Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy in 2005, but five years later, his award was revoked after it was revealed that, as a student, he had received improper benefits from marketing agents. However, with the introduction of NIL, the Heisman Trust has finally decided to give Bush his trophy back.
During the 2010 investigation into his time as running back at the University of Southern California, it was determined that Bush was the recipient of thousands in cash and a free luxury ca. These gifts were not allowed by the NCAA at the time. But since then, the league has adopted rules governing name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation for college athletes, which allows these amateur athletes to earn money from their efforts in college sports.
Hence, the revocation of his award makes little sense today. And it appears that the Heisman Trust and the NCAA came to just that conclusion this week, according to Yahoo Sports.
Former USC football standout Reggie Bush during a press conference at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with attorneys Levi G. McCathern and Ben Crump to talk about Bush’s defamation lawsuit against the NCAA. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
Bush is thrilled to have been ushered back into the elite ranks of Heisman winners.
“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 on Wednesday. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”
Bush has always maintained that he wanted his status returned and his trophy back, and in 2021, he told his fans that he had formally requested that he be returned to the ranks of Heisman winners.
He also said he intended to sue the NCAA for defamation to get his trophy back and to get his records reinstated. That suit is still unresolved, but the Trust’s decision to end the stalemate may have an impact on the lawsuit.
Still, the revocation of his Heisman did not stand in the way of his being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Heisman Trust now says the trophy will be returned to Bush, and a copy will be sent to USC for display. He will also be invited to all future Heisman ceremonies starting next year.
After college, Bush won a Super Bowl ring in 2010 when he played with the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44, the team’s first Super Bowl win ever. He retired from the NFL in 2017 and became a Fox Sports commentator.
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