Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton was the subject of an NCAA investigation that began because it was believed he took money to join Auburn.
Now, Newton is claiming he knows what “sources” kicked off the entire investigation. While the story seems meaningless in an era where players are openly paid to come to certain schools, any inkling of a pay-for-play situation was taboo just over a decade ago.
How did Cam Newton end up with the Auburn Tigers?
Newton originally played for the Florida Gators under head coach Urban Meyer before having to move on with his college career. He was caught stealing a laptop in the dorm rooms of Florida University and found himself at a junior college a year later.
After becoming a top junior college recruit, Newton came to the Auburn Tigers. During his time with the Tigers, he solidified himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football.
He took home the Heisman Trophy and almost single-handedly brought Auburn a National title. He threw for just under 3,000 yards, rushed for just under 1,500 yards and accounted for 51 total touchdowns. Hardly any of his teammates on that Auburn team are remembered over a decade later.
How Cam Newton’s decision to go to the Auburn Tigers sparked the NCAA investigation
According to Cam Newton himself on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, his offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Florida was at the crux of the notorious NCAA investigation.
After helping Meyer and the Gators win a national championship for the second time in three years, Dan Mullen was off to become the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He wanted to take quarterback Cam Newton with him.
Newton knew that Meyer had to sign off on the transfer and decided to go to junior college. This is the decision that caused Dan Mullen, and his wife Megan, to be the two sources that claimed Newton took money to go to Auburn.
Newton never had any proof that Mullen and his wife were the two sources, but he explained that the way they interacted after the incident led him to believe that was the case.
While Cam Newton was declared ineligible twice that season, he was still able to play in the National Championship Game. According to his father Cecil in an article from AL.com, it was because he “fell on the sword.”
“I fell on the sword,” Cecil Newton said. “I willfully fell on the sword for my son. I didn’t want the allegation to spread and create an environment where he was going to be disqualified to play.”
The entire NCAA investigation involving Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers is now inconsequential
The idea that a star SEC quarterback like Newton would get suspended for such an innocuous sum of money seems bizarre in today’s game.
According to On3, Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders has an NIL valuation of $4.7 million. Sanders won four games in a far inferior conference. Sanders has a long way to go before being considered in the same sentence as Newton when it comes to college quarterbacks.
According to On3, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has an NIL valuation of $2.8 million. Manning has yet to play a meaningful down of college football and is openly making significantly more money than Newton was ever accused of making in college.
Looking back on the story from the modern era of college football makes the attack from Mullen seem even more petty than it would have been back then.
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