After years of a grassroots effort, USC Trojans legend Reggie Bush has had his Heisman Trophy honors from 2005 officially reinstated by the NCAA.
USC has had many legendary players during the football program’s iconic run in college football. One player that stands out in the minds of long-time fans is running back Reggie Bush. During his three-year stint at the school from 2003 to 2005, Bush became a national star and ended up in the top 10 all-time for rushing yards and touchdowns for the Trojans.
- Reggie Bush stats (Career at USC): 3,169 rushing yards, 1,301 receiving yards, 108 total touchdowns
Bush hit a peak moment in 2005 when his 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground earned him the 2005 Heisman Trophy Award in a landslide vote. However, he eventually went from a legend of his era to a disgraced former college football star when an NCAA investigation accused him of violating policies related to receiving gifts and payments for attending the school.
His trophy was then stripped from him and his place in college football history that year was erased. Well, that was until today. With current players benefitting from the new name, image, and likeness guidelines, there has been a notable push from inside the sport, and from Bush himself, to see his award and accomplishments reinstated.
On Wednesday, ESPN college football writer Pete Thamel reported “A formal ‘reinstatement’ of the trophy” Bush won two decades ago would be coming today. Due to “enormous changes in the college football landscape,” the Heisman Trust has decided to overturn the ruling from 2010 in a rare moment of a massive NCAA punishment being reversed.
“As part of the decision Wednesday, the Heisman Trust is returning the Heisman Trophy to Bush and a replica to USC. Bush will again be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies, beginning in the 2024 seasons” Thamel reported.
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