Supposedly, Vince Young has told friends on more than one occasion that he wouldn’t accept the Heisman if the 2005 trophy were to be stripped from Reggie Bush and given to the second-place finisher in the voting -- him.
Just last week, Young’s mother, in defending Bush from the meanies in the media and the NCAA, said that the Young family is “not interested in having no honor and no glory out of somebody else they are trying to tear down.”
On the flip side is Young’s former college coach, Mack Brown, who said recently that, if Bush loses the award, “I think Vince should be awarded the trophy.” Based on his comments Monday, Young is definitely in his former coach’s camp.
Sorry mom.
Speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter this morning, Young left no doubt that he wouldn’t kick Reggie’s hardware out of bed for eating crackers.
“I definitely want it, I definitely want it,’' said Young. “But he won it fair and square definitely, and it’s much respect to Reggie, man. He had a great career and he’s already won a Super Bowl before me. I’m already mad about that.
“But at the same time I am definitely happy for him, man, and he is definitely the Heisman Trophy winner for that year. But if they send it over to me I am not going to say no to it.”
If the reports of late are correct, Young won’t get the opportunity to accept or decline the award as its expected to be vacated. Still, based on Young’s own comments, he’s leaving some space in his trophy case on the off-chance that the reports are ultimately inaccurate.
As for when a final decision will come, that’s still to be determined. The Heisman Trophy Trust will hold their regularly-scheduled monthly meeting Tuesday and, while common sense would say that the Bush situation would come up at some point, an announcement on the fate of Bush’s trophy is not imminent.