Serious question: Is Cam Newton the greatest collegian ever?
Say what you will about him, but he can play the game. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
For a month, the question involving Cam Newton has been, “Did he or didn’t he?” Just for today, let’s try something different. Let’s ask instead: “Is he or isn’t he?”
As in, the greatest player in college football, and not just this year.
As in, the greatest ever.
Said Steve Spurrier, who won the Heisman and who has coached a Heisman winner: “That’s a good question. I don’t like putting anybody at the top, but he might be the best running quarterback probably ever to come through college ball.”
Gene Chizik coaches Auburn, so he doesn’t qualify as a disinterested party. But the same Gene Chizik was the defensive coordinator on a Texas team Vince Young willed to the 2005 BCS title, so he does have standing in the matter. And Chizik, asked if he’d ever seen a better college player than the one he has now, said this:
“No. It’s that simple. If you look over a 13-game span, I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’s running the ball, throwing the ball. Usually great quarterback usually do one or the other better … what God’s blessed Cameron with is the ability to be really, really good at both.”
Then: “We have one game left, so he can’t too big a head with one game left, but I can say he’s probably the best football player I’ve ever seen.”
Said Newton: “Wow.”
We might never know how Cam Newton came to be an Auburn Tiger, but let’s leave that for later. Let’s focus today on Cam Newton, Auburn Tiger. Let’s examine a quarterback who, in one SEC championship game Saturday, managed to replicate the best of what both Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow, Heisman winners from Florida, had done in this event on this field.
Against Spurrier’s Gamecocks, Newton passed for 335 yards and ran for 73. He accounted for six touchdowns — four passing, two running. He converted third-and-longs out of nothing.
The thinking was that South Carolina, having seen Newton in his game-of-arrival Sept. 25, might be better suited to get a hand on the irresistible Cam. Turned out the Gamecocks had no idea. They couldn’t sack him and couldn’t cover his receivers. They couldn’t even prevent him from — another Heisman reference! — pulling a Doug Flutie.
Sixteen seconds left, first half: The Gamecocks draw within 21-14. Newton throws two passes, the first for eight yards, the second for 51-yard deflected touchdown as time expired.
About here, you thought to yourself: “Tim Tebow never did that.”
Yeah, yeah. Nobody ever wondered if Tim Tebow’s daddy put him up for sale, either. But if we’re comparing the two quarterbacks — and it wouldn’t seem fanciful to do so, given that both played in the SEC and ran a spread offense — the sainted Tebow never worked the wonders in any of his four seasons that Newton has wrought in his one.
A year ago — to the day, Newton emphasized — this quarterback was winning a JUCO national championship with Blinn College of Texas. On Saturday he had won the SEC title and booked passage to the BCS title game and done it in his hometown to boot. “Words can’t explain it,” said Newton, meeting the media for the first time since Nov. 9.
Then: “It’s a wonder what God can do in a person’s life, in such quick fashion. I thank Him single every day. As soon as my feet touch [the floor] my knees touch … I can’t even be happier than I am right now.”
Newton began his postgame session by reading a statement: “I’ve done nothing wrong, and I’m only going to answer questions about football and this game.” And ordinarily we hard-nosed media types would have snorted with laughter at such a request. But such was the majesty of Newton’s play that the request seemed almost reasonable.
We can and will spend the month before Auburn plays Oregon in Glendale, Ariz., parsing the latest reports and allegations — and you just know some will be forthcoming — but for this night it was possible to revel in a performer and his performance. And we would like, so as not to leave the question posed above unanswered, to offer this:
Cam Newton is the second-best college player I’ve ever seen. Herschel Walker, and only Herschel Walker, was better. And not by much.
