Reggie Bush has been fighting for years to get his Heisman Trophy back, and it is finally happening.
The Heisman Trust is expected to announce on Wednesday that Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy has been reinstated, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The decision was made in large part because of the “enormous changes in the college football landscape.”
Bush will have his Heisman Trophy returned and a replica will be given to USC. The former running back will once again be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies beginning next season.
“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.”
Bush had his Heisman Trophy vacated in 2010 after a lengthy investigation led to sanctions for USC. Bush and his family were found to have accepted improper benefits while Bush was in school.
With student-athletes now able to profit off of their name, image and likeness, the Heisman Trust felt it was appropriate to give Bush his 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,” the Heisman Trophy Trust said said in a statement.
USC also vacated its 2004 national title and was stripped of 14 total victories from games that Bush played in.
Bush is widely considered to be one of the best college football players in history. He rushed for 1,740 yards and 200 carries (an average of 8.7 yards per carry) and scored 16 rushing touchdowns in 2005. He also had 37 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns.
Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA last year over a statement that was made in 2021 regarding the decision to not reinstate his records. The 39-year-old has also threatened to expose the NCAA in the past.
Bush played 11 seasons in the NFL after the New Orleans Saints drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2006. Now that he has his Heisman Trophy back, the tension between him and the NCAA will likely cool considerably.
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