Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy won’t go to anyone else

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The Heisman Trophy Reggie Bush gave up won’t be going to any other player, award organizers announced Wednesday.

The statement from the Heisman Trust:

‘The Trustees of the Trust have been monitoring the NCAA investigation of Reggie Bush and USC since first announced. We determined that no action was necessary by the Trust unless and until the NCAA acted and issued its report. Since the issuance of the NCAA decision vacating USC’s 2005 season and declaring Reggie Bush an ineligible athlete, the Trustees have met, discussed and reviewed all information underlying this decision in an effort to exercise the due diligence and due process required of any decision regarding the awarding of the 2005 Heisman Trophy.

‘We are very appreciative of the respect Reggie Bush demonstrated for the Heisman Trust, the whole Heisman fraternity, and the continuing legacy of the Trophy in his public statement issued September 14, 2010. It was a difficult decision to return the Heisman Trophy and he exhibited great character in acknowledging his mistakes and accepting the consequences. We intend to explore further his offer to support jointly ‘an educational program which will assist student athletes and their families’ to avoid the pitfalls that plagued him during his college years as this is a part of our charitable mission as well.

‘As a result of Reggie Bush’s decision to forfeit his title as Heisman winner of 2005, the Trustees have determined that there will be no Heisman Trophy winner for the year 2005.’

Texas Coach Mack Brown had been championing the idea of the award going to former Longhorns quarterback Vince Young, who finished second in the balloting. (USC’s Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman winner, was third.)

Earlier Wednesday, Young issued this statement via Twitter: ‘just heard about Reggie’s Heisman. Reg will continue to be the 2005 Award recipient and I will continue to be honored to have been in the 2005 Heisman campaign with such a talented athlete.’

That was a bit of a flip from what Young reportedly said Monday, which is that he wanted the Heisman.

-- Mike Hiserman