Merril Hoge says 'it's over' once you get your hands on Devin Bush

(Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via a Getty Images)

Last month, Devin Bush Sr., who is a former NFL player and currently the director of football recruiting at Ole Miss, took issue with some of the criticism that Paul Zeise was giving his son. Bush Sr. actually joined Zeise on 93.7 The Fan for an interview, but it went off the rails toward the end as Bush Sr. just kept on bashing Zeise for not knowing anything about linebacker play and the inner workings of the Steelers defense.

Well, Bush Sr. isn't going to be happy about the latest criticism of his son's disappointing play this season, as Merril Hoge gave a brutally honest assessment on Bush. And Hoge is a former Steeler, so it's not like it's coming from someone who never played a down in the NFL.

“Devin Bush hasn’t gotten off a block," Hoge said on the WDVE morning show via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You get your hands on Devin Bush, it’s over. I’m just telling you from years of playing this game, we would want to play Devin Bush. We could not wait to play Devin Bush. We can’t believe we get to play Devin Bush.”

Wow, that was blunt but so true.

For the first time since October, Bush spoke with the media on Monday, and he touched on his recovery, rehabilitation and mental aspect.

"I think my first year and my second year was definitely two good years," Bush said. "My third year (this season) was a year I've never experienced before, especially coming back from an injury like that. It was my first time going through an injury like that, first time getting surgery, first time doing rehab and first time being away from the game for a full year. So it definitely was a learning experience for me. I had a lot of ups and downs, a lotta good times, a lot of bad times. But I think I'm still the same player, I feel like I'm the same player and I know I'm the same player. The stat sheet may not reflect that but nobody out here on the Steelers football team is playing up to their potential."

Bush mentioned that he started to go through some mental issues in the middle of the season, and that's when his struggles really started to be eye-opening.

"Early in the season it was definitely a learning process for me just getting my mind back in football mode. Towards the middle of the season I was going through some more mental issues of just being out there and knowing I had to make plays, and winning was my biggest thing. Up until this point I think I'm settling pretty good."