As part of being implicated in NCAA sanctions, NFL star Reggie Bush was ordered to return the 2005 Heisman Trophy he earned as a running back with USC. And ESPNLosAngeles.com confirmed that Bush, now with the Miami Dolphins, sent his copy of the award to the Trust.
Tim Henning, a New York-based spokesman for the Trust, told the website that Bush returned the trophy “some time” ago. The Heisman Trust has it in their possession.”
Bush and USC each received a copy of the trophy in December 2005. When NCAA sanctions against the school were announced in June 2010, implicating Bush and his family, USC was asked to completely disassociate itself from the star running back. And the school has.
The Trojans then returned their copy of the trophy in August, removed Bush’s jersey from the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and took out everything bearing his name from Heritage Hall. The next month, Bush he’d decided to “forfeit” his title of Heisman winner and indicated he’d be returning his trophy, but he ended up keeping it into 2012.
Also, Bush was banned from campus as part of the NCAA penalties against him, but he said in the interview with Patrick that he has no desire to visit the USC campus and meet with the current football players and coaches.
“I haven’t wanted to go back,” Bush said. “I don’t feel like that’s an issue. Even if it was, I wouldn’t go back.”
USC coach Lane Kiffin said he spoke to Bush as recently as last week and would welcome Bush back if circumstances were different. “Definitely,” Kiffin said. “I don’t think that anybody’s ever questioned the way that Reggie worked, the way that he practiced, the way that he prepared. He was one of the best practice players that we’ve ever had. There’s some similarities between him and Marqise Lee as far as their focus and their attention and their on-the-field actions.”
USC athletic director Pat Haden has said Bush called him after the initial sanctions announcement to apologize for the problems he’s caused for the Trojans.
