Though it's still shocking that it took the NCAA as long as it did, in 2021 it permitted student athletes to "make money from their name, image, and likeness." It had been a no-brainer for a very long time, given the stage student athletes are propped up on with zero direct compensation from their universities, and it also reignited conversations surrounding for USC running back and 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.
Bush forfeited his award in 2010, after a four-year long affair that dug into him and his family for receiving gifts during his time at USC. The school was also sanctioned as a result of the violation.
After the NCAA started allowing athletes to make money from sponsorships and a lot of legal back-and-forth between Bush, the NCAA, and the Heisman Trust, the Trust announced on April 24 that it would be returning the trophy and title back to Bush.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers announced that he would be throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Friday, complete with a graphic of Bush from his USC days. The revenge tour starts at Chavez Ravine, apparently.
Reggie Bush to throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Friday after Heisman Trophy reinstatement
The mess at the collegiate level didn't stop Bush from having an NFL career, during which time he won a Super Bowl with the Saints in 2009 and made the All-Pro team in 2008. He retired in 2017 and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2019, when he also kicked off a media career as a college football analyst on Fox Sports.
The Dodgers will be coming back from a road trip down and then back up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco; they went 3-3 in those series, dropping two to the Padres but taking two from the Giants. This week, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw out the first pitch at Oracle Park to kick off what ended up being a 10-2 rout of the Giants, but hopefully the outcome will work out better for the home team with Bush on the mound instead.