Reggie Bush Is Getting His Heisman Trophy Back

It was a college football scandal that had everyone talking. But it also raised questions about the ability of college student athletes to earn money or accept gifts. After forfeiting the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005, the Heisman Trust announced it would be returning the Heisman Trophy to Bush. The reason being “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” Some of those “enormous changes” include  changes to the NCAA’s NIL payment policy and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2021 decision which questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

Reggie Bush was a superior running back with the USC Trojans. He followed in the footsteps of former USC greats like O.J. Simpson and Marcus Allen. Bush became the seventh USC player to receive the Heisman Trophy on December 10, 2005. Having 784 first-place votes he beat out Vince Young and Matt Leinert. Only O.J. Simpson had more more first place votes with 855 in 1968.

The controversy started in 2006 when questions were raised about whether Bush’s family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies. His sports agent Lloyd Lake sued Bush and his family in November 2007 in an effort to recoup $291,600 in cash and gifts. Lake also agreed to cooperate with the NCAA investigation. Later the NCAA merged its investigations of Bush and former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo into a single probe of the Trojans athletic programs.

USC was punished with four years of probation. And forced to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season including the 2005 Orange Bowl. As well as all of its wins in the 2005 season. The Trojans were also banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and lost 30 scholarships over three years. And the NCAA also forced USC to disassociate itself from Bush.

Reggie Bush Is Getting His Heisman Trophy Back

Eventually Bush returned his trophy to the Heisman Trust in 2012. After a 10-year NCAA mandated span, USC announced on June 9, 2020 they would be ending their disassociation with Bush. On June 30, 2021, the NCAA ruled to allow players to make money from their name, image and likeness (NIL). After that Bush began advocating for the reinstatement of his Heisman Trophy and USC records. In August 2023 Bush announced that he was filing a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA. The purpose of the lawsuit was to help him achieve his goal of reacquiring his trophy.

Today that goal has been reached. Could all of this controversy been avoided had the NCAA not restricted student athletes to earn money or accept gifts? Absolutely. Now they can monetize their name, image and likeness and benefit from their own hard work and dedication. Or in Bush’s case not have to forfeit a prestigious award.

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