Johnny Manziel: 'Complete Bulls--t' How Reggie Bush Was Stripped of Heisman Trophy

Former Texas A&M superstar quarterback Johnny Manziel said it's "complete bulls--t" that the NCAA took away ex-USC legendary running back Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy.

Manziel's remark was in response to a tweet from ex-professional cornerback Eric Crocker of Locked on 49ers.

After watching the recently released Untold: Johnny Football documentary, Crocker wondered why Manziel was able to keep his Heisman despite taking money for selling autographs, which was illegal under NCAA rules when Manziel played in the early 2010s.

Bush, who won the Heisman in 2005, voluntarily gave his trophy back five years later following an NCAA investigation.

Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times explained what happened:

"Bush returned his Heisman Trophy following a four-year NCAA investigation that found Bush to be retroactively ineligible for his trophy-winning 2005 season because he and his family accepted impermissible benefits that included cash, travel expenses and a rent-free San Diego-area home.

"In June 2010, the NCAA issued harsh sanctions to USC, which was forced to vacate the 2004 national title, relinquish 30 scholarships and permanently disassociate from Bush, whose presence was erased from USC and the NCAA record books.

"That disassociation ban was finally lifted in June 2020 after 10 years. Earlier this week, the last vestige of the landmark infractions case was decided out of court, as former USC running backs coach Todd McNair settled a defamation suit he had filed against the NCAA for an undisclosed sum, more than a decade after he was handed a show-cause penalty by the NCAA."

These days, athletes can profit off their name, image and likeness, leading to greater calls for Bush to get his hard-earned trophy back, including one from Manziel now.

However, that still has yet to materialize, and the Heisman Trust has said it will not do so unless the NCAA restores Bush's records. That has not happened.

Regardless of whether or not Bush gets his well-deserved Heisman back, he'll still go down as one of the greatest college football players of all time. In 2005, when Bush won his Heisman, the star runner amassed 2,218 total yards and 18 touchdowns in just 13 games, rushing for 8.7 yards per carry along the way.