Good looks, a Heisman Trophy and an attention-grabbing running style have combined to bring New Orleans Saints rookie Reggie Bush a record $5 million in endorsements from PepsiCo Inc., General Motors Corp., Adidas AG and Subway Restaurants.

If he is as successful on the field as he has been with advertisers, Reggie Bush Online - One Question Haunting Texas : How Do You Stop Reggie Bush?Reggie Bush has outside income may soon rival that of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the National Football League endorsements leader with more than $10 million a year.

``He's the best rookie endorser ever, No. 1 in history,'' said Scott Becher, 43, president of Sports & Sponsorships, a consulting firm in Coral Gables, Florida. ``From an off-the-field standpoint, it's been pretty incredible. And I think it's going to get even better.''

The NFL begins its 87th season tonight when the Miami Dolphins play the champion Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Bush, 21, plays his first regular-season game on Sept. 10 when the Saints travel to Cleveland to face the Browns.

Subway Restaurants, the Milford, Connecticut-based sandwich- shop chain, signed Bush to help promote a Web site before he was selected as the second pick in April's NFL draft. Bush did a video Web log, or blog, and held Internet chats in the days leading up to the draft.

The closely held company decided to use him in television ads to be aired this season based on the attention he received, said Tony Pace, chief marketing officer of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund, which creates marketing programs for the chain.

Pace said he remembers turning on the television one Sunday morning last month and seeing replays of Bush reversing field for a 44-yard gain in his first exhibition game.

``That's a guy who will get a lot of attention,'' he said.

He declined to disclose the value of Reggie Bush's contract.

Becher said Reggie Bush's success in drawing sponsors partly has to do with his playing in New Orleans, which is recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

``Being good-looking and having a nice smile helps, but the sponsors are tying their marketing and charitable efforts to the rebuilding of the city, and they're able to do a lot of that through Reggie,'' Becher said.

Hurricane Charity

Reggie Bush attended a ceremony in Slidell, Louisiana, where General Motors gave a dozen Hummer sport-utility vehicles to the local police. The department lost all of its vehicles during the hurricane.

Bush set a University of Southern California record with 2,890 rushing, receiving and kick-return yards last season and won the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the best player in college football.

During his three years at USC, he was on two national championship teams and one runner-up.

At the draft, Reggie Bush was selected by the Saints after the Houston Texans picked defensive end Mario Williams with the first pick. Bush signed a six-year, $62 million contract that included $26.3 million in guaranteed money and bonuses.

Mike Ornstein, Bush's marketing representative, provided the $5 million figure and said more deals are in the works.

Reggie Bush will introduce a cologne, possibly named 619 after the area code of his hometown of San Diego. And there might be an endorsement contract with an electronics maker in the next few weeks, said Ornstein, president of closely held SportsLink in Santa Monica, California.

Reggie Bush also is on the cover of Electronic Arts Inc.'s college football game, ``NCAA Football 07,'' and has an agreement to sign player cards and other merchandise with GT Sports Marketing, a memorabilia dealer.

Away From Quarterbacks

Becher said there is another twist to the Reggie Bush story. He might be leading the way for players other than quarterbacks to grab some of the endorsement business.

``For the last 10 years, the NFL has been all about the quarterbacks: `If you can throw it, you can pitch it,''' Becher said.

Becher said that if Reggie Bush stays healthy, he'll probably join the NFL's top endorsers, including Manning, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, each of whom earns more than $5 million a year in off- field income.

`Media Frenzy'

Even with the endorsement money Bush already has earned, not everyone is ready to crown him king of NFL sponsorships.

``Reggie came from a glamorous college program, and he's benefited from a Hollywood-driven media frenzy,'' said Nova Lanktree, executive vice president of player marketing at Chicago-based CSMG Sports. ``But I hesitate to talk about the buzz surrounding a player before he's played a down of football in the NFL.''

Lanktree said the best NFL endorsers have visibility, recognizability and credibility. ``Reggie's got the first two,'' she said. ``Now we need to see performance.''

Becher said Bush still must prove himself on the field, though it looks like he will have a long career as a running back and as a product endorser.

``Reggie is redefining the marketability of NFL rookies,'' Becher said. ``The significance of the deals he has in place before his very first professional carry sets a new standard. The expectations could not be higher.''