Cam Newton Investigation: 10 Questions That Need To Be Answered
Cam Newton remains in the spotlight, both for good and bad reasons.
The Auburn quarterback continues to be one of college football's best players, and he leads a
Tigers (10-0) team that is second in both the Associated Press poll and in the latest BCS rankings. A win for Auburn over Georgia this weekend would clinch a spot in the upcoming SEC championship in Atlanta.
Amid those opportunities, though, linger questions about an alleged pay-for-play scandal involving Newton. He committed to Auburn last December after spending a year playing at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. Numerous stories have alleged that Newton and his family were offered $180,000 to commit to Mississippi State before he committed to Auburn.
Is it true? Untrue? There is a lot unanswered, and plenty to consider about this situation. Here are 10 questions that need to be answered about Newton:
1. Is This Story Based Only On Alleged Conversations?
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Read through the list of daily stories and you'll hear about multiple alleged conversations that took place with Newton, his father Cecil Newton and his alleged recruiters.
Look close enough and you'll see something missing: text messages, emails, recorded conversations, copies of withdrawal receipts from a bank. Add one, or lots of those, to this and the story's credibility grows considerably.
That obviously is where the NCAA is focusing: ESPN.com reported that Cecil Newton said the family received a letter recently from the NCAA requesting financial statements. Those were provided, along with other records from Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in Newnan, Ga., where Cecil Newton is a pastor.
2. Do We Know The Whole Story About Kenny Rogers?
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This story gets even more complex when it comes to Kenny Rogers, the alleged former Mississippi State player involved in this scandal.
John Bond, a former Mississippi State quarterback who originally came forward with the allegations, said he was contacted by Rogers about allegedly soliciting money in exchange for Newton's commitment to Miss State. But he also said he hasn't heard from Rogers in 30 years.
It would be one thing if they were close friends, but why would Rogers' name be thrown out there if they haven't kept in contact?
Rogers, who played for the Bulldogs in the 1980s, recently told a Dallas radio station that he has nothing to do with any of it.
"Heck no," he said. "I've never done that. A school has never paid me for a kid, an alumni has never paid me for a kid. Period. Point blank."
3. What About Newton's Time at Blinn College and Visit To Oklahoma?
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The two biggest schools involved in this story have been Mississippi State and Auburn, both of which coveted Newton.
The Mississippi State connection exists, since head coach Dan Mullen was the offensive coordinator when he was still at Florida. After leaving Florida, though, Newton transferred to Blinn Junior College, a tiny two-year school located in Brenham, Texas. Did any former alums from either Auburn or Mississippi State live in the region and contact Newton?
The second part of this is Oklahoma, one of the schools Newton visited last December before committing to Auburn.
The Tulsa World reports that three Oklahoma coaches went to see Newton play in last year's JUCO championship, and that Newton was impressed during his visit to Norman. Coach Bob Stoops said in the story that nothing unusual caught his attention during Newton's recruitment, adding that "our recruitment of Cam could not have been better."
If Newton was so impressed, then what made him decide against Oklahoma? And did his dad reach out and try to contact anyone there about the school or the football program, like he allegedly did at Mississippi State?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
4. How Credible And Trustworthy Is The Media's Reporting?
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Much of this investigation and the stories that have followed involve "sources."
Aspiring college journalists all the way to seasoned veterans know that sources aren't used unless it's a last resort. And, even then, you have to double and triple check their credibility.
Use a source improperly and the damage could be catastrophic, something that Gregg Doyel points out brilliantly in a report on CBSSports.com. In his story, he tells of how he talked with Bond's attorney, Phil Abernathy, who said Bond never named Kenny Rogers as the individual who was trying to get Newton money in order to commit to the Bulldogs.
Keep in mind, that's what several major news outlets have built this story around.
5. What Is Gene Chizik's Part In All This?
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The Auburn coach was furious on Tuesday. He expressed his outrage about all the stories surrounding Newton, calling them "garbage."
