During Mark Emmert’s entire tenure as NCAA president, the USC football investigation has been a cloud that hangs over the organization.
As part of the investigation that concluded in 2010, former USC running back Reggie Bush was famously stripped of his Heisman Trophy for accepting impermissible benefits while attending the university. He tried to get the award reinstated recently, but was ultimately denied by the Heisman Trust.
On Tuesday, Bush took to social media to call out Emmert and the Heisman Trust as the current NCAA president winds down his tenure.
“I wonder why the NCAA has gone quiet on me? They had a lot to say last year,” he said. “These are some pretty serious allegations. Don’t run now Mark, the party is just getting started! Mark Emmert is [a] liar, a conman, a thief, but most importantly he is a coward. Hello Heisman Trust.”
Emmert became the NCAA president in 2010, right after the organization wrapped up the original USC investigation. For the most part, Bush and Emmert’s relationship revolves around the fallout from this investigation and Bush’s attempt to get his Heisman back.
Earlier this year, Bush detailed his difficulty in dealing with the Heisman Trust while trying to get the award reinstated, calling the latest investigation “sloppy.” Now that college players are allowed to make money through NIL deals, Bush feels that he is entitled to his award.
USC welcomed Bush back after ten years in June, 2021, but the NCAA has upheld its decision to vacate the wins and awards from his time at the university.
