Reggie Bush is reclaiming his 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy, which he had to surrender in 2010. Bush will now be welcomed to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies, beginning with the 90th Heisman Trophy ceremony this autumn.
In 2005, Reggie Bush clinched the Heisman Trophy, an annual honor bestowed upon the most exceptional college football player. That year, he amassed 1,740 rushing yards on 200 carries and tallied 18 total touchdowns while playing for the University of Southern California.
In 2010, Reggie Bush willingly relinquished the prestigious accolade following an NCAA inquiry that revealed he received unauthorized benefits, including several thousand dollars and a vehicle, rendering him ineligible since 2004. But today, college athletes have the opportunity to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness.
Bush took legal action to get the Heisman back in 2023, pursued with the representation of his legal teams at North Texas-based McCathern, PLLC, and Ben Crump Law.
According to McCathern, the foundation of the case rested on the NCAA's “maliciously attacking” Bush’s character. The firm argued that the statement from the NCAA, which garnered extensive coverage in the media, inflicted significant and irreparable harm to his reputation.
“My legal council was everything,” Bush said during a press conference on April 25, 2024. “It took a team of us to get here.”
According to Heisman.com, the Heisman Trust returned the trophy to Bush and the replica to USC. The trust's choice to reinstate the trophy comes after careful consideration of the significant shifts in college football, including the Supreme Court's 2021 ruling questioning the NCAA's amateurism model and the introduction of compensation for student athletes' name, image and likeness.
“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” President of The Heisman Trophy Trust Michael Comerford said in a statement. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”
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