Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, has been reinstated by the Heisman Trust after more than a decade since Southern California returned the award due to an NCAA investigation uncovering impermissible benefits received during his time with the Trojans. The reinstatement decision was announced Wednesday, marking his return to the Heisman family.
Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, expressed delight at Bush’s reinstatement, citing his collegiate achievements and the significant changes in college athletics in recent years. Bush’s stellar performance in 2005, where he racked up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 touchdowns, earned him the prestigious trophy with 784 first-place votes, the fifth-highest in Heisman history.
The Heisman Trust has returned the trophy to Bush and its replica to USC, also extending invitations for Bush to attend future Heisman Trophy ceremonies. In response, Bush expressed his joy at reuniting with fellow Heisman winners and emphasized his eagerness to contribute to the values and mission of the organization.
The USC football program celebrated the return of the trophy, asserting its rightful place. With Bush’s reinstatement, USC now boasts a total of eight Heisman winners, the most of any school.
The Trust explained that its decision followed careful consideration of changes in college athletics, including legal challenges to the NCAA’s amateurism model, the introduction of athlete compensation for name, image, and likeness, and proposed changes to education-related payments. These shifts led the Trust to conclude that now is the appropriate time to restore Bush’s trophy, given his outstanding performance in 2005.
Notable figures, including past Heisman winners like Johnny Manziel, expressed support for Bush’s reinstatement, praising the Trust for its decision. Bush’s Heisman was initially revoked in 2010 after NCAA sanctions against USC revealed financial benefits he and his family had received from marketing agents.
In response to the NCAA’s statement suggesting a “pay-for-play” arrangement in 2021, Bush filed a defamation lawsuit last August, arguing that the statement misrepresented him. His career in the NFL spanned 11 seasons, with Bush being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft by the New Orleans Saints.
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