Bush, Carroll retain reverence

 NEW ORLEANS – Many of the spectacular memories Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll made during their time together at Southern California are no longer recognized by the NCAA.

The New Orleans Saints’ star running back and the Seattle Seahawks’ first-year coach may never be the legends they could have been at USC. Yet the sanctions that tarnished their legacies haven’t soured their relationship or eroded their enthusiasm for the unforgettable highlights that defined their days in Los Angeles.

“Not at all, because what we built while we were there together, we built a relationship, a brotherhood so to speak,” Bush said this week as he prepared to meet Carroll’s new team in the Louisiana Superdome today. “Coach Carroll is a guy I’ll always have the highest regard for and love and respect. … No matter what happened at the end of the day, nobody can take anything away from us.”

Earlier this year, the NCAA concluded that Bush and his family accepted money and gifts while he was still in college, which undermined the flashy running back’s amateur status. The report also blamed USC and Carroll for failing to monitor players’ financial dealings closely enough.

Penalties included a two-year bowl ban and temporary loss of scholarships that has left USC a far less dominant force in college football. USC victories from December 2004 through the end of Bush’s college career – including the BCS title game at the end of the ’04 season – were vacated. Bush also preemptively relinquished his title as 2005 Heisman Trophy winner rather than risk the ignominy of being asked to do so.

None of that affects Bush’s professional success with the Saints (6-3), the club with which he won a Super Bowl last season. His black-and-gold No. 25 jersey is all over the Superdome on game days.

Carroll, meanwhile, has been faring well since taking over a Seattle team that went 5-11 last season. The Seahawks (5-4) lead the NFC West.

While Bush said his allegiance lies firmly with New Orleans and that he wants nothing more than to beat Carroll today, he also added that he could easily envision himself playing for Carroll in the NFL.

“He’s a great coach and I think he’s a great motivator,” Bush said. “He’s definitely a players’ coach. … It’s a competitive atmosphere, but at the same time, you’re having fun and coaches are having fun. … That’s why we had so much success.”

Bush still fondly recalls a prank Carroll orchestrated in which the coach and running back LenDale White had a fake argument, after which White stormed off the practice field. Minutes later, a dummy wearing White’s practice uniform came flying off the roof of a nearby building and crashed to the ground.

“It was supposed to be funny. That’s the type of stuff that he does,” Bush said. “Any time you can create a fun-filled, competitive environment, you’re going to get the most out of your players.”

Carroll meanwhile, asserts that Bush has been a successful professional and remains as troublesome for defenses as ever, even if he hasn’t piled up gaudy statistics or a single Pro Bowl selection in his four NFL seasons.

“Whenever you get picked second in the draft, people are going to have extraordinary expectations for you. It’s always hard to live up to those and somebody’s always going to be disappointed,” said Carroll, who went on to applaud Saints coach Sean Payton for the way he employs Bush in New Orleans’ offense.

“The things that they’re doing with him are the things we tried to do with him in college. You try to get him in space. You try to get him matchups. You try to utilize his great speed and ability to bust plays and games wide open. They totally understand it,” Carroll said.

Carroll said he did not think his familiarity with Bush would be much help to Seattle if Bush, as expected, returns today from a seven-game absence caused by a broken bone in his lower right leg.