USC Football: Fans Weigh In On Reggie Bush's Returned Heisman Trophy

One of the most legendary players in USC Trojans football history, former All-American tailback Reggie Bush, is seeing his Heisman Trophy returned to him after 14 years.

The six-foot, 203-pound running back played with the Cardinal and Gold from 2003-05, before being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. During an 11-season pro career, he won a Super Bowl and made one All-Pro team. He may not have been the generational talent at the next level many were expecting, but he still enjoyed a solid career.

His peak in football glory, however, came in college. He was penalized for taking the kind of extracurricular gifts many top athletes accepted under the table from boosters, and with the advent of Name, Image and Likeness deals, situations like his penalty are retroactively looking pretty silly.

How is the sports world at large reacting to this? Responses are mixed, but generally in support of the moment.

J.P. Hoornstra of Newsweek and Sports Illustrated offered a pretty good summation of the whole deal:

The USC people I know had the same initial reaction to the NCAA vacating Reggie Bush's Heisman: laughter bordering on ambivalence.
He won the trophy, he rushed for all the yards, he did nothing few others were doing at the time.
If this describes you, does today change anything?
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 24, 2024

A "Happy Gilmore" aficionado had a topical reference:

The NCAA apologizing to Reggie Bush and giving him his Heisman Trophy back pic.twitter.com/GSLJVhyXBW
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) April 24, 2024

We got a little Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson flavor elsewhere:

pic.twitter.com/bFRPQefHwn
— Chef Brian 🦒👑 (@Brian_Eubanks) April 24, 2024

Another fan remains apoplectic all these years later that Bush lost out on the Heisman in the first place:

What a joke. They never should’ve taken it away.
— Fer Coach Davis (@Ferdavis9113) April 24, 2024

It's an exciting day for Bush and for USC fans the world over, but it is funny to see how residually miffed people still are about Bush losing out on the honor in the first place.

More USC: Reggie Bush Sees Heisman Trophy Reinstated