actually working for, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And so I think that's what people have to understand is,
you know, these kids are not just stepping you know,
into a campus and they're just handed you know, you know,
a bag of money for not doing anything right, Like
they've earned their way to be there, right, They've.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Earned their spot to be there.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There's a reason why they're highly recruited because the team
that they're with or other teams see them as value.
And you got to understand that value is added also
to the university as well. They're making money off those
kids as well. So it's not like just the kids
are making money like, no, the university is also making
money off of them as well. So there's a benefit
(15:52):
you know obviously, you know, for new universities. But you
know again and nt douaa, but I love seeing kids
being able to make money now, being able to provide,
you know, for their families now at a much earlier age.
Because I've always said that when you're eighteen nineteen twenty,
you're in your prime, you know what I'm saying, Like,
you may not be You're in your prime as as
(16:13):
as a man, right, as as a as an athlete, right,
And so you know that's and that's when you know
you're you're starting to peak, you know, as an athlete.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
And that's when universities are capitalizing.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Now there's a lot of young players that look at
you as the goat, right, is the greatest the running
back or college player of all time? For me, when
I came out, it was Peter Ward. Like I looked
at Peter Wark, Bro's my guy.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I love watching Peter Ward.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He was was so who was your goat?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
So Barry Sanders?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You know, I would say it was was the So
I liked Barry Sanders because I love the way that
he played the game. Obviously the pattern my game after him.
But then Dion Sanders was also a guy who I
just loved his showmanship on the football field, the way
(17:10):
that he captured the crowd, the way that he would
high step, the way that he would go back to
return the punt and get the crowd hyped.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
You know, the swag, the the way that he talked
to the cameras. You know, all of that stuff jumped
out to me off the TV screen, and I just
I ate it up, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
As a young as a young kid man, as a young.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Athlete, as a young black kid, hoping to make it
to the NFL, and just to be able to experience
a small piece of what them does was going through,
you know what I'm saying. And so you know, I
wanted to always wanted to play at the highest level,
always wanted to be the best, always wanted to you know,
you know create you know, the best highlights because the
(17:51):
guys that I idolized, you know, that's what I saw them doing,
you know what I'm saying. Any when Barry was playing,
it was showtime, you know what I'm saying. And when
when Diona Sanders playing, it was it was showtime. You know,
it was prime time, you know what I'm saying. And
so those are the guys that I wanted to emulate
my game after. And that's why I think I played
the game, you know, with such excitement, and you know
(18:12):
I tried to also, you know, capture the crowd just
with the way that I played. I wasn't a big
talker like Dion was.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
You know what I'm saying. And he still is, yo.
But you know I tried to do it, you know,
with the way that I played my game, and I.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Wanted the way that I played the game to just
you know, speak volumes, you know, and just you know,
jump out to people, you know on the TV screen.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Now you were a player, I think you were ahead
of your time in terms of like people look at
Christian McCaffrey and what he's able to do as a
route runner, as a running back, and that's to me.
Who if people were to ask me compare him to
a current player, I'd be like, Oh, it's Christian McCaffrey.
(18:58):
They do the exact same things except for a little
more flash to it.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Think that your game has helped change the NFL and
the way that it's played and the way the running
back position has been played?
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You know, I definitely think so, you know, but I
also know that before me, I was watching Marshall Falk.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
You know what I'm saying, run routes and catch the
ball out of the.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Backfield and literally you know, do everything that you know,
I ended up pattering, you know, pattering my game, after
pattenting my game, after sorry, and you know, watching him
when he was with the with the with the Rams
when they were the greatest show on turf, and watching
(19:43):
the way that they, you know, would run him out
of the backfield on wheel routes, option routes, and the
option route really became like my bread and butter.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Out of the backfield. And you know a lot of that, a.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Lot of tapes that I studied in college, and even
when I was with the New Orleans Saints, we studied,
you know, that team, We studied the greatest show on turf.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
We studied what Andy Reid was doing in Philly, you know, with.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Brian Westbrook and in New England. Uh was Westbrook as well, right, ye,
the Westbrook brothers.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
But but you know it was it was just.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
You know, wanting to catch up all the backfield, wanting
to be a running back, wanting to return punts and kicks,
and you know, I just wanted to be that guy
that could score from anywhere on the football field. And
you know, I think I took a little piece of
all of the other players, like like the guys I'm mentioning,
like Dion.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Sanders, Barry Sanders, Marshall Fall, and I think I kind
of molded that into my own game.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
But you know, it really for me came from watching
guys you know, like them. You know, so I can't
take all of the credit, you know, as much as
I love that, you know, a lot of the young
kids now watch me growing up, guys like Christian McCaffrey.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I actually met Christian McCaffrey when he was in high school. Yeah,
and a crazy story. So I'm me and my wife.
