LOS ANGELES - New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush denies a report posted today on Yahoo-dot-com. The report says Bush and his family appear to have accepted gifts, money and other benefits worth more than 100-thousand dollars from two marketing agents while the Heisman Trophy winner was still playing at Southern California.<br>
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After today's practice, Bush responded to questions about the report much the same as he did when the allegations of improper benefits first were reported earlier this year.<br>
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He says he's ''not worried about any of these allegations or anything like that,'' because he knows ''what the truth is.'' He adds that ''once the smoke clears everybody's going to see we did nothing wrong.''<br>
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The report says Michael Michaels, a marketing agency investor who wanted to represent the football star, and current Bush marketing agent Mike Ornstein lavished Bush and his family with gifts while he was still at U-S-C, each hoping to entice him to sign with them once he left school.<br>
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Bush eventually chose Ornstein, which caused a falling-out between Michaels and Bush's family.<br>
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The N-C-A-A prohibits student-athletes and their families from receiving extra benefits from agents or their representatives. Any improper benefits could lead to sanctions against U-S-C and retroactively cost Bush his college eligibility and Heisman Trophy.<br>
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(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
