Trophy or no trophy, Reggie Bush should still be recognized as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner.

On Tuesday, the former USC standout running back decided to return his 2005 Heisman Trophy to the Trust after speculation of a Heisman Trophy heist.

The rumors came after an NCAA investigation this summer, where Bush was found guilty of accepting money from two California-based marketing groups while he was at USC.

On September 7th, Rob Whalen, the Trusts spokesman, denied published reports that they were going to take back the trophy. This would have been the first time ever the trophy was revoked.

Instead, a week later, Bush decided to forfeit the trophy himself.

One of the guidelines given to the Heisman Trophy voters is that the player must be in compliance with all rules to be eligible for the award. Bush broke those rules by foolishly accepting gifts.

In my eyes, Bush still deserved that trophy regardless of what gifts he accepted off the field. He was a beast that year. He led the nation with an average of 222.3 all-purpose yards and finished third in Division 1-A with an average of 133.5 rush yards per game.

Against the Fresno State Bulldogs, Bush set a Pac-10 record with 513 total yards from scrimmage. That year he led the Trojans with 1,740 rushing yards on 200 carries for 16 touchdowns. He also finished third on the team in receiving with 39 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns.

Oh, and he killed it on special teams too. He returned 18 punts for 179 yards and a touchdown and also racked up 493 yards on 28 kickoff returns.

The gifts didn’t make Bush play any better. He just was better than the competition. It wasn’t like he got caught taking performance enhancing drugs. He accepted limo rides, suits, and money for his parents. How do any of those things make him a better football player? Those gifts did not make him run any faster or jump any higher. He played against kids his own age and dominated.

The only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Ohio States Archie Griffin, also believes Bush’s award was won on the field and “should stand.”

“Personally, I look at it that Reggie Bush won the Heisman out on the field,” Griffin said. “He was in college at the time at USC, he was playing against college competition, and the voters voted for him to win the Heisman Trophy. And it would be, I think, devastating to take it away after having won it right there out on the field. And I know there are some things that went on at Southern Cal, or at least seem to have gone on, but at the same time we’re talking about a college player playing against college competition, not against professional competition or even high school competition. So it was a college competition and that’s what the award is, it’s a college award … My feeling is that during that season Reggie Bush played college football and he won it as a college football player and he got the vote. And, to me, that should stand.”

Bush received 784 first place votes for the Heisman award, the third-most first place votes in NCAA history, compared to 79 for runner-up, Vince Young. Talk about lopsided. His gaudy numbers speak for themselves.

Bush won the Heisman Trophy back in 2005 because he deserved it. He was the best college football player that year. He should be acknowledged for his accomplishments on the field, not the mistakes he made off the field.

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