I'm in the NFL obviously, and we're on vacation. And
this is in March, and so you know, it's spring
break for school, and so we're in Miami. I forget
what hotel were staying at, but.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I'm in the hotel gym working out, me and my wife,
and I see these three little white kids in there
getting it right.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
I'm like, damn, I'm kind of peeking out the inside
of mind.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Like, man, these kids are going hard right. And I
was impressed. And so we started talking.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I was like, man, what do you guys do? And say, oh,
we played football from Colorado. I was like, okay, that's cool, man,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
We started talking like, what's your name, man, Reggie, Christian,
what's your last name?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
McCaffrey.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
McCaffrey, McCaffrey, you live in Colorado. Who So we started
talking and then he was like, yeah, man, I'm going
to Stanford next year.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I was like, hey man, you know, best of luck.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And you know I knew from seeing them working out
and they're on spring break, these.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Little these kids, these little kids.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Are in a gym, grinding and getting it and just
going after it like it's training camp mode, you know
what I'm saying. And so I have respect for him
then and then now to see that work ethic continue
and then knowing his pedigree and where it comes from, you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Know, it's just, uh, it's amazing to see, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And you know I definitely know that, you know, in
talking to him. He went number five because of me
in college.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So you know, I know that I had some effects there,
you know, on his game. But he's doing that at
a much different level man right now.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
And he is cold bron He can do it all,
you know, and he can he can also go back
there return funds too, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
So he got that in the bag. He can do
that too.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And you talk, So we talked about a lot about
your football career. We know you've been on television, on Fox,
everything else in between. But the thing that I've been
most impressed with you about, honestly is seeing you as
a father and seeing you as a husband. And it
though from the outside looking in, it looks like it's
(23:22):
important to you and so so can you talk about
that part of your life and how that has either
changed you or you know, like grown you in a way?
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah, My family is my foundation, you know, they're they're
the They give me all the strength that I need,
you know, to be a great man, to challenge myself
to be the best version of myself each and every day,
to be the best father, the best husband, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
And my kids are are everything to me, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
And you know, like like all of us, we want
to give our kids all the things that we didn't have,
you know, and so that it starts right there, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
For me, I want to give my kids everything that
I never had. I want to give them the best relationship,
you know, with their father that I didn't have.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I didn't have a relationship, you know, a great relationship
with my father, and I wasn't even I wasn't raised
with my dad, you know. So that's already we're already
talking about changing and breaking you know, you know, breaking
down some walls, you know, and changing the narrative you know,
within my family, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
And so you know, I always look back on.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
The moments that we shared, the things that we've built
over the years, and it's just a blessing, man, to
be able to have your own family and to.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Raise your kids.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
And it's important to me that my kids see mommy
and Daddy together, you know, working together, getting through things,
working through things, figuring out life, you know, but but
just creating that ultimate you know, family atmosphere for.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
My kids, you know, is near and dear to my heart. Man.
And so, like I said, I coached my kids. We
were talking earlier.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
I coached my kids and almost everything, you know, football, basketball,
my daughter plays tennis.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
They all golf. Golfer mandatory in this house. You got
a golf is mandatory.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
When did when did you start playing playing golf? Because
I remember Rashem Mathis got me to playing golf. So
we were both in Jacksville together because we came out
together and and he started playing golf. So I started
playing golf with him, Josh Scoby, and that got me
in the golf. So when did and I was what
(25:42):
twenty four to twenty five and we started playing, when
did you start?
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Started much younger than me.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Yeah, because hey, brou because I'm looking at that swing.
You look putting that work in, man.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Bro, I'll be putting the work in. I can't lie.
I'll be putting the work in, man, you know. And
golf is really giving me.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Something to to challenge myself athletically.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
You know. You know, we can't play football at high.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Level anymore, you know, even though we wish we could.
But you know, so golf has really been that replacement
for me.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's been that place where I can go and play
against my dogs, play with my boys. We can bet money,
talk trash, you know what I'm saying, play some music,
you know, play good golf.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
It's challenging.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
What are you shooting? Because I need to know if
I need to come out there with you or not.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
I'm shooting right now. High seventies.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Oh man, I'm beau want I'm gonna shoot ninety because
ninety I'm not coming out there playing playing with you.
I gotta get get back.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
It's but it's man, you know, golfers are work in progress. Man,
it's you know, you never finished product in that game.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
And I think that's the thing I love about it
is is that it's always challenging every time I step
on that golf course.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Man, I don't know what I'm gonna get, you know
what I mean, that's all on me.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah, and your and you talked about your family and
I did did a little research and your daughter is
on a home renovation well a renovation show. How's that going?
