“I almost feel like I’m in debt to this program — the opportunity to win two national championships back-to-back and compete for a third, win the Heisman Trophy, and the opportunity to play close to home,” said Bush, who wore San Diego’s 619 area code painted underneath his eyes during USC games.

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Bush said he was the first member of his family to go to a four-year college. The political science major said emphatically, “I will get my degree, and I will get it at USC.”

Asked about the probability of becoming a multimillionaire when he signs an NFL contract, Bush laughed and said, “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will until I get that first check.”

Bush’s uncanny agility, speed and ability to change direction has drawn comparisons to Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Tony Dorsett and Marshall Faulk.

Bush averaged an amazing 8.9 yards per carry this season, caught 37 passes for 478 yards and led the nation in all-purpose yards with 222.3 per game.

How will all that translate to the NFL?

“There are all those questions: Are you big enough, strong enough, fast enough, tough enough?” Bush said. “I’ll have to position myself to have an impact right away, and that will take a lot of hard work. It’s not going to come easy.”

He hopes to prove he will be durable enough to play every down, and “show I can be the guy they can depend on when the game is on the line.”

Bush was a runaway winner of the Heisman, with Young far back in second place. Leinart, Bush’s teammate the past three years and the 2004 Heisman winner, was third. Those players could very well go 1-2-3 in the NFL draft on April 29.

The Texans already have a young quarterback in David Carr, so they could opt for Bush and pass on Young, who is from Houston. The Texans have 3½ months to make a decision.

Bush shared the tailback position for three years with White, and the two combined for 99 career touchdowns to breaking the NCAA record of 97 set by Army’s Glenn Davis and Felix “Doc” Blanchard from 1943-46.

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