Bush apologizes to new USC AD

Reggie Bush apologized to new USC athletic director Pat Haden for his NCAA violations that led to sanctions against the Trojans, going so far as to say if he could give back the Heisman Trophy, he would.

Haden told USA Today the two had a 15-minute phone conversation last week in which Bush expressed regret for taking cash and other improper benefits.

"He's really contrite," Haden said of the 2005 Heisman winner. "He knows he made a series of mistakes. It wasn't just one mistake. It was a series of mistakes.

"He told me, 'If I could turn the clock back, I would. If I could give the Heisman Trophy back, I would.' "

Bush's violations led the NCAA to ban the Trojans from postseason games for two years and stripped them of 30 scholarships. USC is appealing some penalties, but not the 14 vacated wins in which Bush played from December 2004 through the 2005 season. USC also could lose its 2004 national title.