Filed under: Football
Reggie Bush is about to make history once again. Sources say that the Heisman Trophy Trust will strip the former University of California running back of his Heisman Trophy. In the 75-year history of the award, Bush would be the first player to have it taken back. The report says that the decision will come down by the end of the month.
Back in June, the NCAA found the University of Southern California in violation of NCAA rules because of knowing and doing nothing about Bush's receipt of cash, gifts and other benefits as a student-athlete. The NCAA determined that Bush was ineligible for part of the 2004 season and all of the 2005 season, when he was awarded the Heisman Trophy.
The University of California's punishment for the violation includes victories from late 2004 to 2005 being vacated (plus the school's Orange Bowl victory in 2005), the loss of 30 athlete scholarships over the next three years and banishment from participating in any bowl games for the next two seasons.
Bush has yet to respond to the report, but earlier this year he was taken aback by the punishment his alma mater was receiving, although he didn't admit to any wrong-doing:
"This thing, regarding USC and the NCAA, is the closest thing to death without dying because I have such a great love and respect for the university," Bush told the Associated Press back in June. "This has been one the toughest things I've had to deal with in my life. I believe that there's a lot of untold truth to this matter, there's a lot of fabricated lies to this matter, but it is what it is, and I can't sit here and cry about it. I can't sit here and make up excuses. Ultimately, it's a responsibility that's placed on USC and my shoulders. It's because of me. So all I can do is continue to try to help them and move forward with the situation. God works in mysterious ways and at the end of the day I think this, too, shall pass and hopefully we can grow stronger from this."