Confidence Man
Dec 3, 2004 | Football
Dec. 3, 2004
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane football players are a perfect combination of brains and brawn. Not only do they run fast and throw deep, but they can also hit the books just as tough. That mix makes Tulane football players some of the most eligible young bachelors in Louisiana. Just ask Green Wave wide receiver Chris Bush.
Bush, a fifth-year senior and one of Tulane's offensive leaders, was named the most eligible bachelor in Louisiana in "Cosmopolitan" magazine's November issue, in an article profiling the 50 "hottest" eligible men in the U.S. The issue includes a write-up and picture of Bush for ladies to ogle.
The opportunity presented itself to Bush when a friend from Tulane who interned for Cosmo suggested that he would be a good candidate for the article.
"She said I probably could be the one from Louisiana," Bush said. "I took some pictures and sent them in. We e-mailed each other, along with the editor of the article, who told me what I needed to do. It was about a two week process once I mailed the pictures in."
When Bush learned that he made the cut, he kept quiet, hoping it might pass without much notice. But secrets, especially ones like this, don't stay quiet for long in the Tulane locker room.
"At first I tried to keep it real discreet and be modest about it, but now everybody knows. It's on radio, on television, the coaches and players know," Bush said, laughing. "Even players from other teams know. I didn't even know it came out until someone brought it on the plane (to an away game)."
To be one of the top male "prospects" in Louisiana takes confidence, a trait Bush has been building since his days growing up in Kenner, La. Bush started playing football in the parks and streets near his home when he was just six-years old.
"I would play on the streets everyday when I got home from school," Bush said. "My favorite player as a kid was Jerry Rice. I used to watch him make all those tight catches. That's all I ever wanted to do after that, make the tight catches, the hard catches, the catches in traffic. I have practiced that ever since."
Bush's father Cornell, a career military officer, pushed him toward organized sports, helping him prepare through practice and drills.
"He would take my brother and I and tell us we need to practice, so he would train us in the back yard," Bush said. "We did what he said we had to do. He's the one that instilled in me hard work from an early age."
Bush took his finely-groomed work ethic to East St. John High School, where he made the varsity squad his sophomore year. He started as a tight end until Head Coach Ronnie Stephens switched him to the slot receiver position. Never a vocal guy, Bush learned a competitive spirit in those years.
"I was a cool person, a laid-back kind of guy," Bush said. "In high school the coaches would come up to me and tell me to realize my talent. Once I gained the concept of what it meant to be confident, that's when I learned to take over my game."
Growing up in the New Orleans area, Bush knew Tulane. Many of his former teammates at East St. John were playing for the school and receiver Roydell Williams, a teammate of Bush's at East. St. John, was also looking at Tulane. The familiarity, plus the persistence of former receivers coach Trooper Taylor, brought Bush to the Green Wave.
"Tulane stuck with me from the time I first made contact with them until I signed," Bush said. "[Former receivers] Coach [Trooper] Taylor stuck with me. Lots of other teams fell off because they didn't want to recruit me until it was too late. At the end [of the recruiting process], they tried to get me to visit late in the game. But the way Coach Taylor treated me and looked at me, I knew I wanted to be here."
Like all freshmen, Bush worked for his playing time after his redshirt season. In his first year of play he saw action in 10 games, catching three passes for 43 yards, including his first career catch against UCF. In his sophomore year he ranked fifth on the team in receiving with 20 catches for 254 yards, including three catches for 43 yards in the Hawai'i Bowl.
Bush continued to gain confidence as his game improved. He ranked second in receptions in 2001 with 33 catches for 581 yards, second behind former East St. John partner Williams. This year, Bush is again second only behind Williams in the statistic category.
"It's great to work with Chris at Tulane," Williams said. "It's always good to have a guy you've known for so long, through high school, to play together on the college level. We can relate more, so it's easier to play together at this level. He brings so much to the table. We are about the same skill wise, playing both sides of the field, so you really can't double team us."
Bush and Williams, the veterans of the group, set the standard for the rest of the receivers.
"The leadership we have [among the receivers] is amazing. Once we have leadership, the guys underneath you, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, they catch on to the game a lot better," Bush said. "When I came in my freshman year, we had guys like (former receiver) JaJuan (Dawson) to Kerwin Cook, you saw them and the great catches they made. Then, you look at yourself at that position, and realize that you have to work hard to be there. The guys that are here now are doing the same thing."
Williams sees a key difference in the older, more mature Bush, that has allowed him to raise his level of play in the last two seasons.
"Chris has so much confidence now," Williams said. "He knew he could play well, but he had to build his confidence. [The difference is] not what he does, but how he believes in himself that matter now."
This year Bush also is taking lessons from new receivers coach Darryl Mason, who brings a unique approach to his teaching methods.
"Coach Mason is very detailed, from the smallest thing to the biggest thing," Bush said. "He feels that if you are a receiver recruited by a Division I school, you shouldn't have to work on catching the ball, which is true. We work on the defense, our stances, our steps, the way we run our routes. It is very detailed, all the way down to our steps. We work on doing everything exact."
"The thing that stands out about Chris is his consistency," said Mason. "He brings a steady receiver to our squad. He's reliable, with good hands and good work ethic. He continues to impress every time he is out on the field, and the more he works on the little things, the more he and the other receivers will be able to contribute to the team. His consistency sets a standard."
Bush also gives credit for his continued growth and success to the blue-chip quarterbacks he has played with. This year, he is helping groom sophomore quarterback Lester Ricard. In the thrilling 59-55 victory at Tad Gormley Stadium, Bush caught the final pass from Ricard with 27 seconds left to win the game.
"I give credit to Lester. When Patrick [Ramsey] came here, he had two years behind Shaun King. Same thing with J.P. Losman, playing behind Patrick. You learn from a first round quarterback how to react, what to do. He didn't have that role model type leader." Bush said. "Working with those guys was great. From a receivers standpoint, you respect the attitude and work ethic that they brought to this game, in practice, in the weight room, day in and day out. They were great, great quarterbacks."
Though he has shined throughout the 2004 season, Bush's senior year has been emotionally tough. His father Cornell, the man who taught him his work ethic in the Bush's backyard, has been in working in Iraq as part of Operation Freedom since January. He has made it to only one game this year.
"Because of his attitude about it, he's really excited because he's been in the military for so long, and this is the first time he's able to go off and fight for his country. He's expressed that to his family and we accept that. Because of that attitude, my mom feels a lot more comfortable. She doesn't feel good about it, but she's not as emotional as she could be," Bush said.
Bush will graduate in May with a double major in computer information technology and media arts. He will also enter the 2005 NFL draft, where Tulane's "Hottest Bachelor" will hopefully make a splash.
"I want to play [in the NFL]. I feel like this is what I've been working for from the time I was six years old until now," Bush said. "It's real exciting, but scary too. It's like when you graduate high school. You look back on your four years and you say, what now? I had fun during my four years here. I've had fun and I don't have any regrets."
