Bijan Robinson's bold request to un-retire Reggie Bush's No. 5 at USC revealed

It's hard to imagine anyone else playing for USC in one of the following jersey numbers. 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 20 , 32, and 33 are retired for a reason. Maybe in a world where Matt Leinart's son, Cole, hadn't committed to SMU, there could go a conversation there to be had. It goes without saying, it would have to take something significant and special for that possibility to even be considered.

While speaking on the LOL Network's 'Cold As Balls' with Kevin Hart, Bijan Robinson shared that the decision when choosing between his top three came down to wanting to see the Trojans do the unthinkable.

During the ice bath exchange of ideas, Robinson disclosed to Hart that he gave something of a condition to the USC staff that was recruiting him. The Trojans had made the final cut, and it was them, Ohio State, and Texas vying for his services.

The running back liked what the program had to offer enough at the time; his demand was a simple one, at least in his mind: un-retire Reggie Bush's number. He explained:

"Reggie Bush was my favorite player. I was like ‘If i can wear number 5 and bring it out of retirement, I’ll come to USC!"

Now, there are two ways to look at this. The former Trojan Heisman Trophy winner was the guy a then five-star recruit looked up to and wanted to emulate. Naturally, athletes want to be the best, and carrying on the legacy of a true college football great would have meant a lot to Robinson.

On the other hand, it's Reggie Bush. While Robinson would go on to have success at Texas and would even become a Doak Walker Award winner, even the reincarnation of Bo Jackson himself would make a lot of Trojan fans highly uneasy about seeing someone else with the #5 jersey.

Particularly for a freshman coming in, not saying that there wouldn't be ANY circumstances, but it's certainly something that would have to be earned or have a strong prior USC connection.

Still, it says a lot that Robinson views himself in that light and had the gumption to even make his contingency point known.

Possible crossroads moment for USC

Considering the head coach at the time, Clay Helton, would soon be forced out of town anyway, it's possible the HC could have extended his stay. Certainly, he would have loved Robinson in the RB room. The then-recruit's demands, however, would at best have resulted in that being a goal for Robinson to earn as an upperclassman. Something like that wouldn't just be given away to anyone.

It is interesting to hear stories like this from current players looking back on what happened during their college careers, especially knowing how it all ended up unfolding. The comedian has a good way of balancing the fun aspect of the show with asking good questions for the athletes to give something of a deep dive.

Every Tuesday, the Laugh Out Loud YouTube channel features high-profile players, as sports fans can watch Hart engage with the pros during his Cold As Balls interviews. Planned upcoming guests include Lamar Jackson, Mike Evans, and Kike Hernandez.