LOS ANGELES — On a glowing nook rooftop of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, former USC star Reggie Bush stood at a podium in entrance of the media on Wednesday morning and pointed down under – right down to the Coliseum seats the place red-and-gold banners commemorate the numbers of USC’s Heisman Trophy winners.
Down, particularly, to the extensive house empty for Bush’s No. 5, the quantity that birthed Trojan greatness and fame earlier than almost twenty years of legislative battles with the NCAA and Bush’s Heisman being stripped over allegations of accepting improper advantages.
“I received desires of strolling again in right here, seeing my jersey, my banner proper down there subsequent to the remainder of the Heisman Trophy winners,” Bush stated at a Wednesday press convention.
“However I can’t rightfully do this,” he continued, “with out my Heisman Trophy.”
On Wednesday morning, Bush filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA in Indiana’s Marion Superior Courtroom searching for to “maintain the NCAA accountable for maliciously attacking the character of Mr. Bush,” the grievance learn. Bush’s counsel – Levi G. McCathern and Ben Crump – confirmed Wednesday that the go well with hinged on an announcement given by the NCAA to media in July 2021 that asserted Bush’s collegiate information wouldn’t be restored because of a “pay-for-play association.”
That “pay-for-play” designation hinges on the NCAA’s investigation into Bush, constructed on testimony from Lloyd Lake, who alleged Bush had accepted 1000’s of {dollars} in money and advantages throughout a star-studded profession as a operating again at USC. On Wednesday, McCathern charged that “the violations they discovered have been primarily based on shoddy proof of sloppy investigation.”
“Horrible work by the NCAA,” McCathern stated. “Had been very marginal violations at finest. It’s issues like, loaning cash for Reggie to repair his automobile. Permitting Reggie to vary garments earlier than a Doak Walker ceremony.”
“Their investigation,” McCathern continued, “have been primarily based on the testimony of a person whose testimony is doubtful at finest.”
When requested by a reporter about critics who supported the “pay-for-play” designation due to longstanding reviews Bush was gifted cash to buy a automobile, Bush responded, “That was by no means a part of the NCAA report … my mother and father have been by no means even interviewed by the NCAA.”
The Southern California Information Group despatched an inquiry to the NCAA on Wednesday morning asking for touch upon Bush’s lawsuit.
Bush has additionally filed a petition to the NCAA, his counsel introduced, to rethink the Committee on Infraction’s determination to vacate Bush’s private information and wins of USC’s soccer crew.
“USC joins on this Petition insofar as its participation is required to beat any standing concern … USC defers to Bush and undersigned counsel for the substance of the Petition,” the petition reads, the college’s sign-off confirmed by Bush’s counsel Wednesday.
Throughout 25 minutes in Wednesday’s press convention, Bush and his attorneys rebuked and rebutted a number of matters associated to the lawsuit: what they referred to as “false impression” that Bush was paid to play soccer at USC and the NCAA’s refusal to budge on Bush’s determination even below the legalization of title, picture and likeness income for faculty athletes.
“The NCAA can’t proceed this plantation mentality, and proceed to deal with beginner athletes as indentured servants, profiting off their likeness and their performances,” famous civil rights legal professional Crump introduced in booming voice.
Bush, the lawsuit reads, calls for “presumed and compensatory damages to be established at trial,” “punitive damages,” “prejudgment and post-judgment curiosity on the most price allowed by legislation,” and a trial by jury. His attorneys stated there’s no timeline for the lawsuit, however hoped the infractions committee had a call on the petition by the top of the school soccer season.
As Bush and his crew expounded and expunged the deserves of his character, crews on the Coliseum tended to the grass, readying for USC’s first soccer recreation Saturday in opposition to San Jose State.
“We count on that jersey to be up there quickly,” McCathern stated. “As a result of, as we all know, USC has the ability to place it up for the sport on Saturday … so far as promise? No. Nobody has given us promise of something we’re asking for.”
