USC football: Charles White says Bush still part of Heisman fraternity

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Former USC tailback Charles White, the 1979 Heisman Trophy winner, said Wednesday that he never thought the situation involving Reggie Bush would lead to Bush forfeiting the 2005 Heisman.

‘He’s a grown man and he made his decision,’ White said. ‘Maybe it was just the guilt or whatever. It was his choice to return it.’

White, one of seven Trojans to be recognized as college football’s most outstanding player, said he was saddened that USC also returned its copy of Bush’s Heisman after NCAA sanctions were announced in June.

Regardless of Bush’s decision and the NCAA’s mandate that USC erase images of Bush from campus, the Coliseum and the school record book, White said Bush earned the award with his performance on the field and that he was still part of the Heisman fraternity.

‘Everyone knows who won that Heisman no matter who has it now or wherever it goes,’ he said. ‘That man won the trophy. When people say, ‘Hey, do you remember who won the Heisman in ‘05? Everyone knows it was Reggie Bush.’

-- Gary Klein