The Los Angeles Dodgers invited Reggie Bush to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, which included a surprise appearance by his former USC Trojans football teammate and close friend Matt Leinart.
The former Trojans quarterback dressed in a full Dodgers uniform and catcher’s gear as he went into a crouch behind home plate.
“I really did not know,” Bush told Stephen Nelson during the SportsNet LA broadcast. “I was like, ‘Is that Matt? What is he doing here?’ But that was awesome, man.”
Leinart added: “I said if I’m catching the first pitch, I’m going all in. What a night for Reggie.”
Bush and Leinart were part of a storied era of USC football that included multiple championships and 34-game winning streak, among other accomplishments.
Leinart grew up in Orange County and Bush in the San Diego area, but both are Dodgers fans. They were in the SportsNet LA booth when Shohei Ohtani hit his 13th home run of the season to tie for the MLB lead.
“Watching what he’s doing on a daily basis, the way he hits the ball, the way he pitches, what he brings to the game, the charisma, everything about him, he’s a superstar,” Bush said of Ohtani. “So watching him perform live in person and hit that home run right now, speaks volumes to how great he is.”
Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy
Last month, the Heisman Trophy Trust reinstated the 2005 trophy to Bush.
That added him back to the group of USC Trojans to win the Heisman Trophy that includes Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Leinart (2004) and Caleb Williams (2022).
USC officially has the most Heisman Trophy winners in all of college football.
“It’s awesome to have it back,” Bush said. “It’s great to have support from my brother, Matt, and fans, family. I couldn’t be more honored to have the support that I had while going through this.
“This is a celebration. Being able to come here to Dodger Stadium, I’ve been a lifelong Dodger fan. A big portion of my family is from L.A., so Dodgers is who we are. I loved being able to bring the trophy out here.”
Leinart had long lobbied for the Heisman Trophy to be returned to Bush, and is among those ecstatic to see the legacy of his close friend living on.
“I FaceTimed him that morning when I found out. I woke up that morning to like 50 texts of, ‘Did you hear the news? Did you hear the news?’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God. It finally happened,'” Leinart recalled.
“We talked about it a bunch over the years, and as you said, deservedly so. The Heisman is back. We all know what Reggie accomplished in college, what he stands for, the impact he’s had and continues to have on college football.”
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