The most electric player in college football history — 2005 Heisman winner whose trophy was vacated.
Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. was born in Spring Valley, California in 1985. He attended the University of Southern California and became the most electrifying player in college football — his combination of running ability, pass-catching and return prowess generating highlights that defined what a running back could do. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2005 with 3,169 career rushing yards and 37 touchdowns across three seasons. He won the national championship with USC in 2004. He was the consensus All-American and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back. In 2010 the NCAA found that Bush and his family had received improper benefits from sports agents during his time at USC — violations that led USC to forfeit its 2004 BCS championship wins and Bush to return the Heisman Trophy in 2010. He had his eligibility vacated across portions of his USC career. The Heisman Trophy Trust restored his trophy in April 2024. He was selected second overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. His individual college performances — the stop-and-go moves, the explosive acceleration, the creativity — represented the pinnacle of college running back play in the early 2000s.
Heisman Trophy (2005, vacated/restored 2024)
Career Honours
- Heisman Trophy (2005, vacated/restored 2024)
- National Championship (2004)
- Consensus All-American
- Doak Walker Award