Drew Brees has revealed that Reggie Bush is finally comfortable in his role with the New Orleans Saints.

Bush was weighed down by massive expectation during a stellar college career at the University of Southern California, culminating in a Heisman Trophy award.

Big things were predicted when he was taken in the first round of the 2006 college draft by the Saints.

But since then he's never rushed for more tham 585 yards in a regular season, his size meaning he's more of a third-down threat than a workhorse in the backfield.

Bush though really burst into life in the play-offs, toasting Arizona with a 46-yard touchdown run and an 83-yard punt return for another score.

That highlighted the fact Bush may not be an all-down threat, but he's a home-run threat whenever he gets the ball anywhere on the field.

And star quarterback Brees believes he's finally comfortable in his role with the NFC champions.

He said: "I don't think there's a player in the history of the NFL that came in with the expectations that Reggie Bush did. When you take what he did in college - a Heisman winner and all those things. For any young player, especially at the running-back position, there's a learning curve, just like there is at the quarterback position or any other position coming into this league.

"I think that so many eyes were on him and there was so much hype surrounding him, that's a tough position to be in despite your athletic ability and all those things.

"There's that time period that it takes just to learn how to play the running-back position at the NFL level, learn how to be a professional, learn how to prepare, learn how to take care of your body. Just learn all those things. And really football has now become a full-time job, whereas before I played football because I loved it in high school and college but really I'm a student.

"Now it's your job, so you take it to the next level."

Bush will be a major threat to favourites Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV here on Monday, and Brees says some of the credit must go to his support network.

"I feel like he's had great people around him early in his career like Deuce McAllister, the coaching staff and guys that have really tried to take him under their wing and help develop him a little bit," he said.

"I feel like he has done a good job of that. He has battled some injuries here over the last four years at times. Maybe (he has) been a little disappointed at times, just with kind of the role that he played, but I feel like he has really accepted that now and you see what he is able to do for us, not only running the football from the backfield, but when he's catching the ball out of the backfield, when he's split out catching passes, when he's returning punts.

"He's a very versatile player that can do a lot of things."