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BY SEAN DONOVAN
“I want the rushing title,” Bush said in an interview with WSVN television in Miami. “This offseason I’ve been working towards that goal. Just being effective like I was this past season."
Many thought that Bush wasn't capable of being a primary running back after five mediocre and injury-riddled seasons in New Orleans. He has never lived up to his hype coming out of USC and being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft.
But Bush still refuses to buy into the "bust" label some have given him.
“Every time I rush the ball I want four yards,” said Bush. ”I’m keeping my focus simple and small, but at same time helping my team progress.”
Bush rushed for a career-high 1,086 yards in 2011, more than 500 yards more than his previous career high. He also scored six touchdowns on the ground and averaged a very respectable 5.0 yards per carry.
Winning the rushing title would be another huge leap for a player who has never carried the ball more than 157 times in a season prior to last year. No player has won a rushing title with less than 1,476 yards in past 20 seasons.
Though entering the final year of his deal and facing replacement by second-year back Daniel Thomas and 2012 fourth round pick Lamar Miller, Bush said he continues to diligently work to improve and prepare for this upcoming season.
Bush is a locker room leader and model of hard work and high character in addition to being a productive player on the field for the Dolphins. He understands his role as he looks to guide a team that is young and in a rebuilding phase.
"I’m 27, I’m one of those veterans,” Bush said. “Sounds crazy!”
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