Second home

PULLMAN — When Michael Bumpus arrived on campus this summer, there was little doubt how excited his new Washington State teammates were to have him around. One teammate in particular had the welcome mat rolled out for the wide receiver — quarterback Josh Swogger. Bumpus arrived in Pullman in July to get a little early work in with the Cougars before training camp, and when he showed up, Swogger had vacated his bed for the freshman and slept on the couch.

“I just tried to make him as comfortable as he could be at the house,” said the 6-foot-5 Swogger, a team captain who is out for the season with an injury. “I told him everything that’s mine is yours – let him stay and do what he needed to do to get comfortable and get adjusted.”

By all accounts, Bumpus has made that adjustment quite nicely. It helps that he has a visitor from back home in Culver City, Calif., stop by every now and then — his mother, Renee.

Michael is her only child, and she has made the trip to see him play on multiple occasions this season, including one this weekend to see him play against USC.

Had things gone differently a year ago while he was still in high school, it’s possible that the Bumpuses would have been wearing different colors on Saturday. The high school senior had his choice for college narrowed down to USC and WSU.

When USC decided late in the recruiting game not to offer a scholarship, the Cougars were waiting with open arms and had the highest-rated recruit in their 2004 class.

But if you listen to Mom, the change in scenery was destined to happen regardless of what USC did.

“He’s independent,” Renee Bumpus said on a visit during training camp. “I knew it was coming. I knew when Coach (Bill) Doba left my house in December that he was coming here. But it had to be his decision. And it’s good to get out of L.A.

“The kids spend a lot of time in L.A., parties and friends who live in different areas. I would worry about him a whole lot there. But since he’s been here, I haven’t worried about him at all.”

WSU hasn’t worried much, either. Coming into the season, there was no question that Bumpus would eschew a redshirt year. While it’s taken some time for him to get used to playing wide receiver — he led the team in receptions and receiving yards for the first time last week at Oregon State with five for 42 — Bumpus made a quick impact as a punt returner.

After replacing Marty Martin as the team’s returner, Bumpus made good on the athletic talent with which he arrived, taking a punt 52 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown against Oregon. He’s averaging 11.2 yards per return, third best in the conference.

“I love making people miss,” the elusive wideout said. “Back home when we used to play in the streets, it was whoever can make someone miss the worst, that’s the best player. I guess it goes back to playing with my friends. I love having everyone coming after me and trying to make them miss.”

Bumpus hasn’t dodged the expectations game at WSU. As a senior in high school, he took over at quarterback a few games into the season when the starter went down with an injury, using his athleticism to fuel a ground game and abandoning his natural pass-catching ability.

But at WSU, offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Levenseller limited his playing time at wideout in the early weeks, forcing him to focus on preparation during the week before becoming a go-to guy on the field. Even Levenseller, a perfectionist who tends to demand the same from his players, liked the attitude Bumpus brought to the field almost immediately.

“He cares,” Levenseller said. “He doesn’t want to be a freshman. He doesn’t use that as an excuse. ‘I want to be a player and I want to contribute.’ “

Said Bumpus: “Ever since I’ve been playing football I’ve had (expectations) on my shoulders because my first game playing I came out and scored like three touchdowns. It’s something I’m used to playing with and it keeps me going. It keeps me hungry, because I feel that people come out here to see good Cougar football and to see plays being made.”

Making good on promises isn’t anything new for the 18-year-old. (He’ll be 19 in December.) Even in grade school, Bumpus told people how the future would turn out. While Bumpus said his desire to exact revenge on USC for not offering him a scholarship has dulled in the months since his collegiate fate became certain, he’s still relishing the opportunity to make people aware of just how good he could be.

“You know what? He has this unbelievable confidence that I wish I had,” Renee said. “He told me when he was 10 years old, ‘Mama, you’re not going to pay for college.’ He predicted it.

“He is so at home and so comfortable. That makes me feel good.”