WATCH: Matt Leinart continues to lead the charge in attempt to get Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy back
In the new era of NIL, many college football fans across the country assumed that legendary Trojan running back Reggie Bush would finally be handed his 2005 Heisman Trophy back by the Heisman Trust. However, that hasn’t been the case and the Heisman Trust released a statement in early July of 2021 as to why the electrifying tailback wouldn’t be getting his coveted hardware back. In the meantime, his old quarterback and longtime friend, Matt Leinart, has been leading the charge for Bush to get his Heisman back in the past year. Recently, Leinart spoke with former Trojan quarterback Matt Barkley about the issue in an episode of “Making Bread” on Whistle Sports, once again talking about how ridiculous it is that Reggie Bush doesn’t have his rightfully deserved hardware.
“I mean, what are they gonna do? I mean, we won-what happened with Reggie had no effect on what was going on the field and all of those years. Obviously, it had a pretty dramatic effect on the program. You know, guys like yourself and teams that followed. But we won fair and square. We beat the hell out of everybody fair and square. You know, they can take us out of the record book, but people still know that team was one of the best teams to ever [play]–yeah, we all know,” Leinart said.
Matt Barkley then chimed in with his thoughts. “So, but looking back on it now, especially with the scene and NIL stuff that’s going on now, it’s almost as if, you know, they could take you out of it, but they need to put him back in and reinstate all of those things that happened because of the scene now. I mean, that came 10, 20 years too late, didn’t it?” Barkley asked.
“Yeah, I mean, now, it’s legal, so it’s different. But, but, in that era, I mean, there was a lot of people doing a lot of things and I think the next step for Reggie is getting his Heisman back. People can say all they want, but Reggie earned the Heisman because of his play, because he was not only the best player in college football that year, but he’s one of the best college football players of all-time,” Leinart said.
Reggie Bush was one of the greatest to ever suit up
In July of 2021, Bush released a statement about unsuccessfully trying to get his Heisman back. It’s quite a shame, since he was one of the greatest running backs to ever suit up in college football. Few running backs in the sport will ever be as electrifying as Bush.
His iconic Heisman-clinching moment likely came against the Fresno State Bulldogs. In the third quarter with 1:29 on the clock, Bush took the handoff at the 50-yard line, knifed his way through the Bulldog defense to the 23-yard line, right at the sideline. It was then that he was able to magically stop on a dime, leaving Fresno State defenders in his wake, and cut back all the way across to the middle of the field for the score. All the former Helix High (La Mesa, California) star did in that game was rack up over 500 all-purpose yards in a legendary performance. The 513 all-purpose yards were a Pac-10 record.
Bush’s performance propelled the Trojans to a 50-42 victory on Nov. 20, 2005. The win saved the Trojans’ season and ensured they would remain undefeated. USC would go on to face the Texas Longhorns in the 2006 Rose Bowl for the National Championship.
In his Heisman Trophy winning season in 2005, Bush knifed his way through opposing defenses to the tune of a staggering 2,611 all-purpose yards, while scoring 18 total touchdowns. And while the USC Trojans lost 41-38 in a classic 2006 Rose Bowl to Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns, the Trojans’ team is also considered one of the greatest college football teams of all-time.