This morning, the Heisman Trophy Trust gave college football fans the news they have been waiting to hear for years.
Reggie Bush will be getting his Heisman Trophy back.
“Recognizing that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005,” said the Heisman Trophy Trust.
The 2005 Heisman winner from USC ran all over opponents en route to winning the award that season.
Bush rushed for 1,740 yards and 16 TDs while also adding 478 receiving yards and 2 TDs. He was also a 2x National Champion and the Doak Walker Award winner, Walter Camp Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year and the Sporting News Player of the Year in 2005.
But in 2010, after sanctions were levied against USC, which included accusations that Bush received improper benefits during his tenure with the Trojans, Bush forfeited his Heisman.
It was a moment that continued to sting the dynamic player for years and infuriate college football fans who felt he was done an injustice.
Eleven years later, after the Supreme Court’s historic 2021 ruling against the NCAA that opened the door for student-athlete compensation through NIL, Bush began to lobby for his trophy to be returned.
Last August, Bush and his legal team took the issue to the courts and filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA.
“The lawsuit is based on the NCAA maliciously attacking his character through a completely false and highly offensive statement that was widely reported in the media and substantially and irreparably damaged his reputation,” said the statement at the time from law firm McCathern, PLLC.
In response, the NCAA stood firm, stating “NCAA rules still do not permit pay-for-play type arrangements,” which is what Bush was alleged to have received while at USC.
But this morning, the sun has returned and Bush will soon be reunited with the trophy that he always rightfully deserved.
“Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”
Going forward, Bush will be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, President of The Heisman Trophy Trust. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”
So is everyone else, but his trophy should never have been taken away in the first place.
