Reggie Bush reinstated as 2005 Heisman Trophy winner

Reggie Bush, the former USC running back, has been reinstated as the winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy. The decision to reinstate Bush's Heisman Trophy came after the NCAA's decision to end its sanctions against USC related to Bush's involvement with an agent while he was a student-athlete.

The NCAA had previously ruled that Bush was ineligible during the 2005 season due to his relationship with the agent, which led to USC being stripped of its 2004 BCS National Championship title and Bush voluntarily forfeiting his Heisman Trophy in 2010.

With the NCAA's sanctions against USC now lifted, Bush's Heisman Trophy has been officially reinstated, and he is once again recognized as the winner of the prestigious award for the 2005 season.

The Heisman Trust announced Wednesday morning that it has reinstated Bush's 2005 Heisman. The former USC star forfeited the trophy in 2010 in the midst of sanctions brought against the program, which included Bush receiving improper benefits during his time with the Trojans.

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

The Heisman Trust will return the trophy to Bush and a replica to USC. Bush will be invited to all future Heisman ceremonies beginning in 2024.

"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 honored to return to the Heisman family," Bush said in a statement to ESPN. "I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization."

The Heisman Trust said it went through a "deliberative process in which it closely monitored the enormous changes in the college football landscape" before coming to its decision. Those changes included the U.S. Supreme Court's 2021 decision that questioned the legality of the NCAA's amateurism model, the ability for college football players to be paid for their name, image and likeness, 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," the Trust said.

Bush amassed 2,218 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns (16 rushing, two receiving, one returning) during the 2005 season. The 784 first-place votes he received during that year's Heisman voting stand as the fifth-most all time.

With Bush's trophy reinstated, USC now leads all programs with eight Heismans. The school was in a four-way tie for first with Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma, all of which have seven.

I think it's a significant and symbolic moment in the world of college football. Reggie Bush's reinstatement as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner not only acknowledges his outstanding performance on the field but also reflects a shift in the way student-athletes are viewed and compensated in modern collegiate athletics.

The decision to return Bush's Heisman Trophy comes at a time when there is increasing recognition of the value that student-athletes bring to college sports and the need to provide them with fair compensation for their efforts. It also highlights the evolving nature of the NCAA and its rules regarding amateurism and player compensation.

Overall, I believe that Reggie Bush's reinstatement is a positive development for college football and sets a precedent for how the achievements of student-athletes should be recognized and rewarded in the future.