WATCH: Reggie Bush announces lawsuit against the NCAA

USC legend Reggie Bush stood atop the Coliseum with two attorneys Wednesday morning to announce he had filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA along with a petition for reconsideration to the NCAA's Committee on Infractions to clear the way for the reinstatement of the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.

Behind him, on the peristyle end of the stadium's lower bowl, the numbers of six USC Heisman Trophy winners had been repositioned to leave room for two more additions -- 2022 winner Caleb Williams and ... presumably Bush.

"Absolutely, we expect that jersey to be up there soon. USC has the power to put it for the game on [Saturday] if they want to, I believe. So we would absolutely expect it," said Levi McCathern, one of Bush's attorneys. "As far as a promise, no, no one has given us a promise of anything we're asking for in this lawsuit -- that's why we've had to move everything forward."

The easy part is USC honoring Bush's number in the Coliseum and recognizing the Heisman Trophy he voluntarily returned in 2010 after the school was hit with heavy NCAA sanctions related to improper financial benefits he received during his playing career.

The rest is why Bush and his representation called a news conference to appeal to the "court of public opinion" as an additional layer of pressure on the NCAA.

Bush is suing over a statement issued in July 2021 describing the star’s playing career at USC as a “pay-for-play” arrangement. The NCAA used the phrase while detailing why it wouldn’t restore the records of Bush’s playing career, which the Heisman Trust has cited as the next step in returning Bush’s trophy.

Ben Crump, who notably represented the family of George Floyd as well as other high-profile civil rights cases, spoke loudly into the microphone in pouncing on the NCAA's "pay-for-play" reference.

"Let me say categorically that Reggie Bush did not accept any kind of pay for play for USC," Crump said. "The truth is Reggie Bush played for USC out of devotion -- devotion that earned him many collegiate records and awards, including the Heisman Trophy, the highest honor bestowed on a college football player. ... It's time to hold the NCAA to account for its horrific maltreatment of Reggie Bush, besides properly compensating him for defaming his character. ...

"It's time for the NCAA to publicly apologize and vacate the sanctions so he can recover his well-deserved, well-earned Heisman Trophy and all of his other college records and titles and USC have their wins restored so Reggie can assume his rightful, celebrated place in college football history. It's time."

Bush’s family was accused of receiving benefits including free rent from sports agent Lloyd Lake and his partner Michael Michaels. Lake sued Bush and his family in 2007 in an effort to recoup $291,600 in cash and agreed to cooperate with the NCAA.

Crump and McCathern took aim at the original NCAA investigation and the testimony it relied upon.

"[Bush] won a Heisman on this field, he had a banner in that end zone -- why doesn't he have it today? I want to clear up a couple of popular misconceptions first," McCathern said. "One misconception is that he was paid by USC to play football. Some schools did that, USC did not and Reggie never got a dime from USC. A second popular misconception is Reggie was somehow paid by a sponsor, alumni, someone in the school -- no one ever paid him. Reggie was never paid for play -- never.

"The violations that they found, which were based on shoddy evidence, a sloppy investigation, terrible work by the NCAA were very marginal violations at best. It was things like loaning money for Reggie to fix his car, allowing Reggie to change clothes before a Doak Walker ceremony in a hotel room. Very, very minor things. And their investigation was based on the testimony of a man whose testimony is dubious at best."

Bush later chimed in on a question about the allegations, even though his attorneys told the gathered media that Bush would not be answering any questions.

"First of all, the rent or whatever you're saying about a house, that was never part of the NCAA report -- that was not even in there. My parents were not even interviewed by the NCAA," he said.

As part of the NCAA sanctions, Bush was required to “disassociate” from USC for 10 years, which ended in 2020 as USC welcomed him back. But Bush explained Wednesday why having his Heisman restored is essential for him truly feeling a part of USC again.

"I got dreams of coming back in this stadium and running out of that tunnel with the football team. I got dreams of walking back in here, seeing my jersey, my banner right down there next to the rest of the Heisman Trophy winners. But I can't rightfully do that without my Heisman Trophy," he said. "And every day we worked our butts off, grinded, I showed up to work, I put my helmet on, everything that was asked of me I did it, every time No. 5 was called on I delivered and I kept delivering. And it's unfortunate that that hard work that was put in, that was built not only by me -- coaches, teammates -- we all helped build this thing here, it's unfortunate that it was all torn down so easily with no factual evidence behind any of these claims.

"So, most recently, the NCAA has made a statement about me accusing me of engaging in a pay-for-play arrangement, which is 100 percent not true. Not only is it not true but there's no evidence to even support that claim. And as they said before, it wasn't even a part of the initial NCAA investigation. So this is a new accusation as far as I'm concerned, that was picked up by all [media] as if this were the reason why I'm not getting my Heisman Trophy back and I'm not being reinstated. And that's not true. That's what this lawsuit is about. It's about truth, getting the facts out and holding the NCAA accountable."

McCathern said he's hoping to see the NCAA Committee on Infractions respond to the petition for reconsideration within six months.

Crump, meanwhile, used the spotlight Wednesday to try to put further pressure on the NCAA.

"The district court has told the NCAA they are wrong. The California appellate court has told the NCAA they are wrong. The United State Supreme Court has told the NCAA they are wrong on these type matters. And the court of public opinion has told the NCAA they are wrong. How many more courts have to tell the NCAA that they are wrong before they finally restore Reggie Bush with his collegiate titles and records and his Heisman Trophy?" Crump said.

"How many more courts? How much longer? How many more years before the NCAA finally admits we on the wrong side of history, we on the wrong side of fairness and we on the wrong side of justice? How long? How long?"