390 The 2009 New Orleans Saints were one of the best squads we’ve seen the franchise have over recent years, and few remember that quite as vividly as legendary running back Reggie Bush.
In a recent interview with Forbes.com’s DJ Siddiqi., Bush reflected back on that magical year in which the team won Super Bowl XLIV, topping the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami.
“We had an identity,” Bush said. “The year we won the Super Bowl, we ran the football a lot. As good as Drew (Brees) was, running the football ended up becoming the thing that really helped us get over the hump, because it just opened everything up for Drew, right?”
Bush served as the team’s primary punt returner that season, playing an important role on special teams while he carried the ball 70 times for 390 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 335 yards and 3 touchdowns.
One of the biggest things that stood out to Bush had nothing to do with his side of the ball, either. The saying “defense wins championships” may sound cliche, but there is some truth to it — and that goes for Super Bowls too.
“Our defense was just lights out,” Bush said of the 2009 team. “And that to me was the ultimate reason why we had been able to win a Super Bowl. Because our defense got turnovers and the turnovers gave us more and more opportunities. That’s part of the championship culture is when your defense can create turnovers and get the ball back to your offense.”
It will be interesting to see how and if the Saints can return back to the dominance of that 2009 team anytime soon, given how many areas there are to fix.
In the interview, Bush agreed with the notion that the current Saints team seems to lack identity, pointing first and foremost to the problems at the quarterback position.
But Bush is not without some optimism.
“You still see some of the lingering culture there, just culture of winning and how to work,” Bush said. “(Head coach Dennis Allen) understands the culture and the culture of winning.”
