Taking Reggie Bush’s Heisman
Will they, or won’t they? That is the question. And depending on who you believe, you already know the answer. On one hand you have the Yahoo! Sports report that cites “sources” close to the situation that the Heisman Trust will in fact strip the 2005 award winner of his trophy. And on the other hand, you have Rob Whalen. Who’s that? Oh, just the executive director of the Heisman Trophy Trust. No big deal. Whalen spoke with Dan Patrick Show Producer Paul Pabst regarding the Yahoo! report, saying, “Yahoo! Sports claiming the Heisman Trust has reached a decision is completely false. The Heisman Trophy Trust has made no decision regarding the Reggie Bush matter.”
[pullquote]You can’t just erase what he did. If he were found to have taken performance enhancing drugs, then I would see the reason behind the potential stripping.[/pullquote]So, back to my original question: Will they or won’t they? Are the “sources” hyping something up just for a story, or is Whalen trying to calm the storm? I have no idea. But I do know what they should do. They should not strip him of the Heisman Trophy.
It makes no sense to do such a thing. He earned that prestigious trophy with phenomenal play on the field. The unauthorized benefits he may or may not have received is irrelevant. The sanctions the NCAA has brought against his former team because of his actions? Who cares? This is the Heisman Trophy we are talking about, and the Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player in collegiate football and is awarded by the Heisman Trust, not the NCAA.
The house his parents lived in didn’t score those 18 all-purposed touchdowns in 2005. That car he drove didn’t gain those 2611 all-purpose yards on only 285 touches in 2005. Reggie Bush did, and he did it to the tune of one of the largest margins of victory in Heisman Trophy history.
Bush garnered 784 first-place votes while second place, Texas quarterback Vince Young, finished with a mere 79 first-place votes, with an overall edge in voting points favoring Bush 2,541 to Young’s 1,608.
You can’t just erase what he did. If he were found to have taken performance enhancing drugs, then I would see the reason behind the potential stripping. But unless I missed something, he didn’t. He took monetary gifts, allegedly. To put it in perspective, three former winners, Billy Cannon, Johnny Rodgers, and O. Jay Simpson, were all convicted of crimes and neither was stripped of the title or asked to give back the statue.
Taking the Heisman Trophy away from him would be downright ridiculous and a travesty, and would make a mockery of what the Heisman Trophy stands for.
7 Comments
I disagree Rich. That year DID happen. The NCAA is a joke as it is. Vacating wins is beyond stupid. If you didn't catch him while he was there, sorry. Better luck next time. Reggie wasn't the first and definitely won't be the last to accept money.
Whether he was eligible or not doesn't apply. He did play and the NCAA didn't catch it on time. He played and dominated and won. If they wanted to they could go back and investigate many more players and rule them ineligible. Where does it stop?
Even the Heisman voters are in favor of Bush keeping it, 29 for, 19 against, and 2 no vote.
your analogy with OJ etc is bad…the things they did, did not occur during their heisman year, making them ineligible to even play that season!
that’s the thing – he was ruled ineligible to be on the field, USC had those games basically nullified meaning his stats DID NOT EVEN HAPPEN no matter what you remember seeing – that season does not exist for any 2005 USC player
Reggie willingly and knowingly broke a cardinal rule of a NCAA athlete – he took money and other benefits plain and simple
is it right that the school has to suffer from his actions but he doesn’t? this is what makes me so mad at the NCAA – they punish the team/school for actions of a single player or coach, yet those players/coaches have nothing done to them (the coaches even move on to bigger/better jobs and DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER – yes, I’m looking at you John Calipari)
Rich, are you seriously saying players don’t get punished for their actions? What can the NCAA do to a player that has already moved on to the NFL if they find out they were inelgibile? You don’t think striking his records and taking away a National Championship hurts Reggie Bush?
If a player is found inelgible while he is still with the college, then they are certainly punished. (See Bryant, Dez)
As for taking away Bush’ Heisman, I can see where Menn is coming from. I can also see why they should take away the Heisman from Bush. I’m really on the fence to be honest. Receiving improper benefits certainly didn’t help Bush’s performance on the field, but if he was inelgible, then he shouldn’t have won the Heisman in the first place.
Im conflicted, really.
OK maybe I’m stupid but isn’t it a well known fact that star college athletes always have received “gifts”? Like say from the year 1? This is so like the Olympic nonsense of “amateurism” that was finally laid to rest. So he got some money, so what? There was no crime committed, if an individual or institution wish to give some support to an athlete, what’s the problem? In fact why don’t we just get things out in the open and admit that collegiate sports is a major industry, and allow the players to get some of the benefits?
"allow the players to get some of the benefits"
The problem I have with people saying that is they fail to realize they are already getting some of the benefits…
Take USC for example when you add up all of the tuition, the fees and things of that nature what does a four year degree cost there? What maybe 250k? I am not sure of the exact figure but it is a good deal of money….
I know people will say oh well that is not nearly as much as they earn the school… Which may be true but if they did then there wouldnt be profits. Most players wont end up in the NFL but they at least get a free education that for others would be quite expensive.
Now as for the topic at hand strip him of the Heisman…
They ruled him ineligible correct? Yes
They "erased" the Trojans record for that year correct? Yes
So if the games are gone and they dont count than what exactly are they awarding him for? Sure people will say but the games happened but thing is they dont count.
Sure people will still remember his great playing days at USC but he does not deserve the Heisman now.
As for the angle of well they didnt catch him then well my response to that is is there a rule that says they have to catch him within a certain amount of time? If not than take it back
Nice article, Rob.
In my opinion I think he should be stripped of it.
The house did not score the TD's or accumulate the all purpose yardage.
However, if not for the house he might have NEVER attended USC. He might have gone somewhere else.