In the wake of Reggie Bush giving back his 2005 Heisman Trophy, the Heisman Trust released a statement today saying that there would be no winner from 2005:
"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.
Vince Young of the University of Texas finished second in the Heisman balloting that year.
Here is video of Heisman Trust President Bill Dockery discussing the Bush situation on ESPN:
Yesterday during football practice, athletic director Pat Haden had this to say about Bush returning his Heisman Trophy:
It was a very noble thing for Reggie to do. In my opinion, he made the right decision. It was a thoughtful decision by Reggie," Haden said on the Heritage Hall steps. "It's never a good thing to give a Heisman back. But at the end of the day, USC did the right thing when we gave our Heisman back and now Reggie did, too. Reggie was a fantastic football player, one of the most exciting players ever. But by his own admission today, he made some mistakes.
For more news on this situation, be sure to visit Conquest Chronicles.