In a story that oddly sounds a lot like an episode from “The Office,” New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush has been accused of making a promise of scholarships to two high school students but not actually giving them the money.
San Diego native Reggie Bush is one of many NFL stars playing in this year’s Super Bowl, but the New Orleans Saints running back is at the center of a college scholarship issue with his name attached.
Bush graduated from Helix High School in 2003 and had a Heisman Trophy-winning career at the University of Southern California. After college, he was drafted by the Saints in 2006 and signed a $26 million guaranteed contract.
However, two local families are wondering what happened with the money that was supposed to go to a scholarship Bush lent his name to.
In March 2007, Helix High School seniors Brandon Fountain and Matt Cobb were presented a $10,000 scholarship from Bush to use for college.
“I think it’s always been in my heart, just a desire to be able to come back and give back to the high school I grew up in,” Bush said in 2007.
Fountain said, “I was real excited to meet Reggie Bush.”
Fountain attends Cuyamaca College, and Cobb entered San Diego State University. Each received a $2,500 installment on their scholarships in their freshman year. Both ran into problems the following year when trying to contact the scholarship’s trustee, Jerry Michaels.
“Mr. Michaels never responded. A couple of weeks later, he (Brandon) sent a second e-mail and still no response,” said Fountain’s father, Bruce.
It was the same story for Cobb, and after weeks of wondering they received an answer they were not expecting.
“That’s when we were told he was out of funds and due to the economy he didn’t have the money,” said Cobb.
10News contacted Michaels, who lives in Los Angeles. He said the scholarship program was set up years ago and Bush’s people contacted him in an effort to get involved. Michaels said Bush’s people promised to contribute to the funds but never followed through. The existing scholarship was funded by previous investments in the stock market, and those stocks did not do well.
While Bush posed with them at Helix High and was credited for “giving back” to his former school, Fountain and Cobb were left with an empty promise and a scholarship with Bush’s name and without his assistance.
Let’s take a couple shots at this story, shall we?
Meanwhile, the Mario Williams scholarship fund has surprisingly helped four students fulfill their dreams of going to Ivy League colleges.
Sounds like Reggie Bush dropped the ball here.
Who wants to buy a Bush’s Buds t-shirt?
Not seeing something through to the end? I’m sure Reggie is a pro at that by now.
This definitely isn’t the first time a Bush has failed to deliver.
Man, I should take Leno’s spot in late night(only to have it taken away from me again [these jokes are still funny, right?] in seven months). Leave your jokes in the comments if you have any.
Those are the only two football players Bush has managed to evade since he left college.
I don’t think there’s a college scholarship within 15 miles of Reggie Bush that isn’t currently under investigation.
The scholarships were to be handed out on the condition that Kim would marry him.
The part about the “down economy” is true, I hear Bush is even being forced into giving his Heisman trophy back.
This never would have happened if the Supreme Court didn’t arbitrarily decide that the Saints would draft Reggie Bush instead of Frank Gore.
Sean Payton told him mid-way through the application process that Pierre Thomas would be handling the rest of the work.
[...] You know that episode of “The Office” where Michael has promised a bunch of kids college scholarships, but breaks his promise? Reggie Bush must have thought that was a hilarious prank that he should try. <secondstringfullback> [...]