Newton arrived at Auburn in January as a highly touted junior college signee. Eleven months later, he’s the most celebrated college football player in the nation and getting ready for the national title game against Oregon. He has had a phenomenal season, becoming just the third quarterback in NCAA FBS history with at least 20 TD runs and 20 TD passes in the same season. He has rushed for 1,409 yards and 20 TDs, and he has passed for another 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns. His presence also has been the difference between a 13-0 season and a spot in the national title game and an 8-4/9-3 season and a spot in the Chick-fil-A Bowl for the Tigers. But it hasn’t all been good news. In early November, news broke that Newton’s dad, Cecil Newton Sr., allegedly shopped his son to the highest bidder out of junior college. An intermediary for Newton Sr. reportedly told persons associated with the Mississippi State athletic department late last year that it would take $180,000 to get Cam to sign with the Bulldogs. It later was revealed that Mississippi State reported the situation to the SEC office, and after the SEC received more documentation from the school, it informed Auburn in July that there was a possibility of improper recruitment of Cam because of his father. On Nov. 29, the NCAA ruled that a “violation of amateurism rules occurred,” and Newton was ruled ineligible by Auburn the next day. On Dec. 1, the NCAA ruled that, with the information available at that time, Newton was eligible to play for Auburn. Newton went on to lead Auburn to the SEC championship and won the Heisman by a large margin. Still, the NCAA probe continues.
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