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995 comments Add your comment
Tide Rising
December 5th, 2010
3:14 pm
Jim Pierce,
I think most reasonable people understand that Rogers credibility is questionable at best. Same can be said of Cecil though. I think Cecil could really help out AU and clear his son if he would just come out and say where his church got the money for the repairs. They are under no obligation to do so but it would sure go a long way towards eliminating the pay for play rumors if they would just do so.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:15 pm
Tide: I totally agree with that.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:15 pm
It would help, too, if the NCAA rules, and the SEC rules, were exactly the same (either way)
Cecil Newton
December 5th, 2010
3:17 pm
I aint sayin nothing
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:17 pm
But, as a christian, I also agree that donations to a church are totally private and to be aired. If you remember, tho, those donations were in the financials turned over to the NCAA and the SEC. If there had been anything suspicious it would have turned up..no?
Mindy
December 5th, 2010
3:19 pm
Let’s face it, those of you crying about ethics are only concerned that your team is not in the same position, (getting ready to play for the title), that Auburn is in. You guys would be just like the fans of Miami — yeah Shannon had a 95% grad rate for his football players, in 4 years he only had 1 arrest, but hey, he wasn’t WINNING. In football, especially college football, no one cares about anything other than winning.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:19 pm
Church donation records are indeed private. Not to be opened to the public. However, all those financials were turned over the to NCAA and the SEC. If they saw anything improper, they would not have ruled the way they did. NO?
The Ole Ball Coach
December 5th, 2010
3:19 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/14/sports/ncaafootball/14auburn.html
Does aburn cheat Academically? Cam is a pro, Does not go to class and gets paid IMHO
Seriously...
December 5th, 2010
3:19 pm
Does this person posting with the screen name “Cecil Newton” think he’s funny?
I don’t see anyone laughing at his boring, unimaginative drivel
To Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:21 pm
I can’t believe you’re still expecting the haters to consider facts instead of believing rumors.
Do you not know by now that UGA fans MUST believe Auburn is guilty of something? It’s the only way a bulldawg can feel better about UGA’s horrid season.
GT
December 5th, 2010
3:22 pm
Teófilo Stevenson was amateur Cuban boxer in Muhammad Ali’s era. Many thought Stevenson could have defeated the heavyweight Ali but Cuba would not let the two fight and Stevenson remained an “amateur” the rest of his life, relatively unknown, while Ali is considered one of the top 5 athletes of all time. I am sure Ali and Stevenson didn’t care about the amateur, political status of the era, they just want to get in a ring and figure out who was the greatest.
If the NCAA had blocked Cam Newton from playing it would have been another third party interfering into an historical happening. Nothing the father or son did off the field created what Newton was and is on the field. Newton was not a drug enhanced freak or paying someone to let him win, he was just ,and is the greatest college player I have ever seen, and I have seen Hershel. Remember the very next year that Hershel left for the pros the Georgia team was still very good, as they had been before Hershel got there. Auburn won’t be good when Newton leaves and they were not good before he came. People who are after the player for his petty crimes cheat the rest of us from seeing something that occurs about every 30 years. The next Cam Newton will be here when most of us are dead. So thank you NCAA for not allowing the petty soap opera to interfere like the communist party in Cuba did so many years ago.
I think the real question should be asked of how all this Georgia grown talent got away from UGA. All Georgia had to do is ask and Newton would have been playing in Athens. Of course they had to think outside the box and see a quarterback, something Florida, Mississippi State and Auburn saw but not the school that could have gotten Newton. A player that some fool thought was worth 180,000 would have gone to Georgia for free. Spend more time on this lack of ability by Georgia and the local press of locating the real talent in this state and less on the soap operas that entertain the mindless and Georgia might start winning some football games. Imagine with just this one player how good Georgia would have been. The guy and many others were never on their radar or the AJCs. Greatest player ever!
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:23 pm
Ball coach: No other university helps their athletes.
lol what a joke.
Cecil Newton
December 5th, 2010
3:24 pm
Seriously, I know it good isn’t it ?
