When Reggie Bush officially decided to “forfeit” the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005, I said it would end the hotly debated topic. Boy was I wrong. A good portion of the day was spent discussing the morality of Bush giving back the Trophy, and maybe Desmond Howard made the best point of all. For someone who didn’t have a lot of opinions on all matters college football last week, the former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner was outspoken on College Football Live Wednesday. He called out new USC athletic director Pat Haden for a hypocritical act:
“Pat Haden, the new athletic director, earlier in the month he said ‘If I were Reggie Bush with Pat Haden’s soul, yes I would give back the Heisman.’ OK, the Heisman’s given back. But Pat Haden, what are you going to now as far as correcting these transgressions? They played with an ineligible player, they went to BCS Bowl Games with an ineligible player, you don’t have the wins no more but you still have the money. What is your soul telling you to do with that money now that you got with an illegal player? That’s the big question that I want to hear answered now.”
Howard’s not the first person I’ve heard say USC should pay back the BCS money they earned while Bush was an ineligible member of the team, but he did a good job relating Haden’s “soul” comment with what Bush finally did. He’s absolutely right. Bush gave back something for which he gave his butt off and rightfully earned on the field (but lost based on what he did off of it). Where’s Haden now to make good on his end? Wouldn’t that be the right, just, and moral thing to do too? Desmond’s absolutely correct. Next move is on you, Pat.
