Yahoo! Sports writers Charles Robinson and Jason Cole have been investigating Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush and the allegations that he received improper financial benefits from sports agents while still in college.

In the article entitled Cash and Carry, the writers detail the gifts (money and otherwise) that Bush and his family received while he was playing at the University of Southern California. The total is believed to exceed $100,000.

Some highlights of the article:

  • Gifts came from two sources: 1. Mike Ornstein and one of his employees. Ornstein is currently Bush’s marketing agent. 2. Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake, who were pursing Bush to be the first client of New Era Sports & Entertainment.
  • Gifts included airfare, limousines, and hotel accommodations for personal trips
  • Cash payments of at least $1,500 a week were made to the Bush family
  • $13,000 was paid by New Era for Bush to purchase and modify a car
  • The Bush family lived rent-fee in Michaels’s $757,500 home in Spring Valley, California
  • $28,000 was paid by Michaels to help clear up debt of the Bush family

Those implicated in this case are denying giving Bush or his family any benefits, monetary or otherwise. Bush was the second pick in the NFL draft, and got a six-year contract with the New Orleans Saints for $26.3 million. Ornstein has also helped Bush snag marketing deals worth about $50 million.