Reggie Bush is one of those famous athletes whose reputation tends to precede him.
When you hear Bush's name, you automatically think of the scandal in college at Southern California when he allegedly received lavish gifts from agents, a forfeited Heisman Trophy and his high-profile relationship with ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian.
What you see isn't always what you get, though, at least not years later.
Based on his interviews with the media and interactions with teammates since arriving in Detroit as the Lions' big off-season addition, Bush appears to be much different than you might expect.
I thought there would be clear-cut hints of arrogance and selfishness, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
He's come off as much more of a down-to-Earth guy, at least as much as can be expected for someone who's been hounded by the paparazzi.
It all seems genuine, too, which was a little surprising to me, to be honest.
"He over-exceeded the Hollywood Bush you hear about," Lions receiver Nate Burleson said. "He came in and wasn't Hollywood at all. He's one of the guys, cracking jokes, taking jokes, a pleasure to talk to.
"We had a leadership meeting the other night. He was there and he spoke about being on successful teams, what it takes to be successful. He's not shy to embrace his leadership role even though he's a new face on a new team. He knows that he has wisdom that he can share. "
When he was younger, Bush made his share of mistakes, but he's 28 years old now and has matured since those days.
He became a father last month and he's loving that new responsibility in his life. He and his fiance - Lilit Avagyan, a professional dancer from Armenia who appeared on "Dancing With The Stars" - are the parents of 6-week-old daughter, Briseis.
Bush, who was traveling home to Los Angeles on weekends during the Lions' off-season workout program, said, "I'm looking forward to getting back to my little girl and being a father."
On Sunday, Bush sent out an Instagram photo of him with his baby in his lap and the following message: "Enjoying my first Father's Day with my family! #blessed."
Bush, entering his eighth season in the NFL, has been quite modest when asked about his personal role in the Lions' offense.
He's confident. He's excited about the impact he can make. He believes this offense can be the best in the NFL.
But it's not all about him. He really seems like he just wants to fit in and contribute on a winning team, which is one reason why he chose to surround himself with a superstar receiver like Calvin Johnson.
"The talent is there," Bush said. "We have all the guys there to be a great offense. It's just about everybody doing the little things right, being held accountable on and off the field."
Bush, who played on a championship team in New Orleans during the 2009 season, didn't back down when Super Bowl talk came up.
That might seem a little off-base considering the Lions were 4-12 last season, but this organization needs more players like Bush who have been there and believe it can happen in Detroit.
"Honestly, I don't think we're far at all," Bush said. "We have the guys here to be able to win a Super Bowl.
"With that said, there's a lot that has to go into this season, this team, this off-season before we can even think about that.
"We've just got to think about doing the little things right and coming together, building that chemistry. That's going to help us when we're down by a touchdown in the fourth quarter with a minute to go and we've got to drive a whole football field. Those little things are going to help us during the season."
Bush, at least from afar, never seemed like the type who would worry about doing the little things. He seemed all style.
But that perception doesn't appear to be so true, not anymore. There's some definite substance there too.
Be accountable. Do the little things.
Reggie Bush is preaching the right stuff.
He looks and sounds like he's going to bring some valuable intangibles to the Lions' locker room, which is a nice added bonus to his game-breaking talents on the field.
