New Orleans Saints Hall Of Famer Reggie Bush Is Confident That USC Will Have The National Championship Restored

Bush believes USC will have its national championship reinstated by the NCAA.

Jan 7, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints former running back Reggie Bush leads the Who Dat cheer before the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints Hall of Famer and former USC running back Reggie Bush optimistically told TMZ Sports that his school's 2004 NCAA National Championship will be reinstated after he reclaimed his 2005 Heisman Trophy in April.

The Heisman Trust's reversal of its ruling against Bush, the return of his trophy, and the recognition of him as the winner are significant. These developments should lead to the reinstatement of his and USC's statistics in the NCAA record books.  

Bush replied, "Absolutely," to TMZ Sports. USC is expected to get its national championship trophy and records back after the NCAA stripped the school of committing violations associated with him and his family allegedly receiving impermissible benefits.  

During the Trojans championship run under former head coach Pete Carroll, the collegiate sports governing body erased the football program's 13 victories.

April 29, 2006; New Orleans, LA, USA; Former USC running back Reggie Bush holds up the number one Saints jersey with new head coach Sean Payton during a press conference at the New Orleans Saints training facility Saturday night after Bush was selected second overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports © 2006 John David Mercer / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The recent groundbreaking changes regarding NIL money for collegiate sports figures, which are now standards of the NCAA, have played a pivotal role in the call for Reggie Bush to have his records restored and the Heisman Trophy returned, marking a significant shift in the landscape of college athletics.  

New Orleans drafted Bush out of USC as the No. 2 overall draft choice in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played five seasons with the Saints and won Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, as the team defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-17.

Reggie Bush, 39, played for the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills before retiring after the 2016 NFL season. During his AP All-Pro (2008) career with the Saints, he amassed 4,232 yards and 29 touchdowns via rushing, receiving, punt, and kickoff returns. The New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame inducted Bush in 2019.

Bush is married to Lilit Avagyan, and the couple has three children. Currently, Bush is a media "free agent" after his departure from the Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff show. Ironically, another former Saints Heisman winner and first-round draft pick, Mark Ingram II, took over for Bush at Fox Sports on the show.

December 19, 2010; Baltimore, MD, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens beat the Saints 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

NFL STATS

• Rushing attempts: 1,286
• Rushing yards: 5,490
• Receptions: 477
• Receiving yards: 3,598
• Return yards: 929
• Total touchdowns: 58

REGGIE BUSH'S COLLEGIATE AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

• Super Bowl champion (XLIV)
• First-team All-Pro (2008)
• NFL PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006)
• New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame
• BCS National Championship (2004) [1][a]
• 2× AP National champion (2003, 2004)
• Heisman Trophy (2005)
• Doak Walker Award (2005)
• Walter Camp Award (2005)
• AP College Football Player of the Year (2005)
• Sporting News Player of the Year (2005)
• 2× Chic Harley Award (2004, 2005)
• Jim Brown Trophy (2005)
• 2× Consensus All-American (2004, 2005)
• 2× Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2004, 2005)
• 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2004, 2005)