Former USC star Reggie Bush has his Heisman Trophy back
After forfeiting his Heisman Trophy in 2010, Reggie Bush has the award he won in 2005 back.
The Heisman Trust decided to return the trophy to the former USC star because of “enormous changes in the college football landscape,” according to ESPN.
One can spell that decision: NIL.
Bush rushed for 1,740 yards and 8.7 yards per carry on 200 carries in 2005.
Overall that season the Trojans star accounted for 2,890 yards of total offense.
He was the second pick in the 2006 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, said in a statement. “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.”
Welcome Home!
We are reinstating the 2005 Heisman Trophy to the University of Southern California’s @ReggieBush!
In 2005, Bush gained more than 2000 yards from scrimmage and scored 18 touchdowns. He received 784 first-place votes, the fifth-most in Heisman Trophy history, while… pic.twitter.com/34oCD7P8CY
Goooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you.
I’m not going to lie to y’all. I had something completely different written here about the Phoenix Suns. It was done. I was finished. Ready to publish.
Then news broke that Reggie Bush was finally getting his Heisman trophy back and I deleted everything. This is the day’s news. This is such a big deal, folks.
Before I tell you why, let me give you the skinny. The Heisman Trust has reportedly decided to formally reinstate Bush’s trophy and give it back to him he forfeited it to the committee in 2010, according to ESPN, citing the “enormous changes in the college football landscape” as the reason why.
Let me translate that for you: The players are getting paid over the table now through NIL collectives by the same boosters who allegedly paid players like Bush under the table back in the day. So, because of that, Reggie can have his trophy back.
The catharsis is flowing right now. After all these years of lobbying and public complaints, the Heisman Trust has finally listened to the reason. Bush should never have lost this trophy in the first place.
Look, I get it. USC broke the rules. An investigation into USC found that the school allegedly showered his family with improper gifts and benefits during his time at the school from 2003 to 2005.
Sure, they’re stupid rules, but they’re still the rules. Someone had to pay for that. In a way, I guess USC did. The school was stripped of 14 wins that Bush played in, including its 2004 BCS title. But it’s always felt like Bush himself was more severely punished.
Not only did he lose his Heisman Trophy, but his stats were also vacated. He was banned from USC for 10 years after 2010. They quite literally erased Bush from the annals of college football after he made everyone fall in love with it.
Do you understand how infuriating that is? Bush is one of the greatest college football players ever — he might be the most exciting. Every time he played, it was must-see TV. Just watch a highlight. You’ll get it if you don’t already.
What makes it doubly infuriating is that this never actually had to happen. The NCAA doesn’t govern the Heisman Trust. Those two organizations are independent of each other. Bush losing the trophy was the trust kowtowing to the NCAA’s whim and saying, “If Bush’s numbers don’t exist, then neither does his trophy.” Both things have always been extremely unfair.
All the work he did, the numbers he put up, the exciting moments he gave us. We were just supposed to act like it never existed all because the NCAA was upset about a little cash flow. That’s silly. It never made sense.
Thankfully, this egregious mistake has been corrected. Good for you, Reggie. It’s about time.
All the talk about the expansion of the college football playoff usually centers around the Power Five (Power Four now?) conferences — specifically with the SEC and Big Ten holding most of the power.
The middling conferences are always usually left out of the conversation despite having some pretty good teams with lots of depth and talent.
It seems like those conferences are finally looking to do something about that by creating their own playoff, according to reporting from The Athletic.
“Multiple administrators from within the G5 conferences — the American, Sun Belt, Mountain West, MAC and Conference USA — told The Athletic that former college and NFL coach Derek Dooley has been the salesman on behalf of private equity firms, making contact with schools. The administrators, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, made clear that nothing is imminent and they haven’t been presented with any numbers yet. But conversations are more real than they’ve ever been. Dooley did not respond to a request for comment. CBS Sports first reported on the talks.”
Nothing concrete seems to be laid out just yet. But if these schools can pull this off, it would be an incredible power move. They’d be baking their own pie instead of just taking morsels the SEC, Big Ten and other big players are leaving behind.