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:25 pm
GT: Good post
Tide Rising
December 5th, 2010
3:26 pm
Jim Pierce,
If that’s the case that the church did in fact turn over the financials to the NCAA then it looks like AU is in the clear. The NY Times- which seems to really have it in for AU- had been reporting that the church refuses to turn over records. If you know for a fact that they have then it would be clear that AU is good to go.
I’m outta here but I must say its been funny watching the dawg fans and AU fans go after it. Funny but us Bama fans for the most part aren’t overly concerned about AU’s great year. Seems the dawg fans are the ones most ticked off about it and I never thought I’ld see that. I can only surmise that if AU wins a bcs title it would leave the dawg fans as the only one of the big six SEC programs to not have a bcs title. And that I imagine would be one helluva sore point for the dawg fans and hence the anger over AU winning a bcs title.
Red Harrison
December 5th, 2010
3:28 pm
My lawyer says as soon as $cam cashes his second check (NFL), he will be declared ineligible. That way his lawyer cant sue the NCAA for damages. Just like Reggie Bush.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:28 pm
Tide: good post. And yes… it’s been confirmed and reported that those records, as well as Cecils bank records, were turned over the the NCAA and the SEC.
FreakOfNature
December 5th, 2010
3:32 pm
Another locally grown stud which UGA lost.
Received offers from Bama, UGA, LSU, Clemson and others. 19 offers in all.
This beast, said to be from the same mold as Cam Newton is going to Auburn.
War Eagle!
http://rivals.yahoo.com/auburn/football/recruiting/player-C.J.-Uzomah-95537
I-Right135
December 5th, 2010
3:35 pm
You Georgia Crackers are just unable to contain your hate !
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
3:38 pm
*He’s certainly the best paid…………..
Reggie Bush
December 5th, 2010
3:39 pm
well somebody better gimme back my dam Heisman
Steven
December 5th, 2010
3:44 pm
Cam Newton is the best college football player I have ever or will ever watch!
dawgfan
December 5th, 2010
3:45 pm
It certainly seems like a lot of people are willing to look the other way when it comes to Cam Newton. I personally find it very hard to believe that he had absolutely no knowledge of what his father was up to. That’s just my opinion. Unfortunately, we’ll probably never get to the truth because too many people just don’t care about the truth. They just want to watch him play.
Poor Bulldawgs
December 5th, 2010
3:45 pm
The bitterness mounts
The hate festers
No good can come of this — pull yourselves together!! Rise above it ! ! !
Red Harrison
December 5th, 2010
3:47 pm
If they have to be this dirty winning it, what good have they done anyone, even themselves? You know the wins will be vacated eventually. The legitimate SEC Dynasty will be tainted, stereotypes reinforced. There’s just no good in any of this
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
3:47 pm
Steven, you can take out the word “college” in describing $cam. He’s a paid professional. He scouted the school that would pay him the most, and that happened to be *AU, plain and simple. I know it, you know it, and the rest of the country knows it. And the truth will come out. Bet on it.
Perry
December 5th, 2010
3:51 pm
No, because he stole a laptop and cheated. Then, went to junior college and then took a shady path to Auburn. So, no, he’s not the greatest college player ever. The whole package matters and when it comes to character, Newton falls (gravity reference) short.
Hey, Red?
December 5th, 2010
3:51 pm
If you have something to prove that Auburn is guilty of any wrong-doing, would you please supply your information to the NCAA?
Because, you see, they don’t have anything.
And yet so many fans have convicted Auburn and/or Cam Newton based on no evidence.
Guess you’re just too smart, huh?
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:51 pm
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
3:47 pm
Steven, you can take out the word “college” in describing $cam. He’s a paid professional
Hey Cobb dawg: GOT ANY PROOF?????
dawgfan
December 5th, 2010
3:52 pm
The story last night wasn’t that Auburn won an SEC Championship. The story was that Cam Newton won an SEC Championship. The story isn’t that Auburn is going to play in the BCS title game. The story is that Cam Newton will win the Heisman and play in the BCS title game. A single player has become bigger than an entire storied program. I hope the money was worth it Barners. One word: SELLOUTS. Plain and simple.
