Michael Bush Michael Bush ( born June 16 , 1984 ) is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft . He played college football at Louisville . Early years . Bush attended Louisville Male High School where he played quarterback his senior year after seeing action at defensive back , defensive end , linebacker , running back , safety , and wide receiver over his career . As a senior , he led the Bulldogs to the state championship game in Kentucky ' s highest class . In a showdown with future Louisville teammate Brian Brohm and his Trinity Shamrocks , Bush threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 116 yards and another touchdown in a 59 - 56 loss . He also caught two passes for 24 yards , returned a punt and a kickoff , and made five tackles on defense . College career . Following a successful high school career , Bush became a highly sought after college recruit . He turned down offers from several more established programs ( including Ohio State ) to stay at home and attend the University of Louisville , largely because head coach Bobby Petrino promised the opportunity to play quarterback , his preferred position . As a true freshman , he was forced to play several positions in order to get on the field because Louisville ' s starting quarterback position was locked down by Stefan LeFors . Though he was not the starter , Bush was able to rush for 100 yards in back - to - back games as a tailback toward the end of the year . Meanwhile , Petrino had decided to recruit another star quarterback from the Louisville area : Brian Brohm of Trinity . Though Bush had played various positions his freshman year , he believed this arrangement to be temporary and still expected to be a quarterback in the long - term . The recruitment of Brohm , however , meant Bush would have to find another position . Much to Bush ' s chagrin , Petrino moved him to tailback permanently . In 2004 as a sophomore , Bush backed up Lionel Gates and Eric Shelton . He rushed for 734 yards and 7 touchdowns , and proved himself worthy of the starting role for next season . Bush ' s breakout season came as a junior in 2005 , as he rushed for 1143 yards on 205 carries , averaging 5 . 6 yards per carry , racked up 23 rushing touchdowns , and was second in NCAA Division 1 - A in scoring to LenDale White . He was also widely considered to be a preseason candidate for the 2006 Heisman Trophy . Though he could have left early for the NFL Draft , Bush decided to return for his senior season . He came into the 2006 projected as one of the top 10 players for the 2007 NFL Draft , and his season began successfully as expected . His first carry of the season was a 48 - yard run for a touchdown in the Cardinals ' annual rivalry game with Kentucky . He then scored two more touchdowns in the first half , and had carried for 128 yards when he was tackled during a routine rushing play by Kentucky linebacker Wesley Woodyard , and suffered a broken right tibia . The injury was so bad that ESPN announced before the end of the game that Bush would miss the remainder of the 2006 season . The injury required the insertion of a steel rod and a second operation to facilitate the healing process . Bush participated in 3 bowl games during his career as a Cardinal . The first was a GMAC Bowl loss to Miami University ( Ohio ) in which Bush ran for 33 yards on 9 attempts behind Lionel Gates ' s 12 carry 128 yard performance . Bush would do better in the Liberty Bowl victory over Boise State with 12 carries for 96 yards , his best performance in a college bowl game . He finished his bowl career in the 2005 Gator Bowl in which Bush ran for 94 yards on 16 carries . Bush majored in sports administration at Louisville . Professional career . Oakland Raiders . Bush was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft with the first pick of the fourth round . With his broken leg still hobbling him , he was declared Physically Unable to Perform for the entire 2007 season . After a two year hiatus , Bush finally returned to the football field in 2008 . He was the Raiders ' third string halfback but saw some action because of injuries to Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas . He also filled in as a blocking fullback . An early high point in his professional career was the last game of 2008 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , when Bush rushed for 177 yards on 27 carries and 2 touchdowns to help Oakland deny Tampa Bay a spot in the playoffs . In 2010 he rushed for 655 yards in 14 games , including eight touchdowns . Before the 2011 season , Bush agreed to a contract extension with the Raiders . In week ten of the 2011 season , he started as running back against the San Diego Chargers in place of the injured Darren McFadden . In that 24 - 17 victory , he gained a total of 242 yards from scrimmage , fourth most in Raiders history and eclipsing Bo Jackson ' s total for the most since the AFL / NFL merger . Bush also has shown an ability to score on when near the goal line , as he scored 13 touchdowns on 30 attempts . Chicago Bears . Bush signed a four - year contract worth $ 14 million ( with $ 7 million guaranteed ) with the Chicago Bears on March 22 , 2012 . Bush replaced Matt Forte as halfback during minicamp while Forte was holding out over a contract dispute . After Forte and the Bears agreed to a multi - year contract , Bush stated his displeasure of possibly being a complementary back . In the first preseason game against Denver , Bush fumbled on a pitch from Raiders teammate Jason Campbell , giving Denver the ball . In the second game of the preseason against the Washington Redskins , Bush scored two touchdowns in the first quarter . In his regular season debut as a Bear , Bush ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears defeated the Indianapolis Colts 41 - 21 . After sustaining a rib injury , Bush was placed on injured reserve on December 18 .