Reggie Bush wins 2005 Heisman Trophy again

<div><figure> <img alt="Buffalo Bills v Miami Dolphins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iNh3zfYdVrACgANMFXeT3Elqlfc=/0x0:3590x2393/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73301393/158756670.0.jpg"> <figcaption>Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>The former Miami Dolphins running back is getting his Heisman Trophy back according to reports.</p> <p id="LdjnpP">Reggie Bush is a Heisman Trophy winner. Again. The former <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> running back won the award recognizing the best player in college football in 2005 following a season in which he ran for 1,740 yards with 18 touchdowns at the University of Southern California. His college career led to the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> selecting him with the second-overall pick in the 2006 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>.</p> <p id="UJIbCW">In 2006, rumors began to swirl that the NCAA was investigating Bush and USC for impermissible benefits received by Bush during his college career. By 2010 the NCAA levied sanctions against the school with reports they were also looking to strip Bush of his title as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner. That September, Bush voluntarily surrendered his title as the Heisman winner, with the award remaining vacant for that year. In 2012, Bush returned his trophy to the Heisman Trust.</p> <p id="lAKQ7m">Bush was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2011, where he became the team’s lead back. During his five seasons in New Orleans, Bush’s season high in rushing yards came during his season when he picked up 581 yards on 157 carries. In 2011 with Miami, he picked up 1,086 yards on 216 carries. He followed that in 2012 with 227 rushes for 986 yards. He then moved to the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> in 2013 as a free agent, spending two years there before a year with the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> and a final season with the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> in 2016.</p> <p id="ATYceX">Since Bush vacated the Heisman, the situation around benefits for college athletes has seen a revolutionary change. Athletes can now receive payment for the use of their name, image, and likeness, making it legal under NCAA rules to receive money and goods - exactly what led to the sanctions against USC and Bush losing his title.</p> <p id="BwnbN2">On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/40014492/reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-returned">ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the Heisman Trust is planning a “formal ‘reinstatement’ of the trophy to Bush</a>” following “‘enormous changes in the college football landscape.’” Thamel adds, “As part of the decision Wednesday, the Heisman Trust is returning the Heisman Trophy to Bush and a replica to USC. Bush will again be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies, beginning in the 2024 season.”</p> <p id="E16XIh">“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.”</p> <p id="wpGuXj">Congratulations to Bush for being the two-time 2005 Heisman Trophy winner. It took long enough to fix this situation. </p></div>