Michael Bush

2025

Louisville, KY

Male High School

University of Louisville

Oakland Raiders (2007–2011)
Chicago Bears (2012–2013)

Considered by many to be one of the most gifted high school athletes to ever come out of Kentucky, Michael Bush overcame the adversity of a horrific injury his senior year of college to have an outstanding six season NFL career.

Bush attended Louisville’s Male High School, where he was an outstanding basketball player (runner-up for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball his senior year), and a multi-position athlete on the football team. In his senior year, he played quarterback, passing for 2,891 yards and 35 touchdowns.

In what many longtime observers believe was one of the greatest high school state championship performances ever in Kentucky, against crosstown rival Trinity High School, Bush threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns, rushed for 116 yards and another touchdown, caught two passes for 24 yards, returned a punt and a kickoff, and made five tackles on defense in a 59–56 loss. His outstanding performance earned him accolades such as Kentucky’s Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year.

Heavily recruited out of high school, Bush turned down offers from several top-tier programs to play for his hometown team, the Louisville Cardinals. Although initially brought in as a quarterback, he made a successful transition to running back, quickly becoming a standout. During his collegiate career, he amassed 2,508 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns, along with 50 receptions for 651 yards and two more scores. In 2005, he set a school record with 23 rushing touchdowns in a single season. Entering his senior year as a preseason Heisman Trophy contender, his campaign was cut short when he suffered a devastating broken tibia injury in the season opener against Kentucky.

Despite being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list for his rookie season due to his college injury, Michael Bush was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He made his NFL debut in 2008, beginning as the third string running back behind Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas. When injuries sidelined both, Bush stepped up and made an immediate impact—most notably in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 90 yards on 16 carries in a 23–8 win. His breakout performance came in Week 17 that same season, when he rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns to help eliminate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from playoff contention.

Over the next two seasons, Bush became a steady and reliable contributor, sharing backfield duties while making the most of his opportunities. By 2010, he had firmly established himself as the team’s No. 2 running back, finishing the season with 655 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

In 2011, Bush took over as the Raiders’ primary rusher. His most dominant outing came in Week 10 against the San Diego Chargers, when he racked up 242 total yards from scrimmage—one of the top single-game performances in franchise history. He ended the season with 977 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and 418 receiving yards, leading the team in rushing and serving as a key part of the offense.

Bush signed with the Chicago Bears in 2012, but persistent injuries over the next two seasons limited his production. He totaled 608 rushing yards and eight touchdowns during his time in Chicago.

Following his retirement from the NFL, Bush returned home to Louisville, where he found success in the business world. He now owns and operates Goal Line Trucking, LLC, a logistics company specializing in both LTL (less-than-truckload) and FTL (full-truckload) freight services.

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Headshot from the Oakland Raiders. Biography image from GLI.