"I'm trying to defend something that is quite frankly garbage,'' Chizik said. "Is there a wizard behind the curtain, I don't know.''
Chizik has already put Auburn back on track since replacing former coach Tommy Tuberville. One reason is hiring Trooper Taylor, considered one of the nation's best recruiters. Taylor is an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach for Chizik.
Coaches always closely monitor recruiting activities within their programs. If these allegations turn out to be true, and Chizik knew about it, Auburn would have no choice but to fire him immediately.
6. Who Leaked the Information About Newton's Academic Records and Why?
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The fact that a student's grades were released to the public is a violation of federal privacy laws.
That's what happened with Newton, whose records from his time at Florida were released. Cecil Newton told Paul Finebaum, a popular columnist and radio show host in Alabama, that it's a "character assassination attempt" on his son and that "there's a group of people who have a hidden agenda."
Florida coach Urban Meyer also released a statement that it was a "ridiculous claim" that he or anyone on his staff had anything to do with the leaked information.
7. Do These Allegations Line Up With Newton's Character?
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It has been pointed out that, while at Florida, Newton got caught with a stolen laptop computer.
In November 2008, he was arrested and charged with grand theft, burglary, and obstructing justice in connection with a stolen laptop. Newton admitted to possessing the laptop, and he went through a program which ended with all charges being dropped last December.
Other than that, has anyone seen a repeated pattern of shocking behavior besides that one incident?
Auburn coach Gene Chizik has continued to praise Newton and the type of person he is.
"This is a great kid. I can speak intelligently on that one," Chizik said, following Saturday's 62-24 win over Chattanooga. "This is a great kid. You can go back and you can talk to elementary coaches, high school (coaches). This is a great kid, and he has been a great kid at Auburn University every day that he has been around me, this staff and his teammates."
Newton revealed more about himself late last month while discussing his time at Blinn. He talked about helping paint the football stadium and trips to Walmart for groceries. Now he's a local celebrity, but Newton said that hasn't defined him and who he is.
8. Will Newton's Chances at The Heisman Be Hurt?
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There's no question Newton should be the Heisman favorite, but voters are torn on how these allegations will influence his chances.
Tennessean columnist Joe Biddle, a Heisman voter, said these allegations could cost Newton the prestigious award. He also noted that, just like with what happened to former USC running back Reggie Bush, the allegations are being strongly denied. Of course, Bush ended up giving back his Heisman.
Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said even the chance of the allegations being true may cause voters to vote for someone else, simply because there's a chance Newton could have to give the award back in a few years. Barnhart also added: "Is that fair? Of course it's not fair."
John Tamanaha, who also has a Heisman vote, took a different approach for NBCSports, writing that "no individual should take it upon him or herself to pass premature judgement on someone's collegiate eligibility. That's an intricate painstaking process and it's not part of a voter's responsibility."
9. Will The NCAA Keep Auburn Out Of The BCS National Championship?
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It's hard to say.
On one hand, if the NCAA has done its due diligence and doesn't find any problems, this could be wrapped up quickly. But the NCAA always covers its bases with investigations like these, and it is quite thorough, so these matters usually drag on. But the longer this takes, the more you have to wonder about what was found and how serious it is.
10. Did Mississippi State and The SEC Handle This Properly?
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You'll probably be left scratching your head on this question.
But take a look at the statement released to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger last week by John Bond through his attorney: "During the 2009 football season, I was contacted by a former football teammate, who represented to me that he was speaking for the Newton camp. He told me that Cam Newton wanted to play at Mississippi State, but that a specified payment would have to be made.
"I reported the conversation to the Mississippi State Athletic Department. I was told by the Athletic Department that Mississippi State would not respond to the overture that was made to me, and that Mississippi State would continue to recruit Cam Newton as it does any other football recruit.”
Why would Mississippi State not respond? Would it hurt anything to find out if it was accurate or crazy talk?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
