"If Anything I Look up to Him": Anthony Mcfarland Is Shrugging off Le'Veon Bell Comparisons

PITTSBURGH -- Some would say the number 26 is, umm, "labeled" in the city of Pittsburgh. Last worn (in the offense) by current New York Jet and famous Steelers diss track rapper, Le'Veon Bell, it's certainly a jersey that brings plenty of attention to any player who wears it.

That player is now Anthony McFarland. Although the Steelers fourth-round pick didn't pick the number looking for Bell comparisons, but he's definitely getting them.

On Fox Football Now with Curt Menefee, former NFL running back Reggie Bush made what might be his boldest take of the 2020 draft - saying McFarland can surpass Bell.

"The other guy I'm really excited about is Anthony McFarland, a running back from Maryland," Bush said. "Kid can flat-out fly. Explosive. He is a game-breaking type of player, and I think he has the ability to be just as good as Le'Veon Bell, if not better."

Greeted with a strong "what" from Menefee, Bush doubled-down on his remarks.

"Yes. I like him that much," Bush said. "If you watch him in college, you watch and you see he has the ability to play out of the backfield, he can catch the ball in space, he's explosive and the Pittsburgh Steelers love to run the football — but it's the way they love to run the football. They use those tackles and those tight ends, and they pull. And what that does for running backs is, if they just get a crease, you get a running back like Anthony McFarland, he just gets a crease (and) he's gone."

McFarland heard Bush's words, but wants the world to know he isn't looking at comparisons.

"I've definitely heard," McFarland said. "I've seen what Reggie Bush said, It definitely means a lot coming from him but at the end of the day I haven't played a down in the NFL so none of that means too much to me. I have to go out there and I have to get it done."

Taking number 26 wasn't meant to mimic Bell. Well actually, it kind of was. But for McFarland, he'd love to reach the standards of the former Steelers running back.

"To me, wearing 2-6, I've always been a big fan of Le'Veon Bell," McFarland said. "He's always been the best running back in the league to me, ever since I've been watching him in college and high school, he's always been a top back in the league and one of my favorites."

It wasn't his first choice, but his college and now pro teammate Antoine Brooks wanted to keep number 25. So, McFarland choose Bell's old threads. With no disrespect included in the decision.

"I wanted to get 25 but I know (Antoine) wanted that number so I just really wanted to get 26," he said. "I didn't want people to think it was anything like 'oh I want to be better than Le'Veon'. That's not the type of person I am. If anything I look up to him, I idolize him, I watch his game, I study his film as somebody who's been a great back in the league for a long time."