It was just four years ago that Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton had a future laid out for him that looked to be filled with unambiguous promise and possibility.
As an Atlanta prep phenom, Newton displayed a combination of size, athleticism and all-around ability that made him one of the most coveted high school football prospects in the country.
Playing for Georgia’s Westlake High School, the 6'5", 220-lb. Newton was literally and figuratively head and shoulders above the competition he squared off against.
In his final two seasons of high school, the star dual-threat quarterback totaled over 4,500 yards of offense, and he showed he could be equally effective as both a passer and a runner.
Colleges around the South took notice pretty quickly, and the scholarship offers started pouring in from the SEC and ACC. Schools like Georgia, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and Oklahoma all showed their interest, but it was one school in particular that stood out for the big recruit—the Florida Gators.
At the start of his senior season, Newton announced his intentions to play for Urban Meyer down in Gainesville, and he would ultimately go on to make his commitment official just a few months later on National Signing Day. The quarterback’s versatile skill set looked like the perfect fit for Meyer’s spread offense, and it was assumed that Newton would in all likelihood be the heir apparent to Tim Tebow.
Things started off strong for Newton down at Florida, where he would enroll early and eventually beat out fellow star recruit John Brantley for the backup quarterback job.
After seeing limited playing time behind Tebow as a freshman, Newton lost his grasp on the backup spot to Brantley before the start of the following season and agreed to take a redshirt year.
A few months into the 2008 season, Newton was found to be in possession of a stolen laptop that he had allegedly bought from another student. Newton panicked after police questioned him about the computer that he had painted black as a disguise and threw it out the window to try to get rid of the evidence.
He was taken into custody for the incident, and after the ordeal became public knowledge, Coach Meyer suspended him from the team indefinitely.
The suspension, coupled with a lack of playing time and the departure of offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, led the young quarterback to reevaluate his future with the Gators.
After the season concluded and Newton watched Tim Tebow carry the Gators to a national championship, he decided a fresh start would be the best decision.
Newton chose to transfer to Blinn Junior College in Texas. It was there where the quarterback was able to revive his career and gain his luster back by leading the Buccaneers to a National Junior College Championship in his only year at the school.
His performance during the season once again had Newton in the spotlight as one of the most coveted recruits in the nation. Recruiting services such as Scout and Rivals rated him as a five-star talent, and schools like Oklahoma, Kansas State, Arizona and North Carolina showed their interest.
In the end, Newton’s decision would come down to two schools: Mississippi State and Auburn.
It was at Mississippi State where Newton was offered the chance to reunite with his confidant and former coordinator Dan Mullen, who had implemented his spread attack and showed he was revitalizing a Bulldog program that had seen its fair share of tough times.
The real appeal for Newton, though, was another first-year SEC coach, Auburn’s Gene Chizik.
Chizik convinced Newton that he was the type of quarterback who could thrive in Gus Malzahn’s offense and lead the Tigers to great success.
After making the decision to come to Auburn, Newton has done just that.
2010 has proved to be a breakout year for the superbly talented junior, and now that Cam finally has his opportunity to prove his tremendous abilities to the college football world, he’s certainly making the most of it.
Through seven games of the season, Newton has paced Auburn to an undefeated record and a Top Five ranking in the country heading into this weekend’s crucial SEC West showdown with LSU.
As expected, he’s been equally as dangerous of a runner as he has been a passer and has looked downright unstoppable at times. There doesn’t seem to be a defense in the country that’s equipped to contain him.
Newton is currently one of the highest rated passers in the country and is now second amongst all college quarterbacks in total rushing behind only Michigan’s Denard Robinson.
To say that he’s made the most of his fresh start at Auburn might be the biggest understatement of the season.
Newton has proved that the past is the past and that everyone deserves a second opportunity in life. No one should be forced to have his or her talent go to waste because of a silly decision.
I know I made more mistakes in my first two years in college than the previous 18 years of my life combined. Young kids do dumb things. It’s just a fact of life.
Was Newton wrong to purchase a laptop that he most likely knew was stolen? Yes, but there have been far more terrible crimes committed.
Heck, just look at some of the shenanigans that are going on these days at Florida, Newton’s former school. Can we say that buying a stolen laptop is any worse than, say, threatening the life of your girlfriend, a crime recently committed by Gators wide receiver Chris Rainey, who is now back practicing with the team?
At this point, it really doesn’t matter.
Newton has found himself a new SEC home, and there doesn’t need to be any hostility or ill will directed toward the Gators. Things simply just didn’t work out.
All Cameron has to do now is keep playing at the level he’s already showed that he’s capable of performing at, and things will only continue to get better for him.
If we could award a Halfway Heisman Trophy, there’s no doubt in my mind that Newton should be the victor. No one has carried his respective team and willed them to success the way Newton has thus far.
Now it’s up to Cameron to keep it going because things will only get tougher. However, judging from some of the adversity he’s already faced in his college career, it seems that he’s equipped to handle whatever gets thrown at him in the second half of the season.
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