And uhh when are we supposed to see that? You know,
how's that process been?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's been great.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
We did uh so Hollywood Houselift Jeff Lewis and it
was great.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Jeff was awesome. He's hilarious. He got to meet my kids,
you know, and they my kids. You know, kids have
no filter.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
But I know some episodes are have already aired. Yeah,
a portion of it has already aired. And you know,
I think the best part about doing the renovation show was,
you know, we got to choose, Okay, what area of
our house do we want to renovate? And you know, uh,
it just goes back to I think that you know,
(27:51):
that fatherhood thing that we were just talking about you know,
we wanted to renovate our kids' bedroom because you know,
we wanted to be able to you know, build something
for them, them that they can like remember and look
back on him and be proud.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Of, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
So and feel like that they were a part of
it as well, because they were a part of picking
out the decorations.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And like how they wanted it to look, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And a big thing for us is, you know, I
love teaching my kids new things. And they have a father,
they have a grandfather, my father in law, who is
a mastercraft who can literally build anything, and so anytime
they go to his house, he's always teaching them how
to build stuff, you know. And so I think you know,
(28:35):
them having that that experienced an opportunity to learn how
to build things, and then them being able to learn
how to you know, renovate and pick out different things,
you know, within the rooms. I think it's so important
for for for kids and for you know, the young kids' generation,
you know, and just learning some of those old school
traditional you know ways of just building things with your hands,
(28:55):
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Oh so, so y'all are ready if that End of
the World movie come true, We're ready.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
We ready over here.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
We got exactly who we need.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, all right, So now now we're gonna get to
the reister or wrong portion. So I'm gonna ask you
five questions and then you tell me, am I reister
or am I wrong? You can elaborate a little bit
if you want to, but just tell me, am I
rister or am I wrong?
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Reggie Bush is the greatest college football player of all time?
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Oh, Man, don't put me on the spot.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Am I reister or am I wrong? Reggie Bush is
the greatest college football player of all time?
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Man, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
I hate answering that question, Bro, I really do, because.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I don't like putting myself above some other players who
I think were also great players and ghost of the game.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But I'm also not going to say, know you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Do you realize how mind blowing this thing is? That
this is even a possibility that like it's like, damn,
I actually might be the goat man? Like he realize
how crazy that is? Like I mean, the Peyton Manning
can't even say, yeah, Bro, might be the greatest Colt. No,
he can't say that. Man, Just say yes, Reggie, you
(30:23):
know you wanted to say yes, yes, all right, yes,
all right, all right? Am I reister? Or am I wrong?
Marcella's wileye is a better youth football coach than Reggie Bush.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Wrong as Hill.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
He No, no, I'm gonna definitely say you're wrong, man, me, me,
and no.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Marcella's is my dog. I love him. But you know
when it comes to this offensive thing, is that isn't
what he do? You know, like he played defense, played
eat n you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
And and and we know d ns are built for
one thing and one thing only.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
So you know, as Carrie who ran that league? Ask
Carrie who ran that league? When my kids with jugged
every year hoisting trophies?
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Huh was you there?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah? I know that. Yes, yeah, bro, I think I
think we saw each other on the field once and
then yeah, bro, we ran that league. Yeah, we ran
that league.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Win. So I'm just getting started in this league right now, man, honestly,
so just for this conversation, I'm coaching my son's flag
football team and we have our first game on Sunday.
So this is my first year actually coaching as head coach.
But you know, I got some players up for these boys.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I got I got some tricks and tips for you.
He stuff, Yeah, I got you, got you? It works
every time, every time? All right? Am I reister? Or
am I wrong? Pete Carroll is seventy two years old.
He will coach till he's eighty.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
You're right, you, reister. That boy will coach until they
will him up out of it. I swear to Gotta
He's gonna coach until they will him about it.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
There.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Yeah, Oh, am I reister? Or am I wrong? In
this new era of NFL passing and the way the
game is, Reggie Bush isn't isn't it? Oh? I forget
in this In this new era of passing in the
(32:35):
NFL running backs, the way that they're playing, Reggie Bush
is an MVP candidate.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
You're right. You are one hundred percent right about that, bro.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
And you know one thing I'll say is when you
look at my rookie year, I had ninety eight receptions
as a rookie running back and I didn't start, you know,
and then the next year I got injured. A year
after that, I got injured. So if it wasn't for injuries,
you know, I always felt like my number of my
(33:06):
productions would have been a lot higher. But that time period,
that era, you know, was still not fully where it
is now when we talk about the use of running
backs in the passing game, and like I was doing
that back then, but it wasn't as you know, widely
accepted as it is now.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
So I think one I would have been an MVP
candidate for sure.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Last one, Am I reister or am I wrong? Vince
Young's knee was down and USC did have another championship.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Vince young knee was down then and it's still down
right now. I was just talking about this the other
day and just how you know, amazing that game was,
you know, and obviously it came out to those last seconds.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
A lot of back and forth in that game.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
But boy that knew there was nothing more clear than
Vince Young, Stevie wonder to see that.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You guys, he's Reggie Bush. Reggie, thanks for coming on
the show, Man
Speaker 1 (34:16):
M
Popular Podcasts
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.