"It was sweltering, typical midday South Florida sticky and steamy, as Reggie Bush sprinted the 53-yard width of the practice field and back. Six times. Alone.

He was the last, sweat-drenched man to leave the Miami Dolphins practice field.

"I've always been a guy to do a little extra after practice," he said.

Bush, 26, does this overtime bit consistently, which has not gone unnoticed by his new teammates. He starts by running routes for quarterback Chad Henne. He hits a blocking sled, then catches dozens of footballs from a Jugs machine.

More than a half-hour later he finishes with gassers, those all-out sprints.

"I try to lead by example," he says. "Now it's more important to do it, and bring some of the young guys along. Quite honestly, some of the guys who have been here for a while, too, maybe need to see that. We need to change the culture around here."

Talk about change. This is the beginning of the next chapter for Bush, better known for a scandal that cost Southern Cal a national title and led to forfeiture of his Heisman Trophy— than for his accomplishments on the field.

Traded from the New Orleans Saints on July 28, he is seeking to re-establish himself as a premier running back and, indeed, hoping to steel his injury-prone body to endure the grind of a long season."