Johnny Manziel bows out of Heisman ceremony in ultimatum toward Reggie Bush's legacy 

The year 2024 marks Johnny Manziel's tenth anniversary of getting drafted by the Cleveland Browns. It has been ten years since he was snapped on the college football field. Manziel won the Heisman Trophy in 2012. He recently announced he would skip the trophy in solidarity with 2005 winner Reggie Bush. Manziel announced the boycott on Twitter/X on Saturday morning.

After careful thought and consideration, I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back. 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. Do the RIGHT thing @NCAA the ball is in your court. Much love JM2

Manziel tagged the NCAA's official account and the former Saints running back in the message.

Per ESPN, Bush had the award taken from him concerning an investigation that found him guilty on multiple accounts. It determined he received money and had travel expenses paid for. Further, it found he had received a home near San Diego where his parents lived free for a year and got $10,000.

Exploring Johnny Manziel and Reggie Bush's different NFL careers

Johnny Manziel at San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns

Johnny Manziel spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Coming out of college, the quarterback was one of the most highly touted prospects in the class. He was selected 22nd overall by Cleveland. However, the team ran into trouble with the QB as parties and scandals plagued his tenure.

Following the 2015 season, the Browns took stock. It was determined that a 2-6 career record, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions was not worth the effort. The Browns cut ties with the QB.

No other team decided to take the plunge, and the QB was soon out of the league. Manziel resurfaced in the Canadian Football League in 2018, but his stint there was even shorter. Manziel threw for five touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 games of action. This includes one performance that saw him throw for four interceptions in a single game.

Reggie Bush, meanwhile, went on to play in the NFL for 11 years. Unlike most running backs who peak early and trail off, Bush started slow and rose to prominence six seasons in his career. He netted his first 1000-yard season at age 26 with his second team, the Miami Dolphins.

Bush managed to log 1000 yards for his third team and in the Detroit Lions before hitting Fatherhood. He managed to log stats between the 2014 and 2016 seasons, but his numbers sat much closer to zero than 1000 yards.