The Heisman Trophy ceremony has been one of the most prestigious award shows in all of sports, featuring all of the past Heisman winners in attendance to help welcome new winners into the history books. But next year, the ceremony will be without one of the most beloved Heisman winners in recent memory in Johnny Manziel.
Manziel famously rose to prominence at Texas A&M, where he became the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy back in 2012. While his NFL career never panned out, he will always live on as one of the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time.
On Saturday, he took to social media to ask the NCAA to give former USC Trojans Heisman winner Reggie Bush his trophy back, saying that he will not appear at the Heisman ceremony until Bush has his trophy back.
“After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until Reggie Bush gets his trophy back,” tweeted Manziel. “Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy. Do the right thing NCAA the ball is in your court.”
After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back. Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy.
Do the…
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) March 2, 2024
Bush won his Heisman Trophy in 2005, but later voluntarily gave up the coveted award in 2010 after an NCAA investigation found he received benefits of several thousand dollars and a vehicle in 2004.
With the implementation of NIL deals in collegiate sports, many including Manziel believe that Bush should now get his trophy back considering the compensation he received would not be the current-day rules. This has yet to happen, and Bush even filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA for this last year.
Bush may never get his trophy back. But it is at least nice to see Manziel sticking up for him like this. At the end of the day, it does feel wrong not to have Bush, one of the greatest college football running backs of all time, honored along with the rest of the Heisman winners at the ceremony every year.
