Steve Gleason had a little fun with running back Reggie Bush, his former Saints’ teammate, as the 2016 NFL regular season drew to a close. Bush signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills last August but didn’t see the playing field much this year, and his final stat line proves it: 12 carries for -3 yards. He’s the first non-quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger to register negative yards on more than ten carries. It’s been a rough year for sure for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
And Gleason couldn’t let Bush off without having a little fun – with a lot of love behind it.
BREAKING: Steve Gleason @TeamGleason had more rushing yards than Reggie Bush this season. https://t.co/YXiRGHlND3
— Steve Gleason – "Live Impossible" (@SteveGleason) January 2, 2017
I really like Reggie.
-SG— Steve Gleason – "Live Impossible" (@SteveGleason) January 2, 2017
Obviously Gleason, if you know anything about him, isn’t really being a jerk. Gleason, who will forever be a hero in New Orleans for his blocked punt against the Falcons in the Saints’ first game in the SuperDome after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. His very public battle with the disease was captured in a touching and powerful documentary entitled Gleason.
We don’t know how well Gleason and Bush ever got to know each other during their shared time in New Orleans, but hopefully Reggie takes this joke well. In a perfect world, he’d start to consider what his future outside of football will look like, because all signs point to the former USC star winding down his career if not this year than next.
Steve’s letter to New Orleans – typed with his eyes from his wheelchair using incredible technology – only further shows his dedication and love for New Orleans. It’s no surprise New Orleans loves him right back, and Bush probably does too, even if that joke ends up stinging a little bit.
