Johnny Manziel boycotts Heisman ceremony, wants Reggie Bush reinstated

Johnny Manziel boycotts Heisman ceremony, wants Reggie Bush reinstated

Johnny Manziel continues to be Reggie Bush’s biggest proponent.

Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, took to social media Saturday to make his intentions known that he will boycott the Heisman Trophy ceremony until the NCAA returns Bush’s Heisman Trophy, which was stripped from him following NCAA sanctions.

“After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back,” Manziel posted on “X,” the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy. Do the RIGHT thing @NCAA the ball is in your court.”

In August, Manziel, coming off a his newly released Netlfix documentary, took to Twitter to sound off against the NCAA.

“There is nothing I want to see more than for Reggie to get his Heisman back,” Manziel posted. “I think what the NCAA did in that situation is complete bullshit. He is one of the best college football players in history and deserves to be on that stage with us every year.

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“The only difference between my story and Reggie’s is that my ‘illegal activities’ did not start until after my Heisman season.”

In 2010, the NCAA announced major sanctions against USC. The NCAA found that Bush had received gifts from sports agent Lloyd Lake and his partner, Michael Michaels. USC was given four years of probation and forced to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season – including the 2005 Orange Bowl – as well as all of its wins in the 2005 season.

Bush voluntarily forfeited his title as the 2005 winner. The Heisman Trust decided to leave the award vacated with no new winner to be announced.

Last month, Manziel revealed in a moot point, “there was a bag man at every school around the country if you were competing for a national title.” That includes Alabama, he said.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.