UAlbany Wide Receiver Tim Bush Is All Hustle

University at Albany football coach Bob Ford said wide receiver Tim Bush is one of his favorite players. "He just brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to practice," Ford said. "He's a kid who makes coming to practice fun for coaches. He has only one speed, and that's 100 percent."

Bush, a 5-foot-9 senior from Saratoga Springs, leads the Great Danes with 32 receptions entering Saturday's homecoming game against winless St. Francis (Pa.) at University Field. Beyond the statistics, Bush's relentless approach to the game might have saved UAlbany's bid for a second straight Northeast Conference title.

With UAlbany trailing 14-10 last week, Sacred Heart linebacker Rich Marrone intercepted a deflected pass at the UAlbany 26. Motoring down the left sideline, Marrone seemed bound for a touchdown until Bush caught him from behind at the 1 and forced a fumble, which rolled out of bounds for a touchback with 4:18 left in the first half. It provided a big momentum swing in UAlbany's 26-21 victory.

Bush was a star in UAlbany's film room the next day, when coaches stopped the tape to show Bush had come from 15 yards behind the play to strip Marrone. "All the coaches thanked me for putting in a lot of effort because that was a really big play, probably the biggest," Bush said. "It felt really good to be considered that person that made that play and helped us come out with a victory."

The coaching staff named Bush the receiver of the week. Bush predicted UAlbany (4-3 overall, 3-0 NEC) won't run into a letdown against St. Francis (0-7, 0-4). The Great Danes are coming off a big win over previously unbeaten Sacred Heart and have a first-place showdown with Monmouth looming next week.

"We're going to come out and do something special this Saturday," assured Bush, a former Times Union all-star who helped Saratoga High win a Class AA sectional title in 2004.He came to UAlbany from Hudson Valley Community College, where Bush played only four games because of a broken leg. Schools who weren't already scared off by his size — he weighs 178 pounds — quickl y lost interest.

But UAlbany was persuaded to recruit him by then-HVCC assistant coach John Bolt, a former UAlbany defensive end. "I'm not the ideal wide receiver," Bush said. "Even Coach Ford told me that when I first came in here ... I wasn't exactly a scholarship kid when I came in, but hard work pays off. I'm undersized, and the hustle does pay off."

UAlbany linebacker Rich Duff, who is Bush's cousin, said he's had the same attitude since Pop Warner. "Ever since we were little, he's always wanted to play football," Duff said. "He gets angry pretty easily on the field. He's a fighter and he makes plays."


UAlbany vs. St. Francis
Kickoff: 4 p.m. Saturday, University Field, Albany
TV/radio: TW-3, WOFX 980 AM

By M SINGELAIS