Heisman Trust Passes the Buck on Reggie Bush's Reinstatement

The Heisman Trust has issued a statement after former USC running back Reggie Bush put the trust and the NCAA on blast.

Reggie Bush wants his Heisman Trophy back. 

That was made very clear in a statement posted to his social media account Thursday.

"Over the last few months, on multiple occasions, my team and I have reached out to both the NCAA and The Heisman Trust in regard to the reinstatement of my college records and the return of my Heisman," Bush said.

"We left multiple messages for Michael Comerford, the President of the Heisman Trust but instead received a call from Rob Whalen, the Executive Director who stated that Mr. Comerford would not be calling us back and that, in any event, they could not help us. We reached out to the NCAA on multiple occasions and received no help or got no response at all. It is my strong belief that I won the Heisman trophy "solely" due to my hard work and dedication on the football field and it is also my firm belief that my records should be reinstated."

[READ MORE : Reggie Bush Blasts NCAA and Heisman Trust]

In 2010, the NCAA concluded an investigation that revealed Bush and his family had received improper benefits while he was a student athlete at USC. Bush announced that he would forfeit his title as a Heisman winner and vacated the 2005 award. 

The Heisman Trophy Award [USA TODAY]

Now the Heisman Trophy Trust is speaking out, and making their stance on Bush's situation crystal clear. Associate Director Tim Henning responded to Bush's message: "The Heisman Trophy ballot used by voters has a rule governing eligibility for the award, which was in effect in 2005, which states:

In order that there will be no misunderstanding regarding the eligibility of a candidate, the recipient of the award must be a bona fide student of an accredited college or university including the United States Academies. The recipient must be in compliance with the bylaws defining an NCAA student athlete.”

Henning said, "Bush’s 2005 season records remain vacated by the NCAA and, as a result, under the rule set forth by the Heisman Trust and stated on the Heisman Ballot, he is not eligible to be awarded the 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy. Should the NCAA reinstate Bush’s 2005 status, the Heisman Trust looks forward to welcoming him back to the Heisman family."

Former USC Running Back Reggie Bush [USA TODAY]

On July 1, the NCAA's new NIL laws went into effect. This means college athletes can now benefit from their name, image and likeness. Many believe that Bush's mistreatment by the NCAA and Heisman Trust should be reconciled, since the landscape of college sports has changed. However, it appears that the fate of Bush's Heisman Trophy now remains in the hands of the NCAA.

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