He wasn't a regular on SportsCenter highlight reels, but Thomas was as reliable as the day was long. He fumbled just seven times in 1,145 career touches. He rarely dropped passes. He was dependable on blitz pickups. In general, he knew where to be and what to do and rarely put the Saints offense in bad position with a negative play.
The Saints' Super Bowl run in 2009 illustrates the disparate perceptions of Bush and Thomas. Everyone remembers Bush's spectacular punt return and 46-yard touchdown against Arizona in the division playoffs. Few recall that Thomas was the more productive back for the Saints that postseason.
He gained more rushing yards, caught more passes and scored more touchdowns than Bush in the Saints' three postseason games.
Thomas' weaving 16-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass - his patented play - gave the Saints their first lead in Super Bowl XLIV and might have been the most spectacular single play in the game other than Tracy Porter's interception. And it was Thomas who carried the ball and converted the critical fourth-and-1 in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
This is not a knock on Bush, who was a very good player during his tenure in New Orleans. It's more an indictment on our celebrity-driven culture, which celebrates flashy players like Bush and overlooks steady hands like Thomas.