NFL Rumors – Reggie Bush To Lose Heisman…To Vince Young?

Add a Super Bowl ring, take away a Heisman. In fact, just take away his entire college career. That’s the summer for Reggie Bush, as NFL rumors persists that the Heisman Trophy Trust is stripping the former USC Trojan of his trophy for accepting gifts from boosters during that season and may be ready to award it to Vince Young.

If and when this happens, Bush would become the first player in 75-years of Heisman winners to ever have the award taken away.

The surprising part is that sources close to the situation are reporting that Bush’s loss may be a gain for Vince Young, or even Matt Leinart. Both quarterbacks were runner-ups to Bush that year in Heisman voting. Part of the discussion amongst the Trust members is what to do with the Heisman they’ll take away from Bush.

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I wasn’t really surprised to hear that a few members were supporting the idea of giving it to Vince Young. If there’s anyone more deserving of it, I can’t find one from the 2005 NCAA  college football season. The ironic thing is that when Vince Young beat USC virtually single handedly in the BCS Championship game, he took the BCS trophy in his arms and struck the Heisman pose with a cheeky smile.

If the vote goes his way, Vince Young won’t have to be cheeky about it. Still, these things take time especially since the whole matter is unprecedented. The fact remains that Bush is losing his Heisman Trophy. The part of this that still needs determining is whether they vacate the title or award it rightfully to Vince Young.

Don’t think that this thing is gift wrapped for Vince Young. He’s done himself no favors by beating up strip club managers in back rooms this summer. It’s not like the Heisman Trophy Trust is taking the famed statuette from Bush to give it to Vince Young as a, “This guy did everything right, the other one cheated the system” gesture to young kids everywhere. From what I hear, this decision would be a lot easier if Vince Young had a clean track record off the football field.

Still, nothing that Vince has done has ever had the ill-effects on a major school, football program or fan base like what Reggie did. Accepting gifts and money during his time at USC, Bush violated one of the biggest rules that the NCAA has for its athletes. Because he couldn’t wait a few more years to be drafted first or second overall, and become an instant millionaire, Bush has been stricken from the college football memory books.

All references and images of him have been removed from USC football promotions, and now the school is serving a terrifying ban that is going to cripple their chances at being a BCS contender for years to come. The school has lost thirty percent of its scholarships and, despite namesake, will take at least 5-to-7 years to rebuild thanks to the indiscretions of one, selfish player.

Even worse for USC, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush is that the NCAA is still trying to determine if they have to void USC’s 2004 BCS Championship victory over Oklahoma. That situation remains on-going.

Vince Young, however, remains the big benefactor in this situation (well, aside from Reggie between 2004 and 2005). A player on a personal road to redemption this coming season is rumored to be getting the Heisman Trophy we thought he deserved back then. Vince still has a chance to be something special in the league, especially with a coach like Jeff Fisher and a teammate like Chris Johnson.

The same can’t be said about Reggie Bush. At one time, he was the biggest star in football – a college prospect who was supposed to be a lock for the Hall of Fame. As a running back in the NFL he is mediocre. Sure, he has playmaking ability but we use that to describe Joshua Cribbs too. Fact is that Bush has never had more than 6 rushing touchdowns in his career, and never blazed the field like he did at college.

Even in the Super Bowl, Bush totaled just 63.0 total yards from scrimmage. No touchdowns. No big plays I can remember. In the biggest professional game of his career, Bush was an afterthought.

It’s strange to think that Bush just lucked on to a team that won the Super Bowl. He’s been to zero Pro Bowls, never been mentioned in the MVP discussion even remotely, and didn’t even win Rookie of the Year when he debuted in the NFL. The only award he might ever win is for being a member of the 2009 New Orleans Saints.

His career in the NFL is, quite simply, as forgettable as the USC Trojans wish his college career was.

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