If you ask the average college football fan who won the Heisman Trophy in 2005, they’ll tell you it was Reggie Bush. They aren't wrong. On that December night at the Nokia Theatre in New York City, the USC superstar took home the most prestigious individual award in sports by a massive margin. It wasn't even close. He had more than double the first-place votes of the runner-up. But if you look at the official record books today, there’s a giant asterisk. Or, more accurately, a blank space.
The story of the 2005 Heisman is basically a Greek tragedy played out on a grass field in Los Angeles. It’s about the most electric player of a generation losing his legacy over rules that don't even exist anymore. Honestly, the whole thing feels kinda ridiculous when you look at the current landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals where players make millions legally. But back then? It was a scandal that shook the NCAA to its core.
The Night Reggie Bush Replaced History
Reggie Bush didn't just win the Heisman; he owned it.
The 2005 season was USC’s peak. Pete Carroll was the king of Southern California, and Bush was his crown jewel. He finished the season with 1,740 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging a mind-boggling 8.7 yards per carry. You have to understand how rare that is. Every time he touched the ball, the stadium held its breath. He was a human highlight reel who could stop on a dime, make three defenders miss in a phone booth, and then outrun a secondary like they were standing in wet concrete.
He beat out his own teammate, Matt Leinart, who had won the trophy the previous year. He beat out Vince Young, the Texas quarterback who would eventually get his revenge in the Rose Bowl. When the votes were tallied, Bush had 2,541 points. Young had 1,608. It was a landslide. For five years, Reggie Bush was the undisputed 2005 Heisman Trophy winner.
Then the NCAA investigators started digging into his family’s housing situation in San Diego.
What Really Happened with the 2005 Heisman?
The downfall started with a sports agency called New Era. Allegations surfaced that Bush and his family had accepted "improper benefits"—basically cash, travel expenses, and a rent-free home—while he was still playing for the Trojans. In the mid-2000s, this was the ultimate sin in amateur athletics.
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By 2010, the NCAA slapped USC with some of the harshest penalties in history. They lost scholarships. They had to vacate wins. And, in a move that felt personal to many fans, they ruled that Bush was ineligible during that 2005 season.
This put the Heisman Trust in a weird spot. They have a rule: if a player isn't "eligible" under NCAA standards, they can’t win the trophy. Facing the inevitable, Reggie Bush did something no one had ever done before. He gave it back. On September 14, 2010, he released a statement saying he was "forfeiting" the award to spare the Heisman Trust any further drama.
The Trust didn't give the trophy to Vince Young. They didn't give it to anyone. They just left the year 2005 blank. For over a decade, if you went to the Heisman website, the 2005 entry just didn't exist. It was like a glitch in the Matrix of sports history.
The Argument for Vince Young
You can't talk about who won the Heisman Trophy in 2005 without mentioning Vince Young.
Young’s 2005 season at Texas was legendary in its own right. He threw for over 3,000 yards and ran for another 1,000. He was the first player in FBS history to reach those numbers in a single season. Many people in Austin will tell you—very loudly—that Young was robbed long before the NCAA investigation even started. They point to the Rose Bowl, where Young put on arguably the greatest individual performance in college football history to beat USC for the National Championship.
"I was the best player in the country that year," Young has said in various interviews over the years. And honestly? He has a point. If the Heisman is meant to go to the most outstanding player, and the guy who "won" it was technically ineligible, shouldn't it go to the next man up?
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The Heisman Trust didn't see it that way. They felt that the votes were cast based on the performances seen on the field at that time. Promoting the runner-up years later felt "disingenuous" to the voting process. So, Vince Young remains the greatest Heisman runner-up of all time, at least according to the official tally.
The Great Return: April 2024 Changes Everything
For 14 years, there was a hole in college football history. But the world changed. The Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA in the Alston case, basically saying their "amateurism" rules were a violation of antitrust laws. Suddenly, players were getting paid millions to stay in school.
The hypocrisy became too much to ignore. How could the NCAA and the Heisman Trust punish Reggie Bush for taking a few thousand dollars when the kid starting at USC today is driving a Lamborghini provided by a booster collective?
On April 24, 2024, the Heisman Trust finally did the right thing.
They officially reinstated Reggie Bush as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner. They cited "enormous changes in the college football landscape" as the reason. They gave him back his trophy. They invited him back to the annual ceremonies. They put his name back on the website.
It was a massive victory for players' rights and a rare moment of common sense in sports governance. Bush’s 2005 season was officially "real" again. He isn't just the guy who won it; he's the guy who won it, lost it, and won it back.
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Why the 2005 Race Still Matters Today
The 2005 Heisman race is a pivot point in sports history. It represents the end of the "Old Guard" NCAA—the era where "student-athlete" was a shield used to keep players from seeing a dime of the billions they generated.
When you look at the stats, the 2005 race featured three of the most iconic players ever:
- Reggie Bush (USC): The winner (and re-winner).
- Vince Young (Texas): The snubbed legend.
- Matt Leinart (USC): The returning winner who finished third.
It was the last year before the world really started questioning why these athletes were being treated like "amateurs" while their coaches were making $5 million a year. The 2005 Heisman isn't just about a trophy; it's about the shift from the era of "improper benefits" to the era of NIL.
If you’re a fan or a collector, this history is vital. It’s the only time a Heisman has ever been returned. It’s the only time a vacancy has been filled nearly 20 years later. It changed how we view the "integrity" of the game.
Summary of the 2005 Heisman Saga
- Who won the Heisman Trophy in 2005? Reggie Bush, running back for the USC Trojans.
- Why was it vacated? An investigation found he received benefits like cash and housing from prospective agents, which violated NCAA rules at the time.
- Who was the runner-up? Vince Young, quarterback for the Texas Longhorns.
- When was it returned? April 2024. The Heisman Trust reinstated Bush due to the fundamental shifts in how college athletes are compensated today.
The reality is that history is messy. We like to think of sports as these neat boxes of stats and trophies, but the 2005 Heisman shows that the rules we make today might look pretty silly in twenty years. Reggie Bush didn't stop being the best player in 2005 just because his parents got help with their rent. The fans knew it, the players knew it, and finally, the record books reflect it.
If you're looking to dive deeper into college football history or understand how NIL is changing the game today, start by watching Reggie Bush's 2005 highlight reel. It’s the best evidence there is for why that trophy belongs in his house. After that, look into the current NCAA vs. House settlement—it’s the direct descendant of the drama that started with a running back in Los Angeles nearly two decades ago.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Check out the Heisman Trust’s official archives to see the updated 2005 entry and Reggie Bush’s career stats.
- Watch the 30 for 30 documentary "The Bush Push" to get a feel for the intensity of that 2005 USC team.
- Research the current NIL rules to understand why Reggie Bush’s "violations" wouldn't even be a story in today’s college football environment.
- Follow Reggie Bush on social media; he has become a vocal advocate for athlete rights since getting his trophy back.