As we continue to wonder where Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy is and whether he’s ever going to give it back to the Heisman Trust, one issue could be complicating things: Bush’s stepdad, who is reportedly in possession of the trophy, is getting divorced from Bush’s mom.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Denise Griffin, Bush’s mom, recently filed for divorce from Bush’s stepdad, Lamar Griffin. And the paper also reports that it was Lamar Griffin who retrieved the Heisman Trophy from the San Diego Hall of Champions last week.
It’s not clear what Lamar Griffin plans to do with the Heisman Trophy. Maybe he’s planning to return the trophy to the Heisman Trust and this story will soon be over. Or maybe he’s planning to keep the trophy and maintain that it was a gift from his stepson that the Heisman Trust has no right to take back. Or maybe the trophy will be an asset that the Griffins will fight over in divorce court.
But whatever happens with the trophy itself, it’s another case of Bush’s parents complicating things for Bush -- just as it was the Griffins’ rent-free housing during Bush’s time at USC that led to the NCAA investigation that ultimately resulted in sanctions against the school and Bush being stripped of his status as a Heisman winner.
On a personal level, one of the reasons I’ve always liked Reggie Bush is that I found the kind words he had for his stepdad during his Heisman acceptance speech touching. “You took me in at the age of two,” Bush said to his stepdad, before choking up. Bush clearly believed then that his stepdad was one of the people who deserved credit for his possession of the most hallowed trophy in college sports. Whether that means Bush’s stepdad will remain in possession of the trophy remains to be seen.