Saints Play of the Day: Reggie Bush wowed John Madden on this 61-yard TD
There are 61 days left in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' season-opening game with the Arizona Cardinals, so this 61-yard Reggie Bush touchdown is an easy pick for the Saints Play of the Day. Not many players can say they stunned the Dallas Cowboys and wowed John Madden on the same play. You can watch it for yourself right here.
This was a bit of a revenge game for Sean Payton against the Cowboys and his mentor Bill Parcells; both squads took the field with an 8-4 record, and Payton was determined to leave no doubt by the end of the day. So with the Saints already up 21-10 by the third quarter, he called a screen pass to Bush to try and put a dagger in Dallas.
It worked. The rookie Heisman Trophy winner caught a clean pass from Drew Brees and followed his blockers, dodging a couple of tackles from the Cowboys defense (coached by Mike Zimmer, Payton's old coworker and longtime rival) on his way to the end zone. The Saints upset the Cowboys and the oddsmakers in a 42-17 win, on a day when Dallas was favored by a touchdown in an over/under set at 48 points.
For a lot of fans this was when the Saints cemented themselves as a threat to the entire NFL. Bush ended up with 162 yards from scrimmage while Brees threw five touchdowns. They were here to stay.
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Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback (2017-19) A two-year starter who delivered one of the biggest moments in Alabama program history, Tua Tagovailoa, over three seasons at Alabama from 2017-19, completed 69.3% of passes for 7,442 yards and an 87:11 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for nine more scores. Tagovailoa, a one-time national champion, had likely his best season in 2018 where he led the SEC with a 69 CMP%, 3,966 passing yards, and 43 touchdowns, among other categories, while winning the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, as well as finishing runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. 4. Will Anderson Jr., Outside Linebacker (2020-22) When it comes to defensive players alone, an argument can certainly be made that Will Anderson Jr., an outside linebacker who had a combined 205 tackles, 63 TFL, 34.5 sacks, one interception, four PD, and a forced fumble across three seasons from 2020-22, is the best at Alabama since 2000. A one-time national champion, Anderson led the SEC in both TFL and sacks during the 2021 and 2022 seasons (led college football in 2021), and was a two-time Nagurski Award winner who also won the Bednarik, Lott, and Lombardi Awards in 2022 as well. 3. Derrick Henry, Running Back (2013-15) At Alabama for three seasons from 2013-15, running back Derrick Henry ended his time in Tuscaloosa with 3,591 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns on 602 career attempts, while also hauling in 17 receptions for 285 yards and three more scores. A one-time national champion, Henry also had one of the best seasons Alabama has ever seen from a running back in 2015 where he led college football with 2,219 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, receiving multiple honors that included the Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker, Maxwell, and Walter Camp Awards. 2. Bryce Young, Quarterback (2020-22) One of the highest-rated recruits in Alabama football history, Bryce Young spent three seasons in Tuscaloosa, two of which he started at quarterback, where he overall completed 65.8% of his passes for 8,356 yards and an 80:12 TD:INT ratio from 2020-22, while also rushing for seven more scores. A one-time national champion, Young also won numerous honors following his 2021 season that included the Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien, Manning, and Maxwell Awards, one in which he led the SEC with 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. 1. DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver (2017-20) Alabama's all-time leading receiver, DeVonta Smith spent four seasons at Alabama where he hauled in a combined 235 receptions for his career with 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns from 2017-20, while also adding two more scores through the rushing and return game. A two-time national champion, Smith also won the 2020 Heisman Trophy, as well as the Biletnikoff, Maxwell, and Walter Camp Awards following one of the best season's Alabama has ever seen from a wide receiver in which he led the nation with 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
