Eligibility questions hurting Cam Newton’s Heisman chances
Allegations surrounding Cam Newton’s eligibility could cost the youngster a chance at winning the Heisman Trophy.
The recent allegations that have surfaced regarding Cam Newton’s father Cecil Newton asking for money from Mississippi State boosters in exchange for his son’s commitment to their football program could cost the youngster a Heisman Trophy, whether the accusations
are true or not.
At the moment the evidence seems to overwhelmingly point towards Cecil Newton attempting to solicit money from Mississippi State boosters. To this point three men have come out claiming that Cecil was seeking anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000.
The accusations were first made public by former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers, who said that Cecil asked him for money. The story follows that Rogers then went to two other Mississippi State boosters and asked for the funds. When both men turned
him down, Rogers claims that he received a phone call from Cam saying that he could not come to Mississippi State because his father said the money from Auburn was too much to turn down.
At the moment the FBI, the state and the NCAA are all investigating the issue and hope to find out the truth in the near future. However, it is unlikely anything will be concluded before the Heisman voters are sent to the polls.
This unfortunate case means that voters will have to draw their own conclusions before the NCAA rules on his eligibility. Meaning voters will have to determine whether or not they want to risk voting for Newton.
The Heisman Trophy has been through a lot in the past year, as early in the 2010 season the Heisman committee stripped Reggie Bush of the 2005 trophy after it was determined that he was ineligible.
Can the trophy survive a similar fate, whether it is this season or five years from now?
Part of struggle is that Newton is far-and-away the best candidate this season. Although Oregon Ducks running back LaMichael James and Boise State Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore have had incredible seasons, they pale in comparison to Newton’s. The youngster
has managed 2,038 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns to go along with his six games of over 100 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground. It total Newton has accounted for 38 touchdowns this season in only 11 games. Moreover, he has led an underdog
Auburn side to, second in the Bowl Championship Series standings and a Southeastern Conference championship game. If the Tigers were to play for the national title, which is a real possibility, it will be the first in school history.
Auburn’s success can almost entirely be attributed to the offence, as they rank 4th in the nation in rushing yards per game and 5th in the country in points-for per game, while sitting 58th in points-against per game.
Making this situation all the more depressing is the fact that Newton’s father seems to have led the charge for payment from Mississippi State with no evidence pointing to Cam receiving the funds.
There is no question that what the Newton’s did was wrong and in clear violation of the NCAA rules and it is true that there are other candidates that also deserve the Heisman and will have followed the rules from recruitment to graduation, but what Cam
Newton has done on the field this season has been simply remarkable. We must also remember that Newton is only 21 years old and if it turns out that his father was behind the monetary demands it should not be a kid, who is barely old enough to drink a beer
that gets punished.
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