Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown expressed support for Reggie Bush’s quest to reclaim the Heisman Trophy he voluntarily gave up in the wake of the penalties the NCAA levied on the University of Southern California over policy infractions.
In the increasing prevalence of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with college athletes supposedly receiving large sums of money to play for high-profile schools, Bush launched his efforts to get his Heisman Trophy back.
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Tim Brown attends SiriusXM’s Notre Dame Town Hall live from Notre Dame Stadium on April 18, 2013, in South Bend, Indiana. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Brown, who won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, told Fox News Digital that he hopes the former USC running back will get the award back.
“You know, before NIL, I think you had a lot of Heisman winners saying that he should het his trophy back. But after NIL, I mean, come on man, what are we doing?” Brown said. “What in the world … (It’s not) like the guy got $1 million. It’s not like he got money at all from what I know. This is based on what his parents did.”
“It doesn’t matter what the situation is in a particular [place] like this where … the media and people who were voting said that he won the trophy. What does the NCAA have anything to do with this? I hope that things work out for him and he’s able to get the trophy back.”
USC running back Reggie Bush is shown after receiving the Heisman Trophy at Hard Rock Cafe in New York City on Dec. 10, 2005. (Michael Cohen/WireImage)
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A four-year extra benefits investigation determined in 2010 that Bush and his family received benefits from a would-be sports agent who was not affiliated with USC, according to ESPN. Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA in August over a 2021 statement.
The statement in question came from the NCAA in 2021 in response to an inquiry regarding whether Bush’s records and participation would be restored after changes to NIL rules.
Bush gave the trophy back in 2012.
Brown and Bush are set to compete at the Invited Celebrity Classic golf tournament in Irving, Texas, this week. The tournament starts on April 19 and runs through April 21.
“Did I get enough practice in? Am I going to be able to play better?” Brown wondered to Fox News Digital when asked how he was feeling ahead of the tournament. “It should be fun. I’m looking forward to trying to go out there and hit that ball around the course.”
Tim Brown of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball during a game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, circa 1986. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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The tournament will tee off at Las Colinas County Club and can be seen on the GOLF Channel.
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