The 2005 Heisman Trophy was placed back into the hands of Reggie Bush Wednesday morning. The last time Bush was in possession of his Heisman was 2010, when he had to give it up because of significant sanctions against USC.
The sanctions against USC included Bush receiving improper compensation during his time at USC from 2003 to 2005. The Heisman Trust “reinstated” the trophy to Bush after what it described as “enormous changes in the college football landscape.”
USC president Carol Folt expressed her thoughts on the Heisman Trophy return through a statement. “I am so happy for Reggie and the entire Trojan family. He won our hearts during his illustrious career and deserved to have his well-earned honor restored,” she wrote.
Head football coach Lincoln Riley followed up with his own statement: “What a historic day!”
The support for Bush receiving his Heisman back has garnered national attention. In early March, Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, tweeted that he would sit out the Heisman Trophy ceremony until Bush received his Heisman.
Some USC students agreed with the Heisman Trust that college football is changing.
“This is the Heisman Trust finally recognizing where we’re at in college football now. Guys are getting paid and deserve to be compensated,” said DJ Herrera II, a sophomore studying journalism. “So a committee that’s been around as long as college football giving his trophy back is their way of recognizing the current state of the sport.”
NIL being a part of the conversation in collegiate sports has forced the NCAA and award organizations, like the Heisman Trust, to look at the way they operate.
“Recognizing 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,” said the Heisman Trust in a statement.
Other students explained that Bush was “a stepping stone for future athletes to take care of their families earlier.”
“I feel good that he is finally getting what he deserves, especially after NIL,” said Joaquin Torres, a sophomore studying urban studies and development. “It is important to show that the environment has changed over the last decade or so about collegiate sports and he’s a big part of that.”
Some USC students expressed their excitement to welcome Bush back into the Heisman conversation.
“I’m really pumped that they’re finally giving it back to him. He’s the best college football player of all time in my opinion,” Herrera said. “The whole reason they took it from him in the first place was ridiculous, harsh, and unfair.”
Other students agree that the reason the Heisman was taken wasn’t very clear.
“They took his Heisman for receiving compensation when all players should have been compensated in my opinion,” said Kai Hines, a sophomore international relations major. “And he wasn’t the only one getting compensated at the time either.”
Bush’s Heisman season he ran for 1,740 total yards and rushed for 16 touchdowns on the ground on only 200 attempts. In the air, Bush collected 37 receptions for 478 total yards and two touchdowns. That year USC went 12-1. All of Bush’s records were stripped by the NCAA. On top of that, 14 games Bush played in and the 2004 National Championship win were vacated.
“I hope this means that USC is getting its wins and Reggie gets his records reinstated by the NCAA soon,” said Herrera. “Everyone knows what happened, it’s not like Reggie cheated like the astros. But still the NCAA needs to reinstate all of that.”
In addition to his records being stripped, the 2011 USC team was caught in the crosshairs of the sanctions. The NCAA didn’t let USC into the postseason as part of the punishment.
A member of that 2011 team, Dion Bailey, tweeted “So we missed being the Pac-12 champs and playing in the Rose Bowl in 2011 for nothing essentially.”
A hope that students expressed is not only the reinstatement of Bush’s records, but USC’s records as a whole.
“The 2004 national championship and those wins need to be reinstated as well,” said Hines. “Not to mention, Reggie Bush is the greatest football player ever.”