NEW ORLEANS -- Saints running back Reggie Bush said Wednesday that he hasn't heard anything from the Heisman Trophy Trust about being stripped of the award he won at USC in 2005. He also didn't give any indication that he would voluntarily give it back -- for now.
"At this point, it's out of my hands," Bush said after the Saints' final practice before they play host to the Minnesota Vikings in Thursday night's NFL season opener. "The Heisman Trust people released a statement that whatever was said was inaccurate."
Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that Bush would have his Heisman Trophy stripped by the end of this month as a result of an investigation by the trust. The NCAA levied sanctions against USC for violations during the 2005 season, and Bush was deemed ineligible for his role in those infractions.
Heisman Trophy Trust executive director Rob Whalen denied the report.
Bush said he was waiting for any developments regarding the Heisman, but his focus is more on his current job than any rulings regarding college football's most prestigious award.
"On the field, the play speaks for itself," he said of the 2005 statistics that gained him the Heisman.
Bush said he is trying to minimize this development because the NFC Championship rematch with the Vikings already presents "enough distractions."
"I think he's done a great job of dealing with that because it's been ongoing since he's arrived," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "From a timing standpoint, you get disappointed. It's just a report, but his focus and his maturity level has been fantastic. He's had a great training camp. He's smart enough to understand the challenges (Minnesota) presents, let alone trying to answer any of his critics. He's getting ready to play well and have a good season."
The NCAA found major violations in the USC football program and levied serious sanctions against the school in June, including the loss of scholarships and a two-year bowl ban. The Trojans have dissociated themselves from Bush, who was accused of accepting money and other benefits from sports agents.
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With the rematch of last season's NFC Championship game looming, Bush said he hasn't even thought about whether he'd actually return the trophy if officially stripped of the award.
"Here we are the day before the biggest game of the new season, and that's where my focus is," Bush said. "It's a big game. We're playing the Minnesota Vikings. It's going to be crazy. So that's where my focus is now. I've said all that I want to say, and everything else has to play itself out. ... It's an unfortunate situation for everybody, including the kids at USC."
Bush said he has not spoken to anyone at USC "for a while." He said he remains friends with Trojans coach Lane Kiffin and talks with him on occasion, but added that he hasn't "spoken to anybody regarding this specific stuff."
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