Reggie Bush Is Getting His Heisman Trophy Back, per Report

The Heisman Trust plans to announce the formal reinstatement of the trophy to Bush on Wednesday.

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen /

Former USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush will be given his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Thamel reported that the Heisman Trust plans to announce the formal “reinstatement” of the trophy to Bush on Wednesday. The organization will return the trophy to Bush and a replica to USC, and Bush will be invited to future Heisman Trophy ceremonies starting in 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 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 Trust’s decision to reinstate the Heisman Trophy was based on a “deliberative process,” Thamel reported. The Trust referred to “enormous changes in the college football landscape” in which student-athlete compensation has become more of an “accepted practice” in college athletics.

Bush forfeited his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after an NCAA investigation revealed that Bush and his family members received improper benefits while he played at USC from 2003 to ‘05. The NCAA also stripped USC of its 2004 national title, and all mentions of Bush’s stats were either deleted or accompanied by asterisks. 

Bush, a one-time Super Bowl champion, was selected No. 2 in the 2006 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. In his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2005, Bush led the nation with 8.7 yards per carry and finished third in the FBS with 1,740 rushing yards.