Former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush will reportedly have his trophy returned after having to forfeit it in 2010, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Wednesday (April 24) morning.
"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. I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization," Bush said via Thamel minutes after the report.
The Heisman Trust plans to announce the formal "reinstatement" of the trophy to Bush in what it called an "enormous changes in the college football landscape."
"We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments," said Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust via ESPN. "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."
Bush was stripped of his Heisman Trophy due to NCAA sanctions levied against his alma mater, USC, which included allegations that Bush received improper benefits during his decorated collegiate career prior to a rule change later allowing players to benefit on name, image and likeness endorsements.
The former USC running back will be returned his official Heisman Trophy and his alma mater will receive a replica version. Bush will also once again be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies beginning with the 2024 college football season.
Last year, Bush announced that he filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA following accusations of accepting impermissible benefits from a "marketing agency" during his collegiate career and sued on the grounds that the NCAA made a statement in 2021 claiming he engaged in a "pay-for-play" arrangement, which could be perceived as USC or a booster paying him under the table to attend the college.
"This is a new accusation as far as I’m concerned," Bush said during a news conference in which he called the statement completely false while appearing at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last August.
Bush was selected No. 2 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFL Draft and had a 11-year NFL career with four teams, which included winning Super Bowl XLIV as a member of the Saints and being elected to the Saints Hall of Fame. The California native retired from the NFL in 2016 and has since contributed to FOX Sports' college football coverage as an on-air analyst.
Sports Doctor Discusses His Concerns on Joel Embiid's Bizarre Eye Movements
Video Shows Nikola Jokic's Brother Punching Fan During Game 2 Win
Nick Wright Releases His Third NFL Mock Draft 3.0
Chris Broussard: Sixers Need to Start Taking Trade Offers For Joel Embiid
Colin Cowherd Rips Joel Embiid After Collapse to Knicks: 'He Lacks Effort'
Former NFL Player Turned Analyst Has Officially Retired
Colin Cowherd Calls Out Kevin Durant After Game 1 Loss: 'He's Irrelevant'
Stephanie Sparks, 'Golf Channel' Host and Former LPGA Golfer, Dies at 50
Former ESPN 'Stump the Schwab' Star Howie Schwab Dies at 53
Colin Cowherd Fills Out His NBA Playoff Bracket and Crowns His Champion