Cam Newton won't be the No. 1 pick in this years NFL Draft—that's a certainty—however, that hasn't kept him or his father from pulling out all the stops to make him as attractive a prospect as possible.
Currently, depending on what mock draft you use, Newton could go as high as No. 13, or as low as No. 28. That said, the Newton's are banking on driving the former Auburn quarterback's stock a bit higher between now and draft day.
Whitfield is the owner of Whitfield Athletix, a private quarterback training facility, which boasts such clientele as Akili Smith, Hunter Cantwell, and Chase Clement—among others. Whitfield is a former Arena Football quarterback who never seemed to find much success at the pro level as a player. At 32, he's dedicated himself to building the Whitfield Athletix brand and, so far, he's proven to be a better businessman than ball player.
Will all the publicity and media cow-towing pay off for the Newton's? Right now it's hard to say, but Cam is certainly turning a few NFL heads already just a week shy of the Combine and that has to be a reason to feel optimistic.
Here's the gist of the NCAA's conversation with Cam Newton on Tuesday:
NCAA Representative: Your daddy, Cecil, asked for money.
Cam Newton: I don't know anything about that, sir.
NCAA Rep: Alrighty then, now that we've cleared that up—good luck on Saturday.
Okay, maybe it didn't happen quite like that, but you have to wonder what the hell the NCAA was thinking when they decided Cam Newton was free of any guilt. Honestly, not to say that any of us were flies on the wall, but Newton's decision to attend Auburn was made by his father—that's been documented.
That said, how likely is it that Cam knew nothing about what his daddy was doing with Mississippi State? Does the NCAA really expect a rational individual to believe that Cecil Newton was pimping his son to the highest bidder, yet his son didn't realize he was being pimped?
If they do, then that's naivete to the fullest extent.
In addition, what kind of horrific precedence does this decision leave for the rest of college football's "amateur" athletes. Should they all just start using the Shaggy defense whenever they're approached about a potential scandal—just say, "it wasn't me":
Seriously, if Auburn saw fit to deem him ineligible on Monday, then there was plenty enough there to keep him that way for more than just 48-hours. This same NCAA took three weeks to investigate A.J. Green's jersey incident, yet they need less than three days to deem Cam Newton fit to play—even with knowledge that his father was soliciting money on his behalf.
That's ridiculous.
If Cam Newton was unaware of what his daddy was doing, fine, then in all honesty, he shouldn't be penalized. However, that's not how the NCAA claims to work. Ignorance of wrong-doing doesn't exempt you from punishment—or so they say.
In response to the NCAA's decision, SEC Commissioner, Mike Slive had this to say, "The conduct of Cam Newton’s father and the involved individual is unacceptable and has no place in the SEC or in intercollegiate athletics...the actions taken by Auburn University and Mississippi State University make it clear this behavior will not be tolerated in the SEC."
(scratches head)...How exactly does it do that, Mike? All this proves is that if you're doing well and making the NCAA, and the SEC a ton of money, we're willing to overlook your transgressions. If Auburn were 0-11, and not in the BCS picture, would the outcome have been as favorable?
Lets be honest here, this is as much about the SEC maintaining its foothold as it is about doing things the right way. The NCAA, the SEC, nor the Heisman Trophy committee give a rats patoot about Cam Newton or his daddy. They just don't want another Reggie Bush situation on their hands this soon—they're protecting themselves from the negative backlash such a decision could have caused.
Nothing more.
Shame on them all for being the biggest pimps in college football.
One thing is certain, if Auburn goes on to win this weekend and compete for a national title, there will be changes to the NCAA's rules prior to the 2011 season. The loopholes their mind-boggling act leaves in its wake are too obvious to be overlooked, and they cannot allow them to remain if they expect any integrity to be maintained in this sport.
Bob Griese was asked—today during ESPN's broadcast of the Northwestern/Iowa game— if he would feel comfortable giving Cam Newton his Heisman vote—given the circumstances. He had this to say:
"Yeah, you know, as a voter, I'm a little bit concerned with what I'm hearing, especially on top of all this with the Reggie Bush situation and all that. My feeling right now is, there's just too much going on, and then, especially with the Auburn people coming out and saying, well we have "no comment"—where they have been commenting before. I would not vote right now and, if I had to vote, I would not vote for Cam Newton."
The controversy with the Auburn star took an interesting turn last night when, yet, another unnamed "source" came forth and confirmed that Cecil Newton did indeed solicit his son to Mississippi State in exchange for signing a letter of intent.
The story has not been confirmed or denied by any of the involved parties but, according to a story published by Mark Winne (an admitted Auburn alum) of WSB-TV, Cecil Newton admitted that he asked Mississippi State for money—without his son's or his wife's knowledge. Furthermore, Newton, allegedly, claimed that his son is clean of any wrongdoing.
All of this has led to doubts about Newton's eligibility to play in today's game.
Auburn has issued a firm "no comment" about the matter and has said nothing since the report on yesterday.
Newton, it's no secret, was going to Mississippi State. He liked Dan Mullen and felt comfortable with the Bulldogs. Many fans and boosters of the program were touting Newton as a done deal and felt secure that there was no way he would sign elsewhere.
Well, unfortunately for them, they didn't count on the influence that Newton's father, Cecil, had in the decision. In an interview given after Cam Newton decided to sign with Auburn, his father gave his reasons for why he didn't feel Mississippi State was the place for his son:
"...They (Mississippi State) just don't have all the moving parts. Cam was going to have to be the star. He'd have to do everything himself. I didn't want him to be a rented mule. Auburn has far more varsity players returning, they have more skill players, they're attracting more highly recruited players and it's right down the street."
So, location and talent level played a part but, correct if wrong, isn't Newton a "rented mule" at Auburn? Seriously, does anyone really believe that the Tigers would be 9-0 without him as their quarterback?
Yet, no need to digress.
Mr. Newton didn't bother to stop there with his comments. When asked point blank if the Bulldogs were Cam's choice, he says the following:
"Absolutely they were. Auburn came on strong at the end. A lot of people pre-supposed that (Cam) would hook up with Dan Mullen. He made an official visit around Thanksgiving and that went really well. I just wasn't sure about it. I like Dan Mullen and I think he has a very bright offensive mind. He's just having to go against the odds in Starkville. I just didn't want Cam to be blinded by an affiliation."
Daddy Newton held all the cards in this situation and Cam had very little choice in the matter. With that being said, you have to wonder if there is any validity to the rumors—especially when you start throwing in allegations about a sinking church and a pastor who is suddenly able to guarantee that all will be well within six months.
ESPN reports that "Cecil Newton said the family received a letter from the NCAA "about a month ago" asking for financial statements. He said he submitted bank statements and records for the church where he is pastor, Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in Newnan, Ga., along with other records."
The only question worth asking about the above information is how much did Mr. Newton divulge in turning over the financial statements of Holy Zion? It may seem like an ignorant question to ask, but, what if the money were received in cash or via an anonymous donor?
Better still, if he's involved with five other churches, why not siphon the money through another of his ministries? Wouldn't that make Holy Zion's financial statements irrelevant?
Hopefully this story turns out to be a whole lot of hogwash and innuendo based on a wild rumor, started by a disgruntled party. But, where the NCAA has been concerned this season—where there is smoke, there's fire.
No doubt more information will be forthcoming but for Auburn, and Cam Newton, this little distraction can't be fun to have with an undefeated season, a Heisman Trophy, and a potential spot in the BCS Championship all, seemingly, on the line.
