| Andrew Perna. 22nd October, 2008 - 2:45 pm
 It has been more than two years since the notorious 2006 NFL Draft, when the Texans famously passed on Reggie Bush and Vince Young in favor of Mario Williams.
One of the most popular storylines of that draft was the entrance of Bush and LenDale White - the USC tailbacks that formed one of the best 'Thunder and Lightning' combinations in college football history - into the NFL.
Bush, the lightning rod of the duo, was ultimately taken with the second overall pick by the Saints, the first of more than a dozen running backs that were drafted.
White fell into the second round, taken by the Titans with the 45th overall pick. He was the fifth runner selected that year. Laurence Maroney (New England), DeAngelo Williams (Carolina) and Joseph Addai (Indianapolis) were taken inbetween the Trojans.
So almost three seasons later, which USC running back has been the better pro?
Bush has played 35 games for the Saints, having missed four contests in 2007, and has touched the ball more than 600 times on offense. Reggie, who has had problems transferring his running efficiency over into the NFL, has carried the ball 399 times for 1,440 yards, an average of 3.6 yards per rush.
He has scored twelve rushing touchdowns thus far, but a good amount of his success has come through the air. Bush has 203 receptions for 1,525 yards and seven touchdowns in his career, tying Anquan Boldin as the fastest player to reach 200 receptions.
Amazingly, White has also played 35 games through Week Seven of this season.
Unlike Bush, White wasn’t an immediate contributor in Tennessee, but he took over in 2007 as the Titans' featured running back. He ran 303 times for 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and has 314 yards and eight scores through seven games in 2008.
White doesn’t possess the same soft hands as Bush, as he has caught just 36 passes for 181 yards in his career.
In addition to Bush’s advantage through the air, White has just one kickoff return in his career (for 14 yards), while Bush has returned 44 punts (with four touchdowns) in two-plus NFL seasons.
White does, however, have the advantage in the win column. The Titans are 22-13 when White plays, while the Saints are just 18-18 with Bush in the lineup.
In case you have forgotten how they performed at USC, let’s take a gander at their numbers:
NCAA Rushing Statistics
Bush: 433 carries, 3,169 yards, 7.3 ypc, 25 TDs
White: 541 carries, 3,159 yards, 5.8 ypc, 52 TDs
White got more touches in Southern California, and benefited by more than doubling Bush’s touchdown numbers. However, Bush was far more efficient when carrying the football.
NCAA Receiving Statistics
Bush: 95 receptions, 1,301 yards, 13.7 ypr, 13 TDs
White: 31 receptions, 331 yards, 10.7 ypr, 5 TDs
Bush was superior in the receiving department in college as well, but White didn’t trail him by as much as he has in the NFL. Like he did on the ground, White made the most of his touches (he scored a touchdown every 6.2 receptions) in college.
Now let’s take a closer look at each running back’s NFL numbers:
NFL Rushing Statistics
Bush: 399 carries, 1,440 yards, 3.6 ypc, 12 TDs
White: 444 carries, 1,668 yards, 3.8 ypc, 15 TDs
White has had the better career on the ground, and will probably only continue to build his lead over Bush as time goes by. Even with Chris Johnson stealing a good number of carries in Tennessee, White will find the end zone and has been slightly more effective than Bush per attempt.
NFL Receiving Statistics
Bush: 203 receptions, 1,525 yards, 7.5 ypr, 7 TDs
White: 36 receptions, 181 yards, 5.0 ypr, 0 TDs
Bush, obviously, has White covered, and covered well, in the receiving department. It’s almost unfair to compare their receiving numbers, but in today’s NFL it is important for running backs to be complete players.
Both of the former USC tailbacks have had great starts to their NFL careers, but Bush has been the more well-rounded player. White is the better professional runner, but that much was expected despite Bush’s more heralded name.
Bush has close to 3,000 yards from scrimmage for his career, against less than 2,000 yards for White. Reggie also has four more touchdowns, eight if returns are counted, than White.
There is still plenty of time for White to overtake Bush as the best Trojan tailback to have been taken in the 2006 NFL Draft, but for the time being...Reggie takes the cake.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail – Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. |
