Former New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush is set to regain his Heisman Trophy after winning a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA. The announcement is expected to come officially from the Heisman Trust on Wednesday.
Bush filed the lawsuit last year over the NCAA’s handling of his request to reinstate his Heisman Trophy. Bush and his family were accused of accepting cash and gifts while he was playing at the University of Southern California.
The NCAA released a statement saying that Bush was not eligible for the trophy because his 2005 season was vacated due to the investigation. However, Bush’s attorney maintained that the NCAA statement was false and said Bush was never accused of pay-for-play arrangements.
The reinstatement of Bush’s Heisman Trophy comes at a time when student-athletes are now able to have NIL deals. The NCAA statement referenced in the lawsuit that was sent to ESPN said that the NIL deals do not permit pay-to-play type arrangements, which an investigation revealed Bush and his family accepted while he played at USC.
More details about the trophy reinstatement can be found at the provided link. The full report about Bush’s lawsuit is also available for review.
