Every professional football player has a “Welcome to the NFL” moment. For most of them, it happens fairly early in their rookie year. If you ask anyone what they believe former running back Reggie Bush’s moment was, it didn’t occur until the penultimate game of his first season.
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In the 2006 NFC Divisional Round, Bush got absolutely smoked by Philadelphia Eagles’ defender Sheldon Brown on an attempted swing pass from Drew Brees. The iconic play is routinely featured in “NFL Biggest Hit” compilation videos, and left Bush propping himself up with his hands and knees on the turf.
I will NEVER forget this hit by Sheldon Brown on Reggie Bush pic.twitter.com/7Ybs6T2EBe
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) June 28, 2024
It’s safe to say the incident still lives in Bush’s mind. During his appearance on former quarterback Robert Griffin III’s Outta Pocket podcast, Bush said he believed he was “feeling death” after the massive collision.
“That was a grenade. I was hit with a grenade… he hit me so hard that when I landed on the ground, it hadn’t registered to my brain yet that there was no oxygen inside my stomach… I [was] crawling, looking for air.”
Bush finished the contest with 74 yards and a touchdown. His contributions helped the Saints earn a 27-24 win and advance to the NFC Championship game.
Bush called the hit a “full-speed car crash”
The best part of the punishment Bush absorbed, from a fan’s perspective, was that it was legal. Those types of bone-crunching tackles have been all but removed from the modern game through rule changes and safety initiatives. Overall, the adjustments have had a positive impact on the game and players’ lives after football. But, to most football fans, nothing gets the blood flowing like a big hit.
That said, the experience certainly wasn’t pleasant for Bush. He teased that the blow has him teaching his kids how to play basketball instead of football.
“I will never forget it. I never want my kids to have to go through it… I’m like ‘listen son, keep playing basketball. Keep shooting them hoops, keep working on that jump shot’, cause not everybody can survive that right there. That was a full-speed car crash, and I wasn’t wearing a seat belt.”
Bush added that his eyes were getting “hazy” while he crawled because he couldn’t breathe. He ultimately had the last laugh, though, winning that game and getting a Super Bowl ring three seasons later. And if sacrificing air in that moment allowed him to become a champion, he’d probably do it all over again.
