Rush,
a native of Philadelphia, Miss., finished his career with 4,421
yards to become UNA?s and the GSC's all-time leading rusher. In four
years he had 791 carries, scored 36 touchdowns rushing and had a
5.4-yard per carry average in his career. He set the UNA all-purpose
yardage career mark as well with 6,020 yards, almost 2,000 more than
the Troy Nelson in second place. His 37 career TDs scored tied the
school record and his career rushes and TDs rushing were school
records.
His 4,421 career total yards ranks second at UNA and his 21
career 100-yard rushing games set a school mark. He was named to the
Gulf South Conference "Team of the Quarter Century" for 1971-95.
A native of Philadelphia, Miss., Rush was selected for the 50th
Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98 and the Gulf South
Conference Team of the 1990s. In 1993 he was selected first-team
All-American by the Associated Press, Kodak, the Football Gazette
and the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors. He was also
selected as the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA
Division II Player of the Year after helping the Lions go 14-0 and
win the Gulf South Conference and NCAA Division II National
Championships. Rush was first-team All-GSC and was the GSC
Offensive Player of the
Year in 1992 and 1993 - after leading the league in rushing and
scoring.
He set a UNA single season mark with 1,466 yards, scoring
17 touchdowns on 237 attempts asa senior. He was named first-team
All-South Region in 1993 and was selected to play in the inaugural
Snow Bowl NCAA Division II All-Star Game in Fargo, N.D. He was named
National Player of the Week against Delta State in 1993 after
rushing for a school-record 248 yards on 22 carries against the
Statesmen. Other school and GSC marks set in 1993 included points
scored in a season (116), rushing touchdowns in a season (19) and
touchdowns scored in a season (19). Rush was selected first-team
All-American by the Football Gazette in 1992, following his junior
season in which he rushed for 1,364 yards and six touchdowns. He led
the Gulf South Conference in rushing and was selected first-team
All-GSC for the second time in his career. He finished sixth in the
voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College
Player of the Year in 1992 and was the top finisher among
underclassmen. He averaged 113.7 yards per game and 6.2 yards per
carry in helping UNA to lead the GSC in rushing offense and advance
to
the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Selected GSC Offensive Player of the Year. Rush set school records by
rushing for 100 yards or more in eight games in 1992 and in five
consecutive games. He was just the fourth Lion to ever rush for more
than 1,000 yards in a season and he broke UNA's single-season
rushing mark with his 1,364 yards. He also broke the regular-season
mark with 1,136 yards. Following his playing career at UNA,
Rush was a member of the Washington Redskins for two seasons before
suffering a serious neck injury. He came back in 1996 to play for
the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was
later drafted by Barcelona of the NFL-Europe. He then signed with
the Bergamo (Italy) Lions where he played four seasons in the
European League.
He was named MVP four straight years and was twice
the Super Bowl MVP in 1999 and 2000. He set numerous records in the
league before retiring in 2001. He is currently a Day
Treatment Intensity Counselor for emotionally disturbed children at
the San Gabriel Children's Center. In resides in Covina, Calif.,
with his wife Lynda and their 17-month-old daughter Maya.