Heisman Trophy went back to Bush after 14 years

• Pete Thamel, ESPNApr 24, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Reggie Bush has his 2005 Heisman Prize back, as the Heisman Trust revealed Wednesday the official “reinstatement”of the prize to Bush in the middle of what it calls “huge changes in the college football landscape.”

  The Heisman Trust’s choice follows Bush surrendered his Heisman Trophy in 2010 in the wake of considerable NCAA sanctions for USC, that included Bush receiving incorrect benefits throughout a Trojans career that covered from 2003 to 2005.

  As part of the decision Wednesday, the Heisman Trust is returning the Heisman Trophy to Bush and a reproduction to USC. Bush will once again be invited to all future Heisman Prize ceremonies, beginning in the 2024 season.

  “Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied tradition of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman household,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the worths and objective of the organization.”

  Reggie Bush’s project to have his Heisman Trophy brought back was eventually effective, with the former USC running back saying he was “delighted” to get the award back. Courtesy The Heisman Prize Trust

  Bush received his Heisman Trophy at the end of a previously arranged top conference of the Trust on Wednesday morning outside Jacksonville, Florida. Tim Henning, associate director of the Heisman Trust, explained a “celebratory environment” to ESPN’s Coley Harvey, as about 15 Heisman winners were in participation at the conference.

  “The other winners were all really thrilled to see him,” Henning said.The choice to restore the Heisman Prize was based upon a” deliberative procedure “by the Heisman Trust to monitor a sea change in college sports recently. The Trust pointed out” basic changes in college sports “in which rules that have allowed” student athlete compensation”to end up being”an accepted practice and appears here to stay.” Editor’s Picks

“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his college achievements,” Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Prize Trust, said in a statement. “We considered the huge changes in college athletics over the last numerous years in choosing that now is the correct time to restore the prize for Reggie. We are so delighted to welcome him back.”

As rules enabling athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness were enacted in 2021, Bush started lobbying for his prize to be returned. He launched a statement in July 2021 that consisted of criticism of the Heisman Trust, including Comerford not returning Bush’s calls.There had actually been a flurry of recent support from Heisman winners for Bush to get the prize back. The most public originated from former Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel, who said previously this year that he would skip the Heisman Prize event until Bush’s prize was returned. Both USC’s Matt Leinart, Bush’s previous colleague, and Notre Dame’s Tim Brown are Heisman winners who have actually been outspoken publicly about Bush’s prize being returned.Manziel reacted to

Wednesday’s news on social networks, thanking the Heisman Trust for”doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold.” Thank you to the @HeismanTrophy for doing what’s right and inviting a storied member of our history back into the fold. There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie merely because of the kind of human being he is. I look forward to being on …– Johnny Manziel(@JManziel2) April 24, 2024 In its decision-making, the Heisman Trust kept in mind

the 2021 Supreme Court decision versus the NCAA in the Alston case, which the Trust stated”questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model and opened the door to trainee professional athlete compensation. “”Recognizing that the payment of trainee professional athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to remain, these fundamental changes in college sports led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Prize to Bush, who absolutely was the most outstanding college football player of 2005,” the Heisman Trophy Trust said.USC now formally has eight Heisman Trophies, providing it one of the most of any school in the nation ahead of the 7 each at Ohio State, Oklahoma

and Notre Dame.”I am so happy for Reggie and the whole Trojan Household,”USC president Carol Folt stated in a statement.” He won our hearts throughout his illustrious profession and should have to have his well-earned honor restored. We are anticipating commemorating with him and his household and are proud we were able to stand with him as a supporter.”Bush had forfeited the trophy in September 2010, marking the very first time college football’s top award was returned by a recipient. Months previously, in July, USC returned its replica of Bush’s prize in one of the early actions of former athletic director Pat Haden’s tenure.USC’s sanctions from that investigation consisted of the Bowl Championship Series vacating the 2004 national title, the very first time a significant college football champion had been removed of a champion. The NCAA stripped USC of triumphes in 14 games Bush played,

consisting of that BCS title blowout victory over Oklahoma after the 2004 season.(Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA in August 2023.)USC athletic director Jen Cohen called the Heisman return”a memorable day for Reggie Bush and the entire USC neighborhood. “Bush’s play on the field at USC made him among this century’s most transcendent college athletes. He balanced 8.5 lawns per touch from skirmish over his profession, including

hurrying for 1,740 backyards and 8.7 backyards per continue 200 carries in 2005. He accounted for 42 career goals over 3 seasons– 25 hurrying,

13 receiving and 4 on special groups returns. Bush was picked No. 2 general in the 2006 NFL draft, and just one tailback has actually been picked that high in the draft because: Saquon Barkley in 2018.”What a historic day!” USC coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement.

“Reggie’s reintroduction to the Heisman Family is an unique minute for every individual that has actually been related to USC football. We are thrilled that Reggie’s athletic accomplishments as one of the greatest to ever play the game can formally be recognized.

For a long time, the Heisman and USC have actually been associated and being able to acknowledge all 8 of our winners is amazing. “Bush was so dominant in 2005, accounting for 2,890 all-purpose backyards, that his 784 first-place votes are the 5th most in Heisman Prize history.Nearly twenty years after that peerless season, Bush again has his Heisman Prize.