Bumpus thrives following bumpy ride

PULLMAN – When Michael Bumpus arrived at Washington State University as a freshman in the fall of 2004, the idea that he would be leading the Cougars receiving corps in 2006 did not seem like a far-fetched concept.

Bumpus had been the golden recruit of that season, the one expected to star with Josh Swogger throwing darts to him all over the field.

Things change, however. By the end of the 2005 season, that concept seemed silly on a number of levels.

Swogger was out, replaced by Alex Brink at quarterback. Jason Hill, not Bumpus, had emerged as the team’s top receiver. Bumpus, while productive at times, had been injured for the final month of his sophomore season and sat in academic limbo, uncertain if he’d see another snap at WSU.

“I thought he was gone,” fellow wideout Brandon Gibson said. “I thought he was gone for sure.”

Bumpus is back at WSU, of course, and back in a big way. With Hill drawing double coverages on a weekly basis, Bumpus has been the beneficiary as a junior. His 35 catches are tops on the team through five games and fourth in the nation. Eleven of them came last weekend against USC, a team that turned him away at the last minute in the recruiting process.

Suddenly, even with Hill still on the same field, Bumpus finds himself as important to the Cougars passing game as ever.

“He was playing his tail off when he got hurt last year,” offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller explained. “All I see of this is a continuation. He’s much more disciplined.”

But, as Gibson said, Bumpus’ winter was spent with concerns much greater than injury rehab. He was in fact “gone” for a time in January, suspended from WSU for at least a year because of grades. Simultaneously, Bumpus was wondering if Pullman was really the place for him to finish his college career.

Bumpus said that his academic problems boiled down to one class, which he failed to drop on time last fall. The lengthy appeal process got that class dropped, and therefore brought his grade-point average back up to a point where the suspension was lifted. But the thoughts of transferring out of WSU were still there, and were it not for a series of conversations with family and WSU coaches, Bumpus might be playing elsewhere this season.

“One time,” Levenseller said, asked if he and Bumpus had talked much about his off-season issues. “Obviously, there were some conversations. But only on one occasion did he and I come to where we had a very serious conversation.”

“He didn’t pressure me to come back,” Bumpus said. “He said, ‘You do what’s best for you.’ He let me know what kind of player he thought I was and what I was capable of doing this year, telling me what role I would play. He really kept it real. He didn’t promise me anything or fill my head with a whole bunch of stuff.”

For the wide receiver, accepting his role with the Cougars has never been easy since being knocked down a notch from the pedestal on which he arrived.

Bumpus has played in the slot for his entire Cougars career, a position far less glamorous than the one Hill and others have occupied on the outside. While Hill is more likely to reel in long touchdown passes, Bumpus has largely trolled the middle of the field, catching short throws and then trying to dodge linebackers and safeties.

Coming to terms with that role is something Bumpus did not do until fairly recently.

“I enjoy getting the ball,” Bumpus said. “So if I’ve got to go in the middle with three or four defenders there, it doesn’t matter. I know that’s my job. I’m pretty much the keep-the-chains moving guy. Pick up first downs – that’s what I’m here to do.”

Having accepted his place in the offense, the California native said he’s found more happiness in a college career that’s already more than halfway complete. Bumpus remains one score away from sole ownership of the school record for punt returns for touchdowns.

“I matured a lot,” Bumpus said. “I wasn’t happy for a minute. I just felt like I could do so much more. But you know, with getting older and understanding the offense, understanding when my opportunities were going to come, it’s allowed me to be a lot more patient.”

Notes

Hill returned from San Francisco on Thursday after visiting his mother, who has been in the hospital after a heart attack suffered last week. Hill arrived shortly after the start of practice. … Running backs coach Kelly Skipper said it would be a game-time decision to see whether Dwight Tardy or DeMaundray Woolridge would start in the backfield. … Safety Michael Willis will not play against Oregon State because of a shoulder injury. … Game time Oct. 14 against California has been set for 2 p.m. with no television broadcast.