Bush suffered a nasty injury to his right leg as a senior. That dropped his stock from a top-10 pick in the NFL draft to a mid- to late-round pick. He was passed up by every team up until the fourth round, where the Oakland Raiders drafted him 100th overall. Still recovering from his injury, Bush sat out the entire 2007 season.
Things only got worse. The Raiders had used their fourth overall selection to draft Darren McFadden to be their franchise running back. Behind Justin Fargas and McFadden, Bush saw limited playing time. As a third-string back, Bush showed what he was capable of by finishing the 2008 season with 421 rushing yards and a 4.4 average.
The next year showed more signs of hope. Fargas was starting to slow down while the coaching staff began to work the young backs more. While McFadden struggled to adapt to the pro game, Bush flourished. Bush had outran McFadden by 232 yards, scored two more touchdowns and averaged 1.4 more yards a carry.
The 2010 season was destined to be Bush's breakout year. Unfortunately, it was the other running back that broke out. McFadden exploded onto the scene, rushing for 1,157 yards with a 5.2 rushing average.
Still, there was hope. Bush's power game complemented McFadden well and he was able to rush for over 650 yards. He did see his average dip down to a career low 4.1 yards, however.
Bush's contract year did not promise much at the season's start. McFadden was coming off his best year as a pro and the NFL seemed to notice. He continued his rampage in 2011 when he ran for 614 yards in just seven games. Hands down, McFadden was one of the top offensive players in the first seven games in 2011.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
