Football World Reacts to Ex-USC Star’s Defamation Lawsuit Plans Against NCAA

Bush wants all his accomplishments to be restored.

The NCAA has been one of the most heavily criticized sporting leagues in the country. For so long, they refused to even discuss giving any sort of financial compensation to the student-athletes, despite making millions of dollars on the backs of the players.

It has caused problems for years, for so many people. Only recently has the NCAA finally given in and now allows the student-athletes to receive financial compensation for their name, image and likeness.

It wasn’t an easy fight but a necessary one. However, while the players of today can receive these benefits, there are plenty of former players who were punished for similar actions.

One of those is former USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush. According to the NCAA, Bush essentially never attended USC as a football player, as his records and the Trojans 2004 National Championship were vacated.

Bush is now fighting back with a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA. He claims that the NCAA attacked his character over the years and caused major damage to his reputation with their punishments.

"The lawsuit is based on the NCAA maliciously attacking his character through a completely false and highly offensive statement that was widely reported in the media and substantially and irreparably damaged his reputation," according to a statement from law firm McCathern, PLLC.

Per ESPN.com

Bush can’t change what has happened already. The legacy of Bush at USC lives on to this day, and the NCAA can’t take away from what he did on the field. But this is a chance to have his accomplishments restored officially.

With the new rules in place, it’s time for Bush to get his due. It’s been long enough, and the NCAA should restore his Heisman Trophy and the National Championship.

The idea of “vacating” wins is a strange act that the NCAA has used to punish teams. They can't change what everyone saw or the outcomes on the field of play. But this lawsuit is the first step for Bush, and it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.