Reggie Bush is finally getting his Heisman Trophy back.
The Heisman Trust will announce Wednesday, as first reported by ESPN, the formal “reinstatement” of the trophy won by Bush 14 years after he was stripped of the award and forced to forfeit it amid NCAA sanctions against the USC football program.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel says the Heisman Trust will attribute its reversal for what it calls “enormous changes in the college football landscape.”
The star tailback gave up his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after the NCAA ruled Bush received improper benefits while playing for the Trojans from 2003-05.
USC was forced to vacate its 2004 national title, an unprecedented penalty for a major college football champion.
With name, image and likeness rights coming into play in 2021, Bush has lobbied for the return of his trophy and his college football records. He was an electric player for the Trojans, scoring 42 touchdowns over three seasons and averaging 8.5 yards per carry.
He will now get his trophy back and ESPN reports that USC will receive a replica to display again at Heritage Hall.
Still to be determined though: the restoration Bush’s reputation.
In August, Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA seeking to “hold the NCAA accountable for maliciously attacking the character of Mr. Bush.” The suit hinges on a statement given by the NCAA to media in July 2021 that asserted Bush’s collegiate records wouldn’t be restored due to a “pay-for-play arrangement.”
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“I got dreams of walking back in here, seeing my (No. 5) jersey, my banner right down there next to the rest of the Heisman Trophy winners,” Bush said at a press conference Aug. 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“But I can’t rightfully do that,” he continued, “without my Heisman Trophy.”
More to come on this story.