Reggie Bush has 2005 Heisman Trophy officially reinstated -- finally

It took way too long, but it's finally done.

The Heisman Trophy Trust announced Wednesday morning that Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy has officially been reinstated.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, President of The Heisman Trophy Trust. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”

Bush, considered one of the most exciting players in college football history, won the 2005 Heisman after totaling 1,740 rushing yards, 478 receiving yards 19 total touchdowns (including one via punt return).

Bush returned the Heisman in 2010 after the school was hit with heavy sanctions by the NCAA, which concluded Bush and his family received improper financial benefits during his playing career.

Last August, Bush announced he was filing a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA over a statement made by college sports’ governing body about the reasoning for its decision not to restore the Heisman Trophy winner’s records. The statement issued in July 2021 described the star’s playing career at USC as a “pay-for-play” arrangement, which Bush's lawyers called "completely false and highly offensive" as Bush underscored that was never part of the scope of the NCAA investigation.

Bush said then that he had dreams of running out of the tunnel in the Coliseum again to support his alma mater but that he couldn't "rightfully do it without my Heisman Trophy."

"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. "I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization."

USC now officially again has a NCAA-record eight Heisman winners in its storied history -- Mike Garrett (1965), OJ Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004), Bush (2005) and Caleb Williams (2022).

The 2005 trophy will be officially returned to Bush, while a replica will join the others displayed inside USC’s Heritage Hall.

USC coach Lincoln Riley, athletic director Jen Cohen and president Carol Folt all shared their reactions to the news.

"What a historic day!" Riley said in a statement. "Reggie's reintroduction to the Heisman Family is a special moment for every person that has been associated with USC football. We are thrilled that Reggie's athletic accomplishments as one of the greatest to ever play the game can officially be recognized. For a long time, the Heisman and USC have been synonymous and being able to acknowledge all eight of our winners is extraordinary."

Said Folt: "I am so happy for Reggie and the entire Trojan Family. He won our hearts during his illustrious career and deserved to have his well-earned honor restored. We are looking forward to celebrating with him and his family and are proud we were able to stand with him as an advocate."

Said Cohen: "This is a momentous day for Reggie Bush and the entire USC community as we celebrate the rightful return of his Heisman Trophy. Reggie's impact at USC and on college football as a whole is truly unmatched. He has displayed the utmost resiliency and heart throughout this process and is so deserving of every accolade and Trophy he's ever received. We are grateful to the Heisman Trophy Trust for making this happen."

Per its official announcement, the decision from the Heisman Trust "follows a deliberative process in which it closely monitored the enormous changes in the college football landscape, including the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision, which questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model and opened the door to student athlete compensation; the ability of college football players to be paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL); and the NCAA’s recent proposal to remove the cap on education-related payments. Recognizing that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005."

Bush helped lead USC to national championships in 2003 (AP) and 2004 (BCS, AP) while rushing for 3,169 yards with 1,301 receiving yards, 38 total touchdowns from scrimmage, 3 punt return TDs, a kickoff return for TD and a passing TD over three seasons during which the Trojans finished No. 1 in the final AP poll in 2003 and 2004 and No. 2 in 2005 with only two losses and three Pac-12 championships during the three-year span.

Bush set an NCAA record with a 7.3 yards per carry during his career, and he led the NCAA with 222.3 all-purpose yards per game. His 513 all-purpose yards vs. Fresno State in 2005 ranks second in NCAA history. As a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, Bush ranks second in league history with his 2,890 all-purpose yards in 2005 and ranks fourth all-time with 6,552 career all-purpose yards, having led the league in all-purpose yards in 2004 and 2005.

Part of the penalties levied by the NCAA included a 10-year disassociation for Bush from USC, which ended in June of 2020, at which point he was able to be formally invited back to campus and recognized by the school.

Still, getting his Heisman back -- which he had publicly pushed for in recent years -- was a final step in healing those old wounds and making his legacy whole again.

Reaction poured in from the USC community and the college football world to the news ...

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)