Red Harrison, Cobb Dawg & Perry
December 5th, 2010
3:53 pm
Bitter much?
How sad for you guys!
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
:’-(
Toldja, Jim
December 5th, 2010
3:54 pm
They have no *proof*. Just Kool-Aid grins.
I think their philosophy is “hey, if we say the lie enough, people will eventually believe it to be fact.”
Sad, really.
dawgfan
December 5th, 2010
3:54 pm
Speaking of OJ, Auburn fans are a lot like the people that cheered like morons when he was acquitted of murder. They didn’t care if he did it or not. They just wanted to win.
I’ve lost a lot of respect for Auburn fans this season.
Ryan
December 5th, 2010
3:55 pm
Not even close. Mark Bradley is sooo reactionary. A guy who plays for 3 teams in 3 years is the best ever? Not only that but he is obviously dirty. Only the most myopic Auburn fans think he is innocent.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:57 pm
Dawgfan: How will we continue our program without your respect?
Truly
December 5th, 2010
3:57 pm
What no one seems to realize is that by the time the media got ahold of all of this, the NCAA investigation was just about over. There simply isn’t any incriminating evidence. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. And while I know that drives the haters made (based on all their blind, furious posts on the AJC blogs this past week), that’s just the way it is.
It’s time for UGA fans to move on. The perceived wreck is over and the traffic has cleared. There’s nothing else to see here.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
3:58 pm
Ryan: EXACTLY what is Cam guilty of?
No opinions please. Give me fact.
Wow, dawgfan!!!!
December 5th, 2010
3:59 pm
You lost respect for Auburn fans??????
Oh, no!!!
Sorry, but I’m ahead of you. I lost respect for UGA fans a couple dozen thUGA arrests ago.
Jim Pierce
December 5th, 2010
4:00 pm
Here’s the “class” team of UGA.
Now here is a list of all the players arrested and their charges since January 1st of this year. Check out all 11.
March 7: Quarterback Zach Mettenberger was arrested outside a bar in Valdosta (Remerton to be exact) and charged with five misdemeanors, including underage consumption and possession of false identification. He was dismissed from the team.
April 4: Montez Robinson was arrested for the third time in the past four months, again for misdemeanor simple battery of the same woman. He was immediately dismissed from the program.
April 21: Walk-on punter Trent Dittmer was charged with public intoxication. He was dismissed from the team.
April 27: Walk-on offensive lineman Josh Parrish was charged with making a fake ID and underage possession of alcohol.
June 15: Freshman safety Alec Ogletree was charged with theft by taking when a member of the Georgia track and field team reported a $35 motorcycle helmet as stolen from outside the Rankin Smith Center. Ogletree was suspended one game.
July 5: Redshirt freshman cornerback Jordan Love was charged with obstruction after failing to provide his middle name to police, who had responded to a complaint about three individuals shooting off fireworks outside a campus dorm.
July 10: Dontavious Jackson was charged with DUI under 21, underage possession, violation of the “move over law,” a learner’s permit infraction, leaving the scene of an accident and following too close. Facing a six-game suspension, Jackson elected to transfer.
July 10: Wide receiver Tavarres King, who was with Jackson, was charged with underage possession. He was suspended for Georgia’s opener.
Aug. 30: Sophomore tailback Washaun Ealey was picked up on charges of leaving the scene after hitting a car and having a suspended license. He was then held at Athens-Clarke County jail after a bench warrant was discovered for failure to appear on a previous traffic charge. Ealey was suspended one game.
Sept. 26: Freshman linebacker Demetre Baker was charged early on the morning with DUI, underage possession of alcohol and improper driving. Baker, who had yet to play, was dismissed from the team.
