Reggie Bush seemed out final August from the rooftop deck of the Coliseum, the stadium the place he grew to become a star twenty years earlier, flanked by attorneys on both facet. The famed Trojan again was within the stadium to announce a lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA, a gap salvo within the authorized battle to clear his identify. However for a second, between photographs on the NCAA, Bush let himself think about a day when his Heisman Trophy was returned and he may as soon as once more lead USC’s soccer staff out onto the sphere under.
“I’ve received desires of coming again on this stadium and working out of that tunnel,” Bush stated. “I’ve received desires of strolling again in right here and seeing my jersey and my banner proper down there subsequent to the remainder of the Heisman Trophy winners. However I can’t rightfully try this with out my Heisman Trophy.”
These desires had been deferred throughout a decade of NCAA-imposed exile, when USC was pressured to disassociate completely from Bush. Resentment festered within the meantime, as Bush and his friends questioned why the varsity hadn’t fought tougher to defend him.
Learn extra: Reggie Bush lawsuit accuses USC, Pac-12, NCAA of taking advantage of his NIL ‘with out compensating Bush one penny’
The connection remained sophisticated, even after USC formally welcomed Bush again in 2020. However three years later, efforts have been being taken by USC to restore it. The college had simply collectively filed a petition with Bush and his attorneys to foyer the NCAA for reconsideration in its 2010 case. Jennifer Cohen, who had simply taken the job as USC’s athletic director, was already signaling an eagerness to deliver Bush again into the Trojan household. Assist for the previous Trojan star now stretched all the way in which as much as the workplace of USC president Carol Folt, who personally signed off on the petition to the NCAA.
When Bush received the Heisman again in April, USC toasted the trophy’s “rightful return” and praised Bush for displaying “the utmost resiliency and coronary heart all through this course of.” That summer time, with the trophy now in hand, USC and Bush’s staff started discussing dates for his tunnel dream to grow to be a actuality.
On Aug. 28, in an interview with The Occasions, Bush stated the 2 sides hadn’t settled on a date, however that plans for him to steer USC’s soccer staff out of the tunnel have been “undoubtedly within the works.”
“I can’t look forward to it to occur,” he stated. “My spouse and children will probably be there as effectively. Will probably be an incredible day and an incredible alternative, and I stay up for that day.”
“It’s not even one thing USC would wish to ask me. It’s already a sure.”
In actuality, Bush and USC had already set a date for his triumphant return, just for the working again to reverse course. The 2 sides agreed in early August that Bush can be honored forward of the house opener in opposition to Utah State on Sept. 7. Preparations have been already being made on the Coliseum to retire his quantity and immortalize his No. 5 jersey within the stadium.
However the identical week that Bush informed The Occasions how keen he was to steer the Trojans out of the tunnel, Bush’s staff informed USC that the timing wasn’t proper.
Earlier than Bush received concerned with USC once more, he and his authorized staff had two requests from the varsity, Levi McCathern, his legal professional, informed The Occasions.
Primary was for USC to “get behind us and try to get these information reinstated” by the NCAA.
“He felt like USC ought to get strongly behind that effort,” McCathern stated of Bush.
Quantity two was the bolder ask: Bush believed USC ought to reimburse the working again for “the attorneys’ charges that he incurred making an attempt to get the Heisman Trophy.”
“Are you able to take a look at how a lot cash Reggie spent out of his pocket on attorneys? Which is loads,as a result of he had attorneys earlier than me as effectively making an attempt to get the Heisman Trophy again,” McCathern stated. “Might you take a look at that and see in case you couldn’t reimburse him among the cash he did, since y’all now have the trophy sitting in your [lobby] that you just use with recruits and all that?”
McCathern stated he was “virtually embarrassed speaking … about how cheap” their requests have been. The college declined anyway.
