It was 1985 when Roger Craig ran for 1050 yards and caught another 92 passes for 1016 yards to become the first and still only running back to ever hit four figures in both categories during the same season.

The media-anointed superstar who was supposed to make that a regular feat when he was drafted second overall by New Orleans in 2006 went on injured reserve today after hurting his knee, finishing his third consecutive disappointing season early.

Sure, the expectations heaped upon Reggie Bush after he starred at USC were probably unfair. He never carried the load in college by himself and sometimes it does take running backs – as with all young players – some time to reach their potential.

But in his first three seasons Bush has given no indication that he is ever going to prove the Houston Texans wrong for passing on him with the first overall pick in the draft that season. In fact, his three-year totals barely exceed the stats put up by Roger Craig during that one fantastic season in the mid-1980s.

Bush has produced 1550 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He’s added 1599 yards and eight scores through the air. Furthermore, by missing four games earlier this season and the final two after his Thursday knee injury, Bush is beginning to show a troubling lack of durability as well.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Bush has shown signs of brilliance, especially on special teams – like when he burned the Minnesota Vikings with two punt return touchdowns in one game early this year. And if you can get him the ball in space where he can shake-and-bake defenders, he is a fantastic weapon.

But against Chicago a week ago he was noticeably tentative cutting upfield – a troubling trait for a guy who still seems to need to learn that NFL defenders are fast enough to keep up with him or at least quick enough to turn him inside where help awaits.

Bush was so tentative before injuring his knee that it appeared if just for that game that Pierre Thomas had overtaken him as the preferred running back on the New Orleans depth chart.

At a minimum, the undrafted Thomas’ 11 touchdowns this season eclipse any of the first three seasons Bush has put up. And he’s shown an increasing acumen for catching the football as well.

I’d like to see Bush improve and make something more of his NFL skills. But until he gets more than slightly over halfway to 1,000 yards rushing or receiving in any given season – and until he spends 16 games on the field again for the first time since 2006, Bush will continue being talked about as an overhyped, potentially-colossal bust.