This means creating their own structure and bowl games to go along with it. It certainly wouldn’t be easy to pull off, but it’s totally plausible.
But now, it’s kind of reality? Jaden McDaniels, y’all! He cooked Durant and the Suns in Game 2, which made the clip perfect. Charles Curtis has more:
“In an interview during All-Star week last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves star remarked, “They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.”
KD would of course be Kevin Durant, and before you think that’s just Ant hyping up his T-Wolves teammate, maybe Edwards knew that in Game 2 of the Wolves’ playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, McDaniels would explode for 25 points, outplaying Durant (6-of-15 for 18 points).”
This is why you always show confidence in your teammates, man. Shoutout to Ant Edwards. The dude knows what he’s talking about.
Quick hits: The biggest NFL draft questions … Does Jerry Jones know how this works? … and more
It’s about time. ESPN reports that former Saints running back Reggie Bush will have the Heisman Trophy he won at USC returned to him:
It’s about time: ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that the Heisman Trust will return Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy. The former New Orleans Saints running back won that trophy in 2005 after an outstanding three-year run with the USC Trojans, but was forced to forfeit it in 2010 after an NCAA investigation slammed the school for improper recruiting violations.
Thamel adds that an announcement from the Heisman Trust is coming on Wednesday, in which this unprecedented “reinstatement” of Bush’s trophy will be chalked up to “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” Name, image, and likeness (NIL) legislation has allowed today’s student-athletes to enjoy many of the benefits that Bush was blacklisted for, none of which had anything to do with his achievements on the football field in the first place.
Bush will receive the trophy he gave up, while USC will be given a replica to display on campus. He will receive all of the benefits that other Heisman Trophy winners enjoy like participation in future awards ceremonies and a ballot to vote on the winner each year. Maybe he’ll get a spot in the Heisman House commercial ad campaign, too.
According to a Monday report from League Ready’s Sam Kayser, at least 10 schools have reached out to former Blue Devil TJ Power. Here are the most notable teams.
Former Duke forward TJ Power is on the market after he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal, and he has plenty of possible paths.
According to a Monday afternoon report from League Ready’s Sam Kayser, more than 10 teams have reached out to Power since he entered the portal. The most notable names include the USC Trojans, the Michigan Wolverines, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The Arkansas Razorbacks and Kentucky Wildcats, both fresh from the John Calipari coaching change, have also both reached out to the former Blue Devil. Kayser also named ACC foes Miami, Wake Forest, and Boston College, along with BYU, West Virginia, and Iowa.
Power, a 6-foot-9 forward and a former four-star recruit, shot 35.7% from 3-point range as a freshman. He only spent one season with Duke, and 42 of his 51 attempts came from beyond the arc.
Duke forward TJ Power is hearing from these schools, amongst some others, since going portaling, source tells @LeagueRDY:
Arkansas Kentucky Michigan BYU Wake Forest USC Miami Notre Dame West Virginia Boston College Iowa
The NFL Draft is just days away, and projected No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams is seemingly having the time of his life ahead of his arrival in Detroit. Williams recently tweeted about seeing another top pick — Rome Odunze — on a plane and couldn’t contain his excitement.
With some of the hardest parts of the NFL and college football offseason already gone, there’s some room for draft prospects to try to remain calm for what’s next — the 2024 NFL Draft. But even if you’re Caleb Williams, you can’t stay calm. You’re going to be excited about all kinds of things, like unexpectedly running into another top draft prospect.
On Tuesday, Caleb shared that he was en route to Detroit for this year’s draft when he ran into Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze. Williams couldn’t believe what was happening and shared a totally relatable and NSFW tweet.
Caleb Williams felt he should have been the starter at Oklahoma and finding out he wasn’t made him upset during his freshman season.
The 2021 Oklahoma Sooners’ football season needs an ESPN “30 for 30” documentary one day. It’s one of the wildest seasons in recent memory.
[autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag]’s quarterback battle was one of the biggest storylines of the season. For those who don’t remember, Williams was one of the top quarterback prospects coming out of high school. Rattler was the projected top pick ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
In an interview with the Pivot Podcast, Williams said even with all of that, he felt he should have been the starter the whole season. “I told people before I went there that I was going to start, play and beat him out. I thought I beat him out in spring. He was projected No. 1 and all of that. So he started for six games, and so I prepared. I kept preparing, and Lincoln (Riley) told me to keep going.”
