After years of speculation and rumors that Reggie Bush  had accepted cash, gifts, and even a house from marketing agents at USC, he finally decided that the right thing to do was to give up his Heisman Trophy. Sounds noble, right? Well, not really when you consider that he’s never admitted to his transgressions and that his behavior (as well as the behavior of a few other players) has forced USC out of any bowl championships for the next two years as well as stripped them of their 2004 title. His recent public announcements through the Saints and his Twitter (“the key is to never allow your faults or mistakes to define you, yet use them as an opportunity to mature and grow to become better!”)

Then again, it’s important to take into consideration that at the time of his signing to USC, he was only 18 years old. How can you offer a kid that young over $100,000, a house, and a position on one of the greatest college football teams and expect him to say “no thanks, I have way too much honor for that. Also I’m 18, and have never seen that much money in my life. But nah, I’m good.” Perhaps the marketing people at USC should be taking the heat for this one, don’t you think?

Source: NY Times