Former NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel is seen on the sidelines of an NCAA college football game between Texas A&M and Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
FILE – Southern California tailback Reggie Bush picks up the Heisman Trophy after being announced as the winner of the award Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005, in New York. Former Southern California running back Reggie Bush plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA over a statement made by college sports’ governing body about the reasoning for its decision not to restore the Heisman Trophy winner’s records. Bush announced his plan Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, through his attorneys at McCathern PLLC.(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel says he'll be staying away from future Heisman ceremonies until Reggie Bush “gets his trophy back.”
Manziel, the 2012 Heisman winner, announced the move on social media Saturday.
“Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year,” Manziel said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Reggie IS the Heisman trophy.”
Bush, who won the trophy in 2005, had his award vacated after USC was hit with NCAA sanctions when it was found that Bush and his family received money and gifts during his time with the Trojans from fledgling marketing agents who were hoping to represent the rising football star.
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Manziel called on the NCAA to “do the RIGHT thing.”
Bush was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame's class of 2023.
“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,” Manziel said in an additional post. “Reggie’s play on the field inspired me to be the football player that I am. To the Heisman trust I hope you understand my positioning.”
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Manziel was released by the Cleveland Browns in 2016 after playing 14 games over two seasons. He tried several comebacks but never returned to the NFL.
Manziel, who was drafted by the Browns in 2014 following a wildly successful college career at Texas A&M, said in the Netflix documentary “Untold: Johnny Football” that a drug addiction contributed to his downfall.
