Johnny Manziel‘s tenure in the NFL might have been short and tumultuous, but he was recognized as one of the country’s most talented quarterbacks during his stint with the Aggies. He burst onto the football scene by winning the Heisman Trophy during his freshman year at Texas A&M, at just 20 years of age. Recently, the former Browns man sent a shockwave throughout the NFL world after declaring that he would opt out of future Heisman ceremonies unless the NCAA reinstates former USC star Reggie Bush’s stripped-off honor.
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Manziel is skipping the ceremony to support Reggie Bush, the former USC Trojans running back, in getting back his 2005 Heisman trophy. In a recent tweet, Manziel pointed out how recent Heisman winners have earned millions through NIL deals, while Reggie still cannot reclaim his trophy. His recent tweet read,
“The last two Heisman Trophy winners made a combined 12 million last year, but Reggie can’t get his trophy back?”
According to a report by The Athletic, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, made $10 million in endorsement deals in the last two years alone. Additionally, Jayden Daniels, another recent Heisman winner, has an NIL valuation of $2.2 million. With the NIL policy, some players are already making NFL-level money, which is why Manziel believes Bush, who was once accused of receiving gifts, should have his Heisman Trophy returned.
NFL fans and critics backed Manziel’s statement, showing support on social media. They argued that Bush, a highly decorated player, deserves his trophy back as what occurred was in the past, and he earned it through hard work.
A fan stated,
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On March 2nd, Manziel tweeted that he won’t be attending the ceremony until Reggie Bush gets his Heisman award back. The former Browns QB believes it’s not fair that the legendary Reggie Bush isn’t part of the ceremony each year. He wrote,
“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 RIGHT thing @NCAA the ball is in your court.”
This Johnny Manziel’s tweet too warmed the hearts of fans, who praised him for standing up for what’s right. His statement comes after the NCAA approved the NIL policy in 2021, allowing college students to profit from their NIL, which wasn’t possible when Reggie Bush or Johnny Manziel were in college.
Why Reggie Bush Lost His Heisman Trophy?
Reggie Bush was a star player for the USC Trojans from 2003 to 2005, known as one of their top running backs ever. Over three seasons, he ran for 3,169 yards on 433 carries and scored 25 touchdowns in 39 games. About half of his rushing yards came in his final season in 2005, where he rushed for 1,740 yards on 200 attempts and scored 16 touchdowns.
Although the Trojans didn’t clinch the championship that year, Bush easily won the Heisman Trophy, beating out second-place QB Vince Young by just under 1,000 votes. However, the following year, the NCAA investigated and found that Bush received gifts during his college days from an exemption for travel expenses to rent-free accommodations, which was against the rules.
Consequently, after holding the Heisman trophy for a couple of years, the NCAA revoked his title. Moreover, in 2010, the NCAA punished the USC Trojans and stripped them of their two wins from 2004 and all their wins from 2005. They also faced a two-year ban from Bowl games.
Now, the NFL community is rallying behind Manziel who seems to be on a mission to get Bush his trophy back. All eyes are on the NCAA to see if they will acknowledge Bush’s past accomplishments and return him the trophy.
