Former Heisman Trophy winner and USC running back Reggie Bush will have the trophy he won in 2005 returned to him by the Heisman Trust. The Trust will make a formal announcement on Wednesday according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Bush surrendered his trophy in 2010 after the NCAA accused USC and coach Pete Carroll of breaking many rules, including Bush receiving what was, at the time, improper benefits. Bush was a star for the Trojans from 2003 through 2005 where he rushed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns. During his Heisman-winning season, Bush annihilated the competition, rushing for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 478 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Bush Returns to Heisman Family
According to Thamel, Bush issued a statement to ESPN saying, in part, “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.”
The return of Bush’s Heisman Trophy is long overdue and has gained the support of many people in recent years. College Football Dawgs kicked off the 2023 season with an open letter by Matthew Redding to the NCAA demanding that the trophy be returned to Bush.
The main point of Redding’s letter, as well as many of Bush’s supporters, was what Reggie did in 2005 is now part of today’s college football world in the form of NIL.
“He may have broken some rules, but those are yesterday’s rules,” Redding wrote.
Others who have publicly supported the return of Bush’s Heisman Trophy are former Heisman winners Johnny Manziel, Matt Leinhart and Tim Brown.
Manziel stated he would skip the Heisman ceremony until Bush’s trophy is returned to him, stating in a post on X: “After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back. Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy. Do the RIGHT thing @NCAA the ball is in your court.”
Nearly two decades after winning in a landslide, Bush will once again be handed the Heisman Trophy. Officially, USC will jump ahead of Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma as the school with the most Heisman Trophy winners with eight. The Irish, Buckeyes and Sooners each have seven.
Righting the Wrong
This decision, as previously stated, is long overdue. The decision in 2010 to take the trophy from Bush was moronic and senseless. We as fans cannot unsee the things Bush did in 2005 that earned him the Heisman Trophy.
It’s about time the Heisman Trust righted a wrong by the NCAA—one of the biggest wrongs in Heisman history.
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