Gene Chizik: Can He Convince Cam Newton To Come Back for 2012 BCS Title Run?

Gene Chizik is going to lead the Auburn Tigers into battle against the Oregon Ducks in tonight’s national championship game, but once done, he’s going to have another battle to wage.

Cam Newton has been the center of attention this season for numerous reasons. He’s been electric on the field and lit up the scoreboard this year en route to a Heisman Trophy.

He was also controversial off it, with the pay-for-play scandal enveloping him and the program.

With that drama still floating around on the back burner, the temptation to leave would be obvious. Newton could conceivably have won a Heisman Trophy and the national championship in the same season by the end of the night, sending his draft stock through the roof.

People have already projected him as a first-round draft pick if he declares, and with Andrew Luck deciding to stay at Stanford for another year, Newton is even more valuable.

However, Newton should return to Auburn and make another run at a national championship with the Tigers.

We’ve only seen one year of Newton as a starting quarterback at the college level, and while it was an amazing season, that’s not enough to build up a strong résumé for pro scouts.

If he returns, he’ll be joining to a team that is still growing into a national force under Chizik and will automatically be one of the favorites to win it all, and Newton will be favored to win another Heisman.

Today, a lot of college athletes like to strike while the iron is hot and head to the pros. However, Newton would enter a draft where he most likely won’t be the first quarterback selected.

While Luck will probably be the first quarterback selected next year, Newton could spend the time between now and then working on flaws in his game and getting better as a quarterback.

We’ve seen players like Vince Young come out of college and be thrust into the spotlight quickly without time to develop properly. Newton is arguably more gifted than Young was during his time in Texas and he shouldn’t rush the process just because of one season.

The goal is always to make it to the NFL, but it’s also to have longevity once you get to that level. The best way to do that is to make the most of his time at Auburn while he still can.

He’s in a situation where he’s nurtured and supported at Auburn, and he should know that his extreme physical gifts are not going to carry him past any competition he faces at the pro level.

The NFL is an entirely different beast than college football, and Newton will face defensive looks he’s never even seen before. There are already questions about his ability to read defenses, and with hard work and dedication he can ease those doubts and improve his draft stock.

I would never blame Newton if he decided to get his money now before a possible lockout and rookie pay scale is in place, but if he wants to have a successful career, he should realize he still has more to work on before heading to the pros.

In the end, I think Newton will declare for the draft, even if it’s not what’s best for him. The pay-for-play scandal will continue to haunt him, regardless of the validity of the rumors, as it looked like there was a concerted effort to smear him in the media this season.

That will not change if he stays with the Tigers, and if he wins the national championship tonight, there will be a ton of buzz around Newton and if he should go pro. It will be hard to ignore those whispers about how good of a year he had and the people that think he can be a star in the NFL.

The struggles of Newton’s family church are well known, and if he goes pro, he can help himself and his family out of a tough financial situation. While Auburn and college football fans would be sad to see him go, not many people would do things differently if they had the chance.

Enjoy Cam Newton’s performance in tonight’s national championship game, because it very well may be his last in an Auburn uniform.