Reggie Bush has reclaimed his 2005 Heisman Trophy, according to the Heisman Trust, which announced the trophy's formal "reinstatement" on Wednesday despite "enormous changes in the college football landscape."
The Heisman Trust's decision came after Bush lost his Heisman Trophy in 2010 as a result of major NCAA sanctions against USC, including Bush accepting inappropriate advantages throughout his Trojans tenure from 2003 to 2005.
As part of the decision made Wednesday, the Heisman Trust will restore the Heisman Trophy to Bush and a replica to USC. Bush will be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies, beginning with the 2024 season.
"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 honoured to return to the Heisman family," Bush said in a statement released by ESPN. "I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organisation."
Bush received his Heisman Trophy at the end of the Trust's already arranged summit conference on Wednesday morning near Jacksonville, Florida. Tim Henning, associate director of the Heisman Trust, told ESPN's Coley Harvey that there was a "celebratory atmosphere" at the meeting, which included approximately 15 Heisman winners.
"The other winners were all very excited to see him," Henning explained.
The decision to reintroduce the Heisman Trophy was made after the Heisman Trust conducted a "deliberative process" to observe a tidal change in collegiate athletics in recent years. The Trust identified "fundamental changes in college athletics" that have allowed "student athlete compensation" to become "an accepted practice and appears to be here to stay."
"We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back into the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments," said Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, in a statement. "We evaluated the huge changes in college athletics over the last several years before deciding that now is the time to reintroduce the trophy for Reggie. We are overjoyed to welcome him back."
As rules allowing athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness were implemented in 2021, Bush began fighting for the restoration of his trophy. He issued a statement in July 2021 criticising the Heisman Trust, citing Comerford's failure to return Bush's calls.
Bush had recently received a rush of support from Heisman winners in his quest to reclaim the trophy. The most public came from former Texas A&M standout Johnny Manziel, who announced earlier this year that he would not attend the Heisman Trophy presentation until Bush's trophy was returned. Both USC's Matt Leinart, Bush's former teammate, and Notre Dame's Tim Brown, Heisman winners, have spoken out publicly against Bush's trophy being returned.
Manziel responded to Wednesday's revelation on social media, applauding the Heisman Trust for "doing what's right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold."
In announcing its decision, the Heisman Trust cited the 2021 Supreme Court decision against the NCAA in the Alston case, which "questioned the legality of the NCAA's amateurism model and opened the door to student-athlete compensation."
"Recognising that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005," the trust said in a statement.
USC now owns eight Heisman Trophies, more than any other school in the country, including Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame, which each have seven.
"I am so happy for Reggie and the entire Trojan Family," USC President Carol Folt said in a statement. "He captured our hearts throughout his illustrious career and deserved to have his well-earned honour restored. We are excited to celebrate with him and his family, and we are glad to have been able to support him as an advocate.
In September 2010, Bush forfeited the trophy, making it the first time a recipient of college football's top accolade returned it. Months earlier, in July, USC returned their replica of Bush's trophy as one of the first acts of former athletic director Pat Haden's tenure.
The Bowl Championship Series vacated USC's 2004 national championship as a result of the probe, making it the first time a major college football champion had been deprived of their title. The NCAA stripped USC of victories in 14 games played by Bush, including the 2004 BCS title game blowout against Oklahoma. Bush launched a slander case against the NCAA in August 2023.
USC athletic director Jen Cohen described Reggie Bush's Heisman return as "a momentous day for Reggie Bush and the entire USC community."
Bush's performance on the pitch at USC established him as one of the century's most spectacular collegiate athletes. Throughout his career, he averaged 8.5 yards per scrimmage touch, with 1,740 yards rushing and 8.7 yards per carry on 200 attempts in 2005.
He scored 42 touchdowns in three seasons: 25 rushing, 13 receiving, and four on special teams returns. Bush was selected second overall in the 2006 NFL draft, and only one tailback has been drafted that high since: Saquon Barkley in 2018.
"What a historic day!" Lincoln Riley, USC's coach, said in a statement. "Reggie's readmission to the Heisman Family is a memorable moment for everyone who has been involved with USC football. We are overjoyed that Reggie's athletic achievements as one of the best to ever play the game can now be recognised. For a long time, the Heisman Trophy and USC have been intertwined, and being able to honour all eight of our winners is incredible."
Bush was so dominant in 2005, totaling 2,890 all-purpose yards, that he received 784 first-place votes, the seventh most in Heisman Trophy history.
Bush has won the Heisman Trophy again, nearly two decades after that legendary season.
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