Why Reggie Bush lost his Heisman Trophy, and why he is getting it back now

The 2005 Heisman Trophy race came down to three players. USC running back Reggie Bush, Texas quarterback Vince Young, and USC quarterback Matt Leinart, who won the previous season.

Leinart was able to cast a vote as a former winner, and along with a majority of other voters he cast his ballot with his teammate, Bush, on the top line. The USC running back secured a whopping 784 first-place votes, to secure the Heisman Trophy.

But years later, following an investigation into recruiting practices at USC during that period of time, it was found that Bush had accepted “improper benefits” from the school. Sanctions were levied against USC and, as a result, Bush was forced to forfeit his Heisman Trophy in 2010.

This week, after years of fighting with the Heisman Trust, Bush is getting his Heisman Trophy back.

Here’s why Bush was forced to forfeit the trophy in the first place, and why he is finally getting it back after almost two decades.

Why were Bush and USC sanctioned?

Reggie Bush’s 2005 season was the stuff of legends, bringing to life the phrase “video game numbers.”

After two solid seasons on campus, Bush put up huge numbers his junior year. He rushed for 1,740 yards, averaging an astounding 8.7 yards per carry. He scored 19 touchdowns, 16 of those coming on the ground, and caught 37 passes for another 478 yards and two more scores. He led the nation in rushing yards per attempt and scrimmage yards, and could have put even more touchdowns on the board were it not for the presence of Lendale White, the bruising USC back who led the nation with 26 touchdowns.

Those numbers were a huge reason why USC rolled through their regular-season schedule, earning a berth in the BCS Championship Game against second-ranked Texas. The Longhorns — and second-place Heisman finisher Young — won in the closing seconds, in a game that is still talked about as one of the greatest college football games ever. For all the hype entering that game, it truly lived up to expectations.

However, shortly after that game reports broke regarding alleged recruiting violations at USC involving Bush. It was alleged that the running back received improper benefits while on campus from two different agents, including cash, travel expenses and a rent-free San Diego-area home.

Those allegations touched off a four-year investigation, and in 2010 the NCAA dropped the hammer on the school. Citing a lack of “institutional control” the NCAA put the entire USC athletic program on four years’ probation, took away a total of 30 football scholarships over three years, and vacated every victory in which Bush participated in from December 2004 through the 2005 season.

Bush was not the only USC student-athlete involved, nor was the USC football team the only athletic program cited in the NCAA’s decision. The USC basketball team was also cited for violations involving highly-touted player O.J. Mayo, as was the women’s tennis team. Both those teams had already self sanctioned themselves prior to the NCAA’s decision.

“Star treatment” of athletes such as Bush and Mayo was cited in the NCAA’s report.

“Elite athletes in high profile sports with obvious great future earnings potential may see themselves as something apart from other student-athletes and the general student population,” the NCAA report said. “Institutions need to assure that their treatment on campus does not feed into such a perception.”

Following the issuing of these sanctions, the NCAA vacated all of his records. Bush was basically scrubbed from existence at USC. Asterisks were attached to all of his school records, and in September of 2010, he relinquished his Heisman Trophy. In a lengthy statement Bush said in part:

“One of the greatest honors of my life was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005,” the statement released by the New Orleans Saints read at the time. “For me, it was a dream come true. But I know that the Heisman is not mine alone. Far from it. I know that my victory was made possible by the discipline and hard work of my teammates, the steady guidance of my coaches, the inspiration of the fans, and the unconditional love of my family and friends. And I know that any young man fortunate enough to win the Heisman enters into a family of sorts. Each individual carries the legacy of the award and each one is entrusted with its good name.

“It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005.”

However, the story did not end there.

Bush’s quest, and this week’s reinstatement

For years, Bush has maintained that he did nothing wrong. He went as far as to file suit against the NCAA last year, arguing that the organization defamed him with their “pay for pay” findings.

“The NCAA’s claim that Mr. Bush engaged in “pay–for–play” [the “Statement”] is reasonably and widely understood to mean that Mr. Bush received payment in return for playing football at the University of Southern California [“USC”],” the lawsuit claimed.

“There’s no factual evidence behind any of these claims,” Bush said at a press conference announcing the law suit.

That suit was spurred into action in part due to the changing collegiate landscape, which is the basis for the reinstatement of Bush’s Heisman Trophy. Back in 2021 the NCAA made the decision to allow college athletes to be compensated for their “name, image, and likeness.” However, despite the seismic shift in college sports, the NCAA made it clear that previous penalties — such as Bush’s — would not be revisited. “Previous penalties, including those that are several years old, will not be re-evaluated or reconsidered based on the recent changes to NIL rules,” read the statement.

That was not all the NCAA said at the time.

The governing body also noted that “pay-for-play type arrangements” were still prohibited, pointing to their findings involving USC and Bush.

That portion of the statement prompted the 2023 lawsuit. But the continued changing NIL landscape is what led to the decision this week. The Heisman Trust issued a statement on Wednesday reinstating Bush’s Heisman Trophy, noting the changing college landscape regarding NIL:

The Trust’s decision to reinstate the Trophy follows a deliberative process in which it closely monitored the enormous changes in the college football landscape, including the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision, which questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model and opened the door to student athlete compensation; the ability of college football players to be paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL); and the NCAA’s recent proposal to remove the cap on education-related payments. 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, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, President of The Heisman Trophy Trust. “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.”

Bush welcomed the news, calling it “a personal victory” and “a validation of the tireless efforts of my supporters.”

He also maintained the stance he has held for years, indicating that he had done nothing wrong.

“I have always acted with integrity and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA,” Bush said. “The allegations brought against me were unfounded and unsupported by evidence, and I am grateful that the truth is finally prevailing.”