This is indeed the new age of the Heisman trophy and how its candidates will be chosen but thoroughly evaluated through the media and various news outlets first. This is year 1 A.R. (After Reggie) and it looks like Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy upheaval is already paying some dividends in trying to clean up college athletics.
There are some very STRONG allegations that this year’s perceived Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton, negotiated his way onto Auburn after playing the field first then receiving an offer from the Tigers that was too good to refuse.
According to an ESPN report, there are two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year.
Prior to Newton’s commitment to Auburn, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take “more than a scholarship” to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said.
After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret that he wouldn’t be going to Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because “the money was too much.”
The sources supposedly relayed these calls to SEC officials back in January, so it’s kind of crazy how things are just now becoming a problem as Auburn steadily marches its way to the BCS championship game.
And believe it or not, this is Cam Newton’s second offense in the past week that Auburn’s had to defend. Auburn found itself yesterday defending Newton in the wake of allegations of academic cheating when he was at Florida.
We all know that these suspicions have yet to be confirmed, but as we saw with Reggie Bush, when there’s smoke there’s fire. Cam hasn’t been ruled ineligible yet and as with Reggie, the conclusion of the NCAA’s investigation could take years. Cam will very well most likely be playing on Sundays by then.
If you had a Heisman Trophy vote, would you vote for Cam?
