Source: Chris Trotman / Getty
NIL deals aren’t just getting college athletes paid before going professional; it’s also righting some wrongs.
There are rumors of NCAA kids getting paid under the table, showered with gifts for committing to certain schools, or congratulated for their athletic prowess, the most notable being Reggie Bush.
The USC running back’s skills earned him the 2005 Heisman Trophy, but it was stripped away from him in 2010 when it was discovered that he allegedly received thousands of dollars and a car from an agent in the middle of his college career.
At a time when student-athletes weren’t compensated, the outcry was mixed with some saying the players getting paid ruined the purity of the game, while others saw no issue with them getting some money, given the millions they made the schools.
But now, more than a decade later, as things have changed, the sting of Bush’s alleged wrongs has lessened, and the Heisman Trust has reinstated Bush’s winning.
That award was well deserved, as Bush had one of the greatest seasons in college football history with 2,218 yards and 18 touchdowns and –at the time– had the most first-place votes, only behind O.J. Simpson.
Bush has been welcomed back to the Heisman Trust. The official Heisman Trophy X account posted a video of him walking into a summit meeting of the Trust on Wednesday in Florida while about 15 of his contemporaries were cheering him on and shaking his hand.
Now that he’s back in the fold, Bush is ready to work with the organization as college football continues to evolve.
“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,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”
See the celebratory reaction of Bush getting reinstated as a Heisman winner below.
14 Years Later: Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy Reinstated, Social Media Knows Its About Time was originally published on cassiuslife.com
