Wyoming Teammates on Johnathan Bush: ‘He’s Our Psycho’

LARAMIE -- There was once a Texan with the last name Bush who had a four-year plan. "W," as he was known, was partly famous for his many unconventional statements during his two terms in the Oval Office.

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"I think we agree, the past is over."

"They misunderestimated me."

"Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

Wyoming has a Bush, too -- from the city of Whitehouse, no less -- who is unorthodox in about every sense of the word.

Unusual? Check. Eccentric? Check. Original? No question.

"That dude's a psycho, but we love it. He's our psycho," fellow offensive lineman Rex Johnsen said, referring to Johnathan Bush, a 310-pound redshirt freshman. "So we're glad he's on our side. Let's just say that."

The man himself waltzed into the Cowboys' team room Tuesday evening, sporting a dark blue button-up flannel shirt and blue jeans. He also had an ice pack jammed into the left side of his massive neck.

How did that three-inch, swollen scrape come about?

"I don't know," he said. "Might have been me."

Though that answer drew laughs, there was plenty of truth in his statement. Numerous times this spring, Bush has been spotted leaving the huddle and heading to the sideline, mercilessly beating his already-gashed up helmet on his way to the bench.

Apparently, that's not all.

"He'll get a far off look in his eye at times. That's real," Offensive line coach Joe Tripodi said, prefacing his comments about the center with, "Mr. Bush is fun to coach." "When they flip the (blocking) sleds in the winter, he might be talking to a sled. I think some guys kind of joke about that. He doesn't. That's just who he is."

Caleb Hall, who along with Bush also rotates into the front five, had a fresh story to tell.

"Literally, today, like the psycho part came out. He was like, '(expletive), I need to wake up,'" the sophomore said with a smile and a slight head shake. "I punched his helmet and he goes and gets a drink. He comes back and says, 'strap your helmet up.' We literally just start banging heads -- three times. The first one I wasn't ready for. I learned my lesson."

Keep in mind, it's only April.

Bush, though, has a perfectly good explanation for the new pre-practice ritual.

"It's just something to get the blood flowing," he said with a grin. "Nothing too egregious."

Bush is one of those people who doesn't have to try hard to be humorous. He's soft-spoken and kind-natured, but his words -- and the meaning behind them -- can be poignant. His IQ is obviously off the charts. Football, admittedly, is way down the list on his pecking order.

How did he end up in Laramie?

The engineering program, for one. He's also studying business. If it wasn't for the scholarship he's on, studying abroad would be in his near future. Before even mentioning his chosen sport, he said the community served as one of the top selling points.

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Though Bush hasn't headbutted a professor yet, he said competition, for him, isn't only reserved for the time he spends between the white stripes.

"I was definitely raised in a household where it's like, get your education first, and then you can go ball out on the weekends," he said. "And, it's like, 'Yes sir.'

Bush has been known to even sleep in the football building after spending countless hours studying in the academic-success center.

"You grab a towel as a little blanket and another towel for a pillow," he laughed.

At one point in time, he even dreamed of suiting up at Army. In fact, Bush was selected to be part of West Point's Summer Leadership Program before his final prep season. He was named the "Top Cadet" out of 541 students.

"The car just led me to Wyoming and I'm happy to be here," he added.

He's not the only one.

The former First Team All-District 7-5A performer, who recorded 32 career "pancake blocks" while manning every position on the offensive line at Whitehouse High School, has been impressing his coaches in the weight room and on the field since the day he arrived on campus.

Jay Sawvel said he also appreciates Bush's "unique wiring."

"He's a really good athlete," Wyoming's head coach said. "He's very physically strong and has a high degree of care. I'm excited that he's here, and I think that the steps that he can still take are exciting. He's got a lot of growth ahead of him."

So, what makes this guy tick? Well, in part, the game of chess.

"They just kind of told me there was a game within a game," he said, referring to hours of strategy across the table with his grandfather and dad. "So, just me constantly trying to figure out which game are we playing. Is it this one? Is it this one? This one is it, this one is it, this one. Just keep continuing to figure it out.

"That makes my gears turn. I just love it."

That hyper-focus and constant scheming also serves him well on the football field. Just ask Dante Drake.

"We love Johnathan, man," said the 301-pound defensive tackle who often finds himself facemask to facemask with Bush in the trenches. "He has a great attitude. He goes balls to the wall with everything. You could tell just from winter conditioning on, I mean, he's trying to take charge. It's natural."

To add to his abnormal persona, Bush was also a competitive swimmer, even while tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds. He enjoys blaring AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Metallica while he's squatting. He says it "spices things up." Hall said it's a little edgier than that.

"He'll find a deep, dark spot and get all crazy," he added.

The thinking man took longer to answer one question than all the others combined: Is he more loyal to Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes? The latter went to the same high school. Though he has met -- and respects both -- he grew up in a Steelers household.

"He beats to his own drum a little bit," Sawvel laughed. "I appreciate that."

How does Wyoming's Bush feel about his current approval rating amongst his teammates and coaches?

"It warms the heart."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players