Filed under: News
In an unprecedented move, Reggie Bush relinquished his 2005 Heisman Trophy on Tuesday, choosing to give back a singularly eminent award in American sport before probably being stripped of it.
Earlier this year, Bush, a former running back at Southern California, was ruled ineligible for the 2005 season after the N.C.A.A. determined that he and his family had accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from two California agents while he was in college. U.S.C. has been given serious sanctions and returned a replica of Bush's Heisman Trophy.
There are only two significant regulations listed on the ballot that guides the roughly 900 Heisman Trophy voters in the selection process, One of them is that a player must be compliant with N.C.A.A. eligibility rules. The trophy has recognized the top college football player every season since 1935.
In a statement, Bush called winning the Heisman one of the greatest honors of his life, but added: "The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at U.S.C. has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals.'
"For the rest of my days, I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions and words that I was deserving of the confidence placed in me by the Heisman Trophy Trust."
He added that he wanted to establish an educational program to assist college athletes and their families so they could "avoid some of the mistakes that I made."
There was no immediate indication whether the 2005 trophy would be vacated or awarded to the former Texas quarterback Vince Young, who finished second in the voting that year.
In the 75 years of the Heisman, no winner's trophy has been revoked, nor have Heisman officials ever seriously considered doing so. A trophy had never been surrendered, either.
"It's wrong that Reggie is the only individual getting punished," Walker said. "Pete Carroll was in a position of leadership and could have helped Reggie. He gets to leave U.S.C. and take all that money from Seattle. Are they going to fine Pete Carroll, too?"