The numbers of USC’s two most recent Heisman Trophy winners are officially retired and immortalized in the Coliseum. Though, one had to wait much longer for that honor than the other.
It was nearly 20 years ago that Reggie Bush won his Heisman Trophy after one of the most electrifying seasons in college football history. That trophy was relinquished in 2010 after the NCAA found that Bush accepted improper benefits and hit USC with major sanctions that included erasing any mention of the legendary running back on campus.
Bush finally got his Heisman back in April after a prolonged fight with the Heisman Trust. And now, he has his No. 5 back up on the Peristyle end of the Coliseum as well.
He is joined by the No. 13 of Caleb Williams, whose stunning improvisational skills helped lead USC to the Pac-12 title game in 2022 on his way to becoming the Trojans’ eighth-ever Heisman winner.
Williams did have to wait a year to see his number retired, while he went through another season at USC. Last April, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick.
Bush had said for years that it was his goal, upon getting his Heisman back, to lead USC’s football team out of the Coliseum tunnel. Last week, Bush told The Times “that day will be coming soon,” but logistics still needed to be ironed out with the school.
A person familiar with those discussions not authorized to speak publicly said USC is currently working with Bush to find a game to honor him, but the two sides had yet to find a date.
The same treatment is expected for Williams, whose schedule, as the Bears starting quarterback, is a bit more complicated to work around. Though, the Bears play on Thursday during the week of the USC-Notre Dame game, making the rivalry matchup the most likely option for Williams to be honored.
On Thursday, USC announced Williams’ jersey was retired with a star-studded video that included messages of congratulations from the likes of singer John Legend and rapper Snoop Dogg, as well former teammates and Trojan hoops star Juju Watkins.
“You deserve it all,” Legend said. “What an incredible career you’ve had so far.”
For Bush, the honor is the latest step in a vindication tour that began with the Heisman Trust’s momentous decision in April. Bush has since had his portrait hung up in the Nissan Heisman House, been inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired at USC, among other things.
Next up on his list, he says, is getting the NCAA to reinstate USC’s records from its 2004 national championship season, which were stripped amid the NCAA sanctions.
“The 2004 national championship, we were unfairly stripped of,” Bush said. “It’s unfortunate that I’ve had to be the sole one fighting for all of this. But I’ll tell you this, I’m up for the fight. I’m a fighter. I don’t give up. I’ve always said I’d get the Heisman Trophy back, that it was just a matter of time when they give it back to me. But now I have another goal to accomplish, and that’s getting our records reinstated. Which will be happening.”
