"Doesn’t sit right with my morals": Johnny Manziel sends out a stern warning to NCAA over Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman controversy

Johnny Manziel is taking it upon himself to get justice for Reggie Bush concerning his vacated 2005 Heisman Trophy. The former Texas A&M quarterback won't be attending the annual Heisman Trophy ceremony until the NCAA reinstates the former USC running back.

Bush won the coveted college football award in his junior season in 2005 after recording one of the best-ever seasons for a running back. However, Reggie Bush voluntarily forfeited the award in 2010 after he was found guilty of receiving gifts from an agent by the NCAA.

“After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until Reggie Bush gets his trophy back,” Johnny Manziel wrote on X. “Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy.”

“You can back a brinks truck up to my house and I still will not attend the ceremony or do ANYTHING involved until Reggie’s trophy is back where it rightfully belongs. This is about doing what’s right for everyone involved. Reggie’s play on the field inspired me to be the football player that I am.”

Johnny Manziel has always supported Reggie Bush

This is notably not the first time Johnny Manziel has called for the return of Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy. The former quarterback notably voiced his opinion on the issue on X (formerly Twitter) in August 2023, noting that the decision of the NCAA regarding the matter was wrong.

“There is nothing I want to see more than for Reggie to get his Heisman back. I think what the NCAA did in that situation is complete bulls---. He is one of the best college football players in history and deserves to be on that stage with us every year. The only difference between my story and Reggie’s is that my ‘illegal activities’ did not start until after my Heisman season.”

Since the vacating of Reggie Bush's award in 2005, only three non-quarterbacks have won it. Alabama’s running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (2020) have been the exceptions, breaking the quarterback-dominated trend.

It is to be seen what Johnny Maziel’s protest will help achieve in the route to getting Reggie Bush his Heisman Trophy back. Manziel, who won the award in 2012 was also investigated for an infraction regarding autograph monetization but he eventually got away with it.