Monday: Junior tailback Caleb King was held in jail after a bench warrant for failure to appear on a speeding charge in Walton County was discovered.
MissDirected Rage
December 5th, 2010
4:02 pm
The Bulldawg fans that are directing all the hate and disrespect towards Auburn really MUST do that, you know. Otherwise they’d have nothing to do but focus on the football program at Athens. And NO UGA fan wants to do that.
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:08 pm
Quoted from Long time Georgia Resident
“December 4th, 2010
10:09 pm
Mark, do you really want to talk about UGA’s recruitment of Herschel Walker? The Trans Am is only the beginning. It’s never too late to have wins vacated for recruiting violations…
Newton is far and away the best college football player this season. It is not fair to compare across seasons because each person in question faced different levels of competion.
But since you’re asking, as far as I’m concerned, Peyton Manning and Bo Jackson were better than Herschel Walker.”
I’ve heard some idiotic statements on this forum, but this one has to take the cake.
1) http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/07/24/footballs-dirtiest-programs-8-auburn/#cntnt
2) In case you haven’t heard: “Walker was a three-time All-American. He amassed an unbelievable 5,097 yards rushing (an NCAA record for yards rushing in three seasons).He is the only player in NCAA history to finish in the top three in Heisman voting every season he played football. He led the Georgia Bulldogs to a National Championship and three-year record of 32-2. He is commonly considered one of the greatest players in college football history.”
Now Mr (or Mrs) “Long Time”, pray tell me how you figure Newton, Jackson, or Manning are better than that, objectively please. You have to give Archie and Peyton credit though. They never called UT to see how much they were willing to pay for his services like Cecil and $cam did.
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
NCAA Football Fanhouse has *AU listed at #8 in all-time dirtiest football programs. I’d say now *they truely are #1!!!!!
Cut 'n Paste
December 5th, 2010
4:11 pm
Nice job of cutting and pasting, Cobb Dawg. But long and tiresome. Didn’t bother to read it.
{{{{ yawn }}}}
Poor Poor Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:12 pm
Still desperately hoping, huh?
Sad, sad little man.
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:16 pm
Hey Jim Pierce, why are you so defensive? Is it the guilt of knowing that *AU has gotten away with cheating? Don’t worry pal, they’ll get caught and all will be right again.
And you see, in Athens football players are treated just like everyone else. Whey they do something wrong, they get punished. At *Awbarn they’re treated like gods. They don’t go to class, they get paid, and when they get caught doing something illegal, they get off. It’s the *Awbarn way. Always has been, always will be (until the death penalty). We have a clean program in Athens because it’s a real university, not just a football program with a school on the side. Get it?
Dap01
December 5th, 2010
4:17 pm
Enter your comments hereMark Bradley sounds like a jock sniffer. Greatest at cheating. Greatest at not getting kicked out of college with a crimal record. Greatest at academic cheating. Greatest professional to play. Is this a serious attempt at a blog?
Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:18 pm
Cut ‘n Paste, didn’t read it or couldn’t read it. Did you play football at *Awbarn?
Poor Poor Cobb Dawg
December 5th, 2010
4:18 pm
You’ll get over it someday, sonny boy. Really you will.
I’m so sorry Auburn beat your poor little puppies and now you have to blame anyone and everyone for UGA having such a bad team.
Here’s another BandAid for your owie.
(:::[_]:::)
UGA Law
December 5th, 2010
4:19 pm
Doesn’t that university Athens have a law school?
Wow, do they teach “guilty until proven innocent?”
Dap01
December 5th, 2010
4:20 pm
Mark Bradley, you are a very good columnist but you sound like a jock sniffer with this joke. He is the greatest professional to ever play college. Why are you writing about him being admitted to a major college with 3 instances of cheating on his record, with a felony on his record, with 13 traffic violations on his record, with being paid to attend a college on his record.
What a joke.