How is Bush an elite talent, and MJD is a "hard worker who succeeds despite his size?".
Maurice starred at national powerhouse De La Salle. The football teams he played on never lost a single game during his 3-year career. He was an elusive, high-scoring running back and return specialist on offense and a punishing linebacker on defense. Maurice literally somersaulted into the national consciousness on October 6, 2001, when, as a junior, he scored all four of De La Salle's touchdowns (TDs) in a 29-15 nationally-televised victory over Long Beach Poly in the first game that ever matched up the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked high school football teams.
During his senior season, Maurice was even better. He rushed for nearly 1,500 yards, averaged nearly 12 yards per carry, and scored 26 touchdowns. He was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation by rivals.com. He is pictured outrunning a slew of defenders on the cover of the book "When the Game Stands Tall," which chronicles the De La Salle Spartan's all-time-record 151-game winning streak.
In 2005, Maurice set an all-time NCAA single-season record with a 28.5 yards per return average on 15 punt returns, breaking the previous record of 25.9 yards per return held by Bill Blackstock of Tennessee in 1951. His career average of 23.2 yards per punt return ranks second in NCAA history.
His final year in college, his junior year, he was a consensus first-team All-American as an all-purpose back and a first-team All-Pac 10 selection as a punt returner, ahead of Heisman Trophy-winner Reggie Bush.
He also led all AFC running backs in scrimmage yards per touch. Narrowly missing 1,000 yards for the season, Jones-Drew's rushing average of 5.7 yds per carry led the NFL and was the highest for an NFL running back since Barry Sanders averaged 6.1 yds per rush in 1997. In addition, he had the third-most all-purpose yards of any rookie in history. He was nominated five different times for NFL Rookie of the Week in 2006. According to one NFL scout, "Maurice Jones-Drew should be rookie of the year. He's got the biggest legs for a shorter guy and way more power than anybody gives him credit for. And he's got outstanding speed. He's just a little dynamo."
Drew has as much talent as Bush.Bush got more hype because he was at USC winning national titles.
MJD was more highly regarded coming out of HS.
MJD did far more in his rookie year then Bush, and should have been ROY.
It's is factually incorrect to stay that Bush is an elite talent, and MJD is not. MJD has been regarded as an elite talent all his life. People have DOWNGRADED him because of his size. Bush has been UPGRADED because of where he played. Do not let this confuse you. MJD is an elite RB, and has been since HS, playing for one of the elite highschool programs in the united states.
Ilov80s "
I Bet You Didn't Know...
...Jones-Drew picked up a 1st down on 28% of his carries. LT picked up a 1st down on only 23% of his runs.
LJ and Gore finished at 22%.
...Jones-Drew had the highest yards per carry average of any RB receiving at least 100 carries.
...Jones-Drew ranks 4th in the AFC for lowest % of runs stuffed.
...53% of his rushing TDs were scored inside the 10 yard line- most in the AFC.
He Has the Highlights
MJD Highlights
What Makes Him Special?
He uses his body to his advantage: his low center of gravity makes him very difficult to topple and in the age of giants (what defender isn't atleast 6-3 these days?), his lack of height makes him difficult to spot and difficult for giant defenders to reach . Very fast game speed, sharp cuts, quick change of directions, relentless will, great leg drive, powerful lower body, strong instincts, good hands, runs through arm tackles with ease and possesses amazing balance."
Bush benefited greatly from playing with the Saints. Much better offense, much better coach, much better QB. If MJD would have been drafted by the Saints, he would have had 400-500 more yards, and 5-6 more TDs. He's a far better runner (anyway you slice it) and can hold his own as a receiver. You don't think defenses schemed to stop MJD? They had no QB, no WRs, it was Fragile Fred and MJD. Trust me, defenses keyed on MJD for most of the year, and without question in the 2nd half.
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), a 74 yd rec and a 65 yd return. The ONLY thing you can maybe say is Bush is a slightly better receiver, but then again, he had Brees checking down to him versus Garrard and Leftwich.The numbers don't lie. If you want to use them to prove that Bush is the better receiver, then you must give MJD the edge in EVERY other category.
You swap MJD with Bush, and MJD would have hit 20 TDs in his sleep, and Bush would have 2 tds. And Bush would be called a huge bust, because the offense in JAX is severely limited. People talk about Addai being a product of his offense. Bush has been a product of his offense at USC and with the Saints. Look at White setting PAC-10 records, and he's a monster bust in the NFL. So if you downgrade Addai for being a product of the offense, you should downgrade Bush. Then upgrade MJD for playing in that awful JAX offense. Then come back and tell me you still rank Bush over MJD. What a joke.
You swap MJD with Bush, and MJD would have hit 20 TDs in his sleep, and Bush would have 2 tds. And Bush would be called a huge bust, because the offense in JAX is severely limited. People talk about Addai being a product of his offense. Bush has been a product of his offense at USC and with the Saints. Look at White setting PAC-10 records, and he's a monster bust in the NFL. So if you downgrade Addai for being a product of the offense, you should downgrade Bush. Then upgrade MJD for playing in that awful JAX offense. Then come back and tell me you still rank Bush over MJD. What a joke.
