Reggie Bush Wanted to ‘Give Up on Life’ After Losing Heisman Trophy (Exclusive)

Reggie Bush is opening up about the emotional time he went through during his Heisman Trophy controversy back in 2010.

The former football player and Super Bowl champ is currently in New Orleans for Super Bowl 2025, and caught up with PEOPLE from the SiriusXM set at Media Row on Feb. 6.

Bush, now 39, was forced to give up his Heisman Trophy following an NCAA investigation that determined he received money and goods from University of Southern California that were not allowed under NCAA rules, thus making him ineligible for the prestigious honor.

At the time, the scandal was one of the biggest in college football history.

“That really took a really big shot at my confidence, who I am as a person, who I was as a player, what I stood for,” he tells PEOPLE. “Because a lot of lies were being spread about me and about who I was and it was unfortunate because I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

The onslaught towards the athlete was so intense that it affected his mental health. “I’m so happy I’m standing right here in front of you today as someone who made it through it and didn’t give up because there were portions in that time period in my life where I wanted to give up on football and on life,” says Bush.

He continues, “It felt like it was extremely hard. When people are spreading lies about you, and these lies are being spread globally, it felt like, it’s just one of the toughest things to deal with.”

In 2024, the Heisman Trust announced its decision to give Bush back his trophy, citing the “enormous changes” — the NCAA’s “Name, Image and Likeness” (NIL) policy, which allows college players to take on brand partnership deals — that have since been made in the world of college football, CNN reported.

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“I’m so happy they did the right thing, giving me back my trophy,” Bush, who had also filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA in 2023, tells PEOPLE. “They had no choice, honestly.”

Bush is back in New Orleans at Super Bowl LIX for a partnership with Tostitos. Being there is naturally emotional for the star, who was playing for the Saints at the time of the scandal.

“When I think I’m at my weakest point and when I’m dealing with depression, fighting thoughts of suicide, there’s an entire city there to embrace me and to lift me up, and to give me an opportunity to go out, once again, to prove myself,” he told CBS Mornings last year.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.