Homegrown Hurricane: Deon Bush
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes have a long tradition of homegrown talent showcasing itself on the football field.
Canes legends like Michael Irvin, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, Santana Moss and Bennie Blades are just a handful of South Florida natives who shined while donning Miami’s orange and green.
Each week in the 2014 season, HurricaneSports.com will honor a Hurricane football player with South Florida ties as the Milam’s Market Homegrown Athlete of the Week. This week’s player spotlight is on Miami native Deon Bush.
Deon Bush has been a leader in the Hurricanes’ secondary from the moment he set foot on campus in 2012.
The talented safety came to Miami after a stellar career at Columbus High School in Miami. Bush joins a long list of Explorers who have gone on to star as Hurricanes including Alonzo Highsmith, Carlos Huerta and Joaquin Gonzalez.
Bush was a highly-touted safety coming out of Columbus and was recruited by nearly every school in the country. A 2012 U.S. Army All-American, Bush announced on live television during that year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl that he would pass up the opportunity to play at Florida, Florida State, Alabama and Auburn to become a Miami Hurricane.
The 6-foot-1, 198 lb., safety was tabbed a Second Team Freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com after an impressive debut campaign. Bush played in 10 games, making six starts at safety and tallied 34 tackles and three pass break-ups. An impact player from the beginning of his Hurricane career, Bush finished the 2012 season tied for second in the ACC with three forced fumbles. After such a strong showing, the coaching staff honored Bush with the Newcomer of the Year Award at the annual postseason banquet.
Bush’s sophomore season was a challenge, as he missed the first two games of the 2013 season due to injury. But his family and friends in Miami, as well as his teammates and coaches in Coral Gables, provided the support system to keep the talented player focused on his return to the field.
Once Bush was cleared to play, he appeared in the final 11 games of the Canes’ season and turned in another solid performance. Bush was named Honorable mention All-ACC by the ACSMA after a season that featured several firsts for his career.
Bush recorded his first sack in Miami’s win at USF and he snared his first interception when the Canes faced No. 3 Florida State. Bush also helped Miami open the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl with a highlight, recording his first safety with one of his team-leading seven tackles.
Deon continued his strong play in 2014, registering six tackles in the season opener against Louisville. Now a junior, Bush is an experienced veteran for the Canes and he will look to provide leadership as Miami hosts Florida A&M in the home opener on Saturday.
