Reggie Bush, the former USC Trojans star running back, is suing the NCAA, his school and the Pac-12 to recoup the money made on his name, image and likeness during his career with the football program from 2003-05.
Bush’s attorney’s put out a news release explaining that Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner during the 2005 collegiate season, should be paid “to address and rectify ongoing injustices stemming from the exploitation” of his name.
“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” Evan Selik, one of Bush’s attorneys, said in a statement. “It’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”
Bush continues to pursue a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for defamation, which was filed last year regarding the organization’s 2021 characterization of what led to Bush having to forfeit his Heisman Trophy in 2010.
USC was slapped with sanctions that year, which were partly due to Bush having dealings with two sports marketers, which at the time of him playing, was against NCAA rules.
USC LEGEND REGGIE BUSH WILL HAVE 2005 HEISMAN TROPHY RETURNED: REPORT
However, The Heisman Trust restored Bush’s trophy earlier this year, returning it to him while pointing out the changes to college sports since he left that level of football following the 2005 season.
While Bush has had his issues with the NCAA, USC being on the lawsuit raised some eyebrows as their relationship seemed to have been patched up in recent years after the decade the school was forced to disassociate with him.
“We appreciate that the new administration at USC is trying to pick up the pieces of the former administration’s unjust and improper handling of Reggie Bush,” Levi McCarthern, Bush’s attorney who is handling his separate lawsuit against the NCAA, said. “However, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes.”
Bush was scheduled to lead the current Trojans football team out of the tunnel at the Coliseum at one game this season, while the school added his No. 5 back to its banners for Heisman winners at the famed stadium as well.
But Bush isn’t the only one that is seeking compensation for their time in college, with name, image and likeness rules completely changing the game.
Former Michigan stars Braylon Edwards and Denard Robinson were among a few from the Wolverines who sued the NCAA and the Big Ten Network earlier this month for similar reasons as Bush.
Before Bush went on to have a successful NFL career over 11 seasons, he was a household name as a Trojan, collecting 1,740 rushing yards in his Heisman-winning season on 200 attempts, as he led the country in yards per attempt (8.7) with 16 touchdowns on the ground.
Bush had 3,169 rushing yards for USC over his three seasons and 38 total touchdowns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article here
