USC Great Reggie Bush Comments on Heisman Billboards & NIL Deals

Bush is quite familiar with the argument to return his Heisman.

Reggie Bush is one of the most beloved figures ever to grace the campus of the University of Southern California. In his three seasons with the Trojans, Bush won a national title and a Heisman Trophy — which the NCAA subsequently took away after an investigation revealed Bush and his family had received improper benefits during his time in South Central.

Bush is not the only player who received perks during his recruitment or tenure at the University. Stories pop up almost daily about this or that recruit who was gifted money or vehicles by their prospective school.

Now, with Name, Image, and Likeness deals rocking the landscape of college football, there are few ways to enforce the NCAA's desire to keep money out of recruitment. By partnering with NIL collectives, often sponsored by wealthy alumni, universities can take a step back and let the money do the talking.

So what about Bush's Heisman?

If you've driven on the 10, you've seen a bright yellow billboard with an image of the highest personal award in college football that reads: "HEY, NCAA ... GIVE REGGIE BUSH BACK HIS HEISMAN!"

15 billboards across LA are spreading this message, sponsored by USC alum and founder of Regency Outdoor Advertising Brian Kennedy.

In an interview with USCfootball.com, Bush gave his take on the billboards and the integration of NIL deals into the NCAA.

“It is what it is man. Listen, I didn’t create the situation. The NCAA created this," Bush said. "So, the fact that, you know, billboards have to get put up and all these different things are going on. And you know, now we’re finding out all this information about how dirty the NCAA was. That’s on them. That’s not on me. I can only control what I can control."

(Via

USCfootball.com

)

Bush also criticized the NCAA's hypocrisy of previously preventing players from being able to capitalize off of their NIL.

"NIL is the thing you own from birth. So, the fact that the NCAA is trying to say that now you can monetize off of it, to me, speaks volumes just to the things that they were doing, you know, for so many years, for so long. You know, restricting players, not allowing players to be able to monetize and make money off their name, image, and likeness. While universities and the NCAA made billions of dollars, annually, as well," Bush said.

Will the NCAA give Bush his Heisman back? It's unlikely. But USC fans, like Kennedy, will never stop calling for its return.