“A part of getting Reggie’s Heisman again, we received the Heisman again for USC as effectively. So their trophy was returned to them. Which is clearly one thing they’ll use to market,” McCathern continued. “However there nonetheless wasn’t actually any curiosity in any respect from them in making an attempt to reimburse Reggie for what he needed to do to get it again. And once more, with out getting too deep into your entire course of, clearly nobody on the non-Reggie Bush facet was speeding ahead to try to proper the wrongs that occurred to Reggie.”
Nonetheless, Bush was on the sideline, smiling in USC gear, earlier than the Trojans’ season opener in Las Vegas. However behind the scenes, USC and Bush’s attorneys had reached a stalemate.
“Reggie received uninterested in ready,” McCathern stated.
On Sept. 23, McCathern’s regulation workplace despatched out a newsrelease saying that Bush was suing USC, in addition to the NCAA and Pac-12, “for taking advantage of uncompensated use of [his] identify, picture and likeness.”
The discharge was the primary USC had heard of Bush’s plans to file swimsuit.
The grievance states that USC, in addition to the NCAA and Pac-12, “reaped an amazing monetary reward from utilizing Reggie Bush’s identify, picture and likeness whereas he was taking part in school soccer on tv” and that Bush is now “entitled to restitution of all income earned by defendants” by way of use of his identify.
How a lot Bush is asking for in restitution from USC and the opposite two defendants is unclear. McCathern stated that specialists informed him USC made “lots of of hundreds of thousands” off of his consumer’s identify, picture and likeness by way of numerous income streams. McCathern additionally informed The Occasions he by no means really broached the subject of again NIL pay with USC earlier than the lawsuit was filed. He stated that was as a result of the varsity already denied the request to pay attorneys’ charges.
“The subsequent step in that course of clearly would’ve been speaking about, can we get some small share?” McCathern stated.
Now these efforts to recoup what Bush believes he’s owed have spilled into public view, leaving USC in a clumsy place with one in all its greatest and most seen stars. A relationship that after gave the impression to be on the mend could by no means be totally repaired.
Learn extra: Why did Reggie Bush lose his Heisman Trophy? How did the previous USC star get it again?
USC declined to touch upon any specifics of Bush’s lawsuit. However in a press release to The Occasions, USC stated help for Bush would endure regardless of the continuing litigation.
“USC loves Reggie,” a college spokesperson stated. “Our followers love Reggie. He’s on the core of among the finest reminiscences in our storied custom. Our objective all through this whole course of has been to make sure the Trojan Household can rejoice Reggie and all he has achieved at each alternative. That’s what motivated us as we labored to have his Heisman Trophy reinstated within the spring. That’s what motivated us as we returned No. 5 to the Peristyle contained in the Coliseum this fall. That’s what motivates us as we have interaction with the Large Ten and NCAA to debate the potential of getting his information reinstated. That’s the reason now we have invited him again to the Coliseum to steer the staff out of the tunnel.
“It’s additionally why we have been stunned, within the midst of an ongoing dialogue with Reggie’s staff, to search out out about this lawsuit by way of a press launch. We will’t touch upon the lawsuit as a result of it’s ongoing. That stated, Reggie is a Trojan for all times, and we stay dedicated to restoring and honoring his legacy and celebrating him with our followers at each alternative.”
Bush and his authorized staff now imagine that legacy will sometime embrace Bush as “the face of this step for different school athletes” who hope to recoup misplaced NIL pay. His defamation case in opposition to the NCAA additionally stays ongoing, regardless of the group’s many efforts to throw out the case.
McCathern reiterated that the NCAA, not USC, was nonetheless the central focus of Bush’s authorized ire. He added that he welcomed the prospect to“speak with USC about any methods to work this stuff out. Or any of the opposite defendants.”
“I want everyone would sit down round a desk and simply work issues out, however sadly, it looks like that’s not the way in which issues occur in our society,” McCathern stated.
Bush, his legal professional says, remains to be hopeful that he can restore the connection along with his alma mater. Albeit with sure situations.
“I believe USC oughta sit down and try what they made off of Reggie,” McCathern stated, “and see in the event that they don’t suppose it’s truthful that Reggie will get some portion of that again.”
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Occasions.
