This is an exciting time of the year for football fans.  The NFL play-off race is heating up, Reggie Bush wins the Heisman by a landslide, and of course, speculation is running rampant for the 2006 NFL Draft.  So for all those who are entertained by the infinite possibilities on draft day, I ask a simple question.  Fact or Fiction.  Is Reggie Bush a future superstar in the NFL?

Now, I am a die-hard Packers fan, which will become quite evident, as you continue to read my articles.  As such, my inspiration comes from the fact they currently hold the #5 pick in the upcoming draft.  Since, they are in the market for a Running Back, the question is, should they trade up to get the Heisman winner, or another option - lose games intentionally in order to draft Reggie Bush.  Obviously, I am not an advocate of losing games, simply to alter a teams draft position, losing can be contagious; however, there are many articles, which suggest that teams become less concerned with winning and more concerned with building for next year. So, having said that, Is Reggie Bush an opening day starter in the NFL and future superstar?

Last year, Alex Smith was honored with being the first player selected in the NFL Draft.  He received a 6-year deal worth 49.25 million dollars, with a 24 million dollar signing bonus.  The 5th selection was Cadillac Williams, who received a 5-year contract worth 31 million dollars, with a 13 million dollar bonus.  All things being equal, if I was the 49er's GM and had a mulligan on the NFL Draft, I may have opted for Mr Williams.

Since the new millennium, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, David Carr, and Michael Vick, have all been drafted with the #1 selection.  Conversely, Sean Taylor, Terrence Newman, Quentin Jammer, and LT were selected with the 5th overall pick.  History shows us that perhaps the #1 pick is more important than the #5 pick, although it could be debated between Vick and LT. So, Reggie Bush is destined for glory, right!  Not so fast, he does have to break the curse of the Heisman trophy.  Other than Carson Palmer (2002), when was the last Heisman winner a bona-fide NFL super star?  For argument sake, lets say 1998, when Ricky Williams took the nations top honor.  Sure he had some off field problems; however, he did rush for some decent yards.
 
In a nutshell, Reggie Bush has to prove himself, wherever he plays.  He could be an immediate success or total bust.  We must wait until next year, to determine the answer.  Having said that, there is always a little luck in the draft, which is why I have always been a fan of drafting for need over the best player available.  So, play football and let the draft order take care of itself, because, you are never guaranteed to draft a potential super star.  Just ask the Cleveland Browns, after drafting Courtney Brown (2000) and Tim Couch (1999) first overall, while Jamal Lewis (2000) and Ricky Williams (1999) were selected 5th.