But when he wasn’t the starter, he admits he became “so angry, so frustrated” at the situation. Still, Williams would keep going as his coach encouraged and ultimately received his chance in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma’s archrival.
Williams entered the game with the Sooners down 28-7. On fourth-and-1, he received the call for a designed quarterback run and broke free for a 66-yard touchdown. The rest is history.
“I watched and learned Tom Brady for Drew Bledsoe,” Williams said. “You prepare and prepare but when you get your moment, you never know how long it’s going to be and you never know what’s going to happen but when you get your moment, you don’t give it back. So, that was my mindset and plan.”
Credit to him because he did that. He earned his moment and he didn’t give it back. Now, the irony is the guy he was so angry and so frustrated with was the coach he followed to a new school. It was nothing the school did; it was something his coach did that made him feel that way.
Still, Sooner fans shouldn’t be mad at Williams. Williams came to Oklahoma because he wanted to be developed by Riley. He even admitted in the interview that Riley was the best when it comes to development. So, following Riley made all of the sense in the world.
Williams is about to be taken first overall in the 2024 NFL draft. His story is one of the great “what ifs?” in college football. He’s no doubt a great player and one of the best talents college football has seen this millennium, but the fact that he and Riley were never able to win a conference title leaves a little to be desired.
Still, as he heads to the NFL, Williams will continue to provide highlight-reel moments with his athleticism and passing ability.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @JaronSpor.
The USC secondary didn’t have any busts. Guys were clearly aware of their roles. It was beautiful to watch.
USC football head coach Lincoln Riley summed it up the best when looking at the Trojans’ 2024 spring game. He said, “The story of the day was the defense making the offense pay for their mistakes.” The attacking and opportunistic USC defense had four interceptions on the day, three of them coming from the cornerbacks.
The Trojans’ new defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, has been stressing all year long that he was successful at UCLA implementing his scheme in one offseason by using a methodical installation of the essential elements of the defense. He added new pieces as the season began and continued. This allowed for consistency on the field, where the players knew what their assignment was. Players were able to make the play their role was designed to complete. The word “consistency” has been one of the themes of spring camp.
I asked Doug Belk what is the one thing — over everything else — that he looks for in a cornerback to separate himself in a very talented and competitive defense. Belk had a one-word answer: “Consistency.” When Lincoln Riley talked about his talented true freshman from St. John Bosco, Marcelles Williams, he explained that he had an uncanny level of consistency for a true freshman corner.
During Saturday’s scrimmage, four of Belk’s cornerbacks made impressive plays. DeCarlos Nicholson intercepted a pass intended for Ja’Kobi Lane, displaying tight, physical coverage on the outside. Nicholson perfectly read the pass thrown inside by Jayden Maiava and took it away.
Williams, the younger brother of former Trojan safety Max Williams, made a highlight reel-worthy interception on the next drive. Williams baited Miller Moss underneath, dropped back, highpointed the ball, and made an athletic, leaping interception to take the ball away from Lane.
In a subsequent series, a third Trojan, Maliki Crawford, took advantage of a great play by defensive end Jide Abasiri’s bull rush. With Abasiri’s hand in Jake Jensen’s face, he never saw Crawford, who broke on the ball for the third defensive theft of the game.
Late in the scrimmage, cornerback Jacobe Covington tipped a pass from Moss that landed in the hands of nickel corner Prophet Brown. Brown took the interception back for a 100-plus-yard interception return for a touchdown, capping a successful day for Belk’s cornerbacks.
“That’s another example of the development. It’s plays that good defenses and good secondary players make, and we made most of them,” Riley explained. “We made plays on the ball. We didn’t really bust much the entire day. It’s a well-coached group. We have two of the best guys in the business that are coaching those guys, and when you have that, you see the results of it.”
USC will rely on the secondary to continue is marked improvement and shore up a defense that was much maligned in 2023 as it enters its first season in the Big Ten. The turnovers are great, but Riley noted that it is the consistency of this unit throughout the game that will be a barometer for defensive success in 2024.
