The Heisman Trophy, American college football's highest honor, was created in 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City. Each year, it awards the finest college football player, putting an emphasis on skill, commitment, and effort on the field.
The trophy was named after legendary coach and athletic director John Heisman in 1936; it was initially called the DCA Trophy. The Heisman Trophy honors college football players who have demonstrated athletic ability and sportsmanship. Archie Griffin, Tim Tebow, and Herschel Walker are a few notable victors.
Which player has given up their Heisman Trophy?
Reggie Bush vacated the Heisman Trophy in 2010 as a 2005 winner. Reginald Alfred Bush Jr., aka Reggie Bush, a former running back from the United States, is a college football analyst for Fox Sports. At the University of South California (USC), where he played college football, he twice received unanimous All-American accolades and was named the country's top player, earning him the Heisman Trophy.
Bush is largely recognized as one of the all-time best college football players. In the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected him. Bush won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010 while playing for the Saints.
Bush was selected as an All-Pro punt returner in 2008; he also played for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers before retiring from the National Football League (NFL) in 2017. In addition to the Heisman, Bush won the Doak Walker, Walter Camp, and Heisman trophies in 2005.
The USC football team was the subject of an investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which resulted in severe sanctions against USC, including a two-year playoff ban and the cancellation of the 2004 national championship. The investigation, however, focused on the allegations that he received improper benefits. Bush renounced his Heisman Trophy voluntarily as a result.
Why did Reggie Bush forfeit his Heisman Trophy?
Bush's family was accused of having received gifts that went outside NCAA rules, according to claims that surfaced in 2006. Bush denied any wrongdoing, and the school asked that the NCAA look into the situation. In November 2007, sports agent Lloyd Lake filed a lawsuit against Bush and his family in an effort to recover $291,600 in cash and gifts.
The Los Angeles Times reported in April 2009 that the NCAA had combined its investigations into Bush and former USC basketball player O. J. Mayo into a single inquiry into the Trojans' athletic departments. Bush's request for confidential arbitration in this matter was denied, and it was revealed on December 28, 2009, that the case would go to trial, and a settlement was reached in April 2010.
Major fines against USC were announced by the NCAA on June 10, 2010. The NCAA discovered that from December 2004 onward, Lake and his partner, Michael Michaels, had been giving expensive gifts to Bush, including a limousine ride to the 2005 Heisman Trophy ceremony.
USC was consequently handed a four-year probationary period and ordered to forfeit all of its victories from the 2005 season as well as its final two victories from the 2004 campaign, including the 2005 Orange Bowl.
The Trojans lost 30 scholarships during a three-year period and were also prohibited from bowl games in 2010 and 2011. Todd McNair, the head coach of the running backs, was forbidden from off-campus recruiting for a year after the NCAA found that he was aware of Bush's interactions with the agents.
In July 2010, newly elected USC president Max Nikias declared that the university would take down any jerseys and paintings honoring Bush from its premises and give its Heisman Trophy replica back. In September, Bush voluntarily gave up the title of winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy amid rumors that the Heisman Trophy Trust would take away his honor. Nevertheless, the Heisman Trust elected to leave the trophy vacant without announcing a new winner.
In 2012, Bush finally gave his trophy back to the Heisman Trust. Following the completion of the NCAA's required 10-year period, USC stated on June 9, 2020, that they would end their disassociation with Bush.
FAQs on Heisman Trophy
A. Reggie Bush forfeited his Heisman Trophy in 2010 as a 2005 winner.
A. Bush's family received gifts that violated NCAA rules, leading to an investigation. He renounced the trophy amid NCAA sanctions.
A. USC faced sanctions due to Reggie Bush's improper benefits, including forfeiting victories and bowl game bans.
A. Past winners include Reggie Bush, Archie Griffin, Tim Tebow, and Herschel Walker.
A. USC ended its disassociation with Reggie Bush on June 9, 2020, after a 10-year period required by the NCAA.
