Reggie Bush once again blasts NCAA about his Heisman
The Heisman Trophy is about athletic achievement, not about whether the school obeyed the rules at the time. If the school bought several highly sought after players in order to vie for a championship, the punishment should be to the school, and the successes of that team should no longer be part of statistical records. (And that’s what officially happened)
However the trophy is based on the achievement of the player on the football field. It’s not an award that is given to the most ethical player. There are college football awards for academic achievement and even community support. The Heisman winners all received their award for their performance as a football player who made the biggest impact for the benefit of his team.
The school got punished for how they acquired Reggie. But that money didn’t automatically make him a better player. And I would feel the same even if he never started his NFL career for the Saints.