“We did things that people did not expect us to. Y’all had faith and belief in me like no other. Y’all are on the way to something special.”
After playing her final collegiate season in Aggieland, Texas A&M guard Endyia Rogers is taking her talents to the next level.
Rogers formally declared Wednesday for the 2024 WNBA Draft, which is Monday night.
“These past five years have been nothing short of amazing,” Rogers stated via X. “I appreciate everyone who came along this journey with me. It wasn’t always easy, but we found a way. I want to thank all my coaches from USC and Oregon for giving me the opportunity to play for their amazing programs.
“To my teammates and coaches at Texas A&M, I am super grateful that I was able to spend my last year of college basketball with you all and experience what it is like to be an Aggie. We did things that people did not expect us to do. Y’all had faith and belief in me like no other. I am thankful for the everlasting memories that I made with you all. I know that we did not finish the season the way that we wanted, but y’all are on the way to something special. Thank you all for everything, I am forever appreciative. As always, Gig’Em!
“To my family and friends, there is no me without you. It has been a journey since I was 4 years old. Y’all made every bit of the journey worth it. I appreciate the everlasting support and the sacrifices made throughout my basketball career. It takes a village. I love each and every one of you guys dearly.
“With that being said, I am going to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the W, and will declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft!”
The 29th annual WNBA Draft is Monday at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
LeBron James said Tuesday that his son, Bronny, has some tough decision to make regarding his basketball future.
On Tuesday, Hall of Fame sportswriter Dick Weiss reported USC freshman Bronny James had decided to enter the transfer portal after one season at USC.
However, Weiss has since retracted his initial report.
James’ future at USC came into question after head coach Andy Enfield left for the same position at SMU. Enfield had recruited James to join the team, resulting in the four-star prospect signing his national letter of intent on May 10, 2023.
After reporting that James would enter the transfer portal following the departure of Enfield on a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Weiss said he could no longer confirm the story.
can't confirm Bronny James story guys. still think its an idea whose time has come. make sense if it happens. I love the kid, think he could be a star elsewhere.
Bronny hasn’t publicly commented on his future, though the 19-year-old still has the Trojans in his bio on Instagram. However, his father, LeBron James, was asked about the report after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
“I don’t know where (the report) came from but at the end of the day, Bronny is his own man,” James said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “He has some tough decisions to make and when he is ready to make those decisions, he’ll let us all know. As his family, we’re going to support whatever he does.”
Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 36.6% shooting from the field in 25 games with the Trojans this season. He scored in double figures three times, including a career-high 15 points and three assists on Dec. 30.
Highly-rated transfer quarterback Jayden Maiava explains why he flipped to USC from Georgia this winter
Highly-touted UNLV transfer quarterback Jayden Maiava originally committed to transferring to Georgia. However, not long after committing to the Bulldogs, Maiava had a change of heart and flipped to the USC Trojans.
After a spring practice, Maiava explained why he committed to USC so soon after being committed to Georgia.
“I wanted to play under Lincoln Riley. The things that he’s done, the accomplishments that he has underneath his belt and being able to go out there and compete against the best…(Coach Riley is) just such a great dude. I mean, sitting in the film room, the knowledge that he has. It’s amazing,” said Maiava.
Maiava’s decommitment left Georgia thin at quarterback behind returning starter Carson Beck. The Bulldogs have Gunner Stockton as Beck’s back-up and just one other scholarship quarterback in four-star freshman Ryan Puglisi.
It is hard to blame Jayden Maiava for transferring to USC because of Lincoln Riley’s excellent track record of developing quarterbacks. Riley weighed in on Maiava’s decision to commit to USC shortly after making a verbal pledge with Georgia.
“I think he just decided this is really where he wanted to be. The recruiting process can be tough on guys. Emotions and all that can really play a factor and I think it probably did for him a little bit. And especially for transfers, where it happens so quickly,” said Riley.
Maiava is expected to be a back-up quarterback at USC, but has the upside to be the Trojans’ quarterback of the future. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs may have to turn to the transfer portal in order to add another quarterback after spring practice.
