SB Nation Los Angeles - Reggie Bush Says He's Not Admitting Guilt Despite Forfeiting Heisman Trophyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2010-09-16T15:42:31-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14530102010-09-16T15:42:31-07:002010-09-16T15:42:31-07:00Reggie Bush Says He's Not Admitting Guilt Despite Forfeiting Heisman Trophy
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<p>Former <span class="caps">USC</span> running back Reggie Bush says that even though he gave back the Heisman Trophy, that doesn’t mean he did anything wrong according to an <a target="new" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5581066">interview with the Associated Press</a>.</p>
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<p>“It’s definitely not an admission of guilt. It’s me showing respect to the Heisman Trophy itself and to the people who came before me and the people coming after,” Bush said after practice with the New Orleans Saints. <br> “I just felt like it was the best thing to do, the most respectful thing to do because obviously I do respect the Heisman, I do respect all the things it stands for,” Bush said. “I felt just to kind of silence all the talk around it, all the negativity around it. I felt like this would be the best decision to do right now so I could focus.”</p>
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<p>He seems to be saying all of the right things, however.</p>
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<p>“I’m not happy this happened. This is where it has come to,” Bush said. "This is just a part of life. This is a part of growing pains and becoming more mature. You learn. You grow. You get better. You get stronger and hopefully you never make those same mistakes again.</p>
<p>“How do I clear my name? I don’t know. I’m not sure. This is the first time I’ve been in this situation,” Bush added. “I’ve obviously got to brainstorm and get together with my team and see what we can do. I’m here to lend a helping hand to <span class="caps">USC</span> and any time they need me and any time I can do something to help them, they know I’m just a phone call away.”</p>
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https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/16/1693461/reggie-bush-heisman-updateScott Schroeder2010-09-15T15:15:32-07:002010-09-15T15:15:32-07:00Heisman Trophy Trust: 2005 Award Will Be Vacated
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<p>In the wake of Reggie Bush giving back his 2005 Heisman Trophy, the Heisman Trust released a statement today saying that <a target="_blank" href="http://usctrojans.cstv.com/blog/2010/09/heisman-trust-statement-on-bush.html">there would be no winner from 2005</a>:</p>
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<p>"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. <br><br> 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.</p>
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<p>Vince Young of the University of Texas finished second in the Heisman balloting that year.</p>
<p>Here is video of <span>Heisman Trust President Bill Dockery discussing the Bush situation </span><a target="_blank" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5576729">on ESPN</a><span>:<br></span></p>
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<p>Yesterday during football practice, athletic director Pat Haden had <a target="_blank" href="http://usctrojans.cstv.com/blog/2010/09/minnesota-tuesday-practice-notes.html">this to say about Bush returning his Heisman Trophy</a>:</p>
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<p>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.</p>
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<p>For more news on this situation, be sure to visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquestchronicles.com/">Conquest Chronicles</a>.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/15/1691348/heisman-trophy-trust-reggie-bush-vince-young-2005Eric Stephen2010-09-14T20:39:26-07:002010-09-14T20:39:26-07:00Vince Young Responds, Gracefully, Regarding Reggie Bush's Former Heisman Trophy
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<p>Vince Young, who finished second to Reggie Bush in the 2005 Heisman Trophy balloting, has taken the high road now that Bush has forfeited the trophy. Young <a href="https://twitter.com/VinceYoung10/status/24517539579" target="new">tweeted the following on Tuesday night</a>:</p>
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<p>Just heard about Reggies 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.</p>
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<p>Texas coach Mack Brown told the Associated Press <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jw2Aa0DoTvWsU544CQIP23xLZ-1wD9I7UPC00" target="new">he would like to see Young receive the award</a>:</p>
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<p>“My opinion would be; I would love for the Heisman Trust to look at a re-vote or give it to the second guy, which therefore would be Vince,” Texas coach Mack Brown said.</p>
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<p>Now that Bush no longer has the Heisman Trophy, and there are literally no references to him at or around <span class="caps">USC</span>, this essentially closes the book on Bush and <span class="caps">USC</span>.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/14/1689796/vince-young-reggie-bush-heisman-trophy-usc-texasEric Stephen2010-09-14T14:28:37-07:002010-09-14T14:28:37-07:00Reggis Bush Forfeits Heisman Trophy; Issues Statement
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<p>New Orleans Saints and former USC running back Reggie Bush has forfeited his Heisman Trophy today, which was awarded to him in 2005.</p>
<p>Here is his statement:</p>
<p>"One of the greatest honors of my life was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005. For me, it was a dream come true.</p>
<p>But I know that the Heisman is not mine alone. Far from it. I know that my victory was made possible by the discipline and hard work of my teammates, the steady guidance of my coaches, the inspiration of the fans, and the unconditional love of my family and friends. And I know that any young man fortunate enough to win the Heisman enters into a family of sorts. Each individual carries the legacy of the award and each one is entrusted with its good name.</p>
<p>It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future.</p>
<p>For the rest of my days, I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions and words that I was deserving of the confidence placed in me by the Heisman Trophy Trust. I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made. I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust.</p>
<p>I will forever appreciate the honor bestowed upon me as a winner of the Heisman. While this decision is heart-breaking, I find solace in knowing that the award was made possible by the support and love of so many. Those are gifts that can never be taken away."</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/9/14/2320980/reggis-bush-forfeits-heisman-trophy-issues-statementJulio Nievas