With Auburn's Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cameron Newton preparing for April's National Football League Draft, there is still controversy surrounding him about whether his father accepted cash in exchange for Newton signing with the University of Auburn.
During the height of Newton's recruitment from Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers claimed he represented Newton allegedly seeking payments in exchange for Newton signing his Letter of Intent.
Newton wanted to play at Mississippi State, but it would take $180,000 to get him to sign there.
After Newton committed to Auburn University, he allegedly told a recruiter that he expressed regret about not going to Mississippi State and his father chose Auburn because "the money was too much."
Newton declared for the NFL Draft shortly after Auburn beat the Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Championship game.
Since Auburn plays in the Southeastern Conference, the NCAA looked away and kept Newton eligible through this.
If Newton played for a team like Louisiana-Lafayette or North Texas, he would have been ineligible, but since Auburn was in the midst of an undefeated season in the SEC, they looked away and basically said they would deal with it later.
If Auburn has to vacate its National Championship from 2011 and Newton has to give back his Heisman Trophy, the Tigers will be put on probation. This will cause future members of the program to suffer.
For instance, at Wisconsin during the football 2000 season, 26 players, including eight starters such as wide receiver Chris Chambers and future first round cornerback Jamar Fletcher were suspended for one to three games for receiving discounts at a Madison shoe store that gives everyone discounts.
The Badgers also lost scholarships. The Newton case is much worse than this.
The same thing occurred with former University of Southern California standout and current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.
Bush and his family accepted financial benefits worth more than $100,000 from marketing agents while playing at USC.
This led to Bush giving back his Heisman Trophy, which was awarded to him following the 2005 season.
The NCAA decided to ban the football team from playing in the post-season for two seasons and lost more than 20 scholarships.
In the 1980s, the Southern Methodist Mustangs made repeated violations of rules and in return was given the so-called death penalty by the NCAA. They cancelled the 1987 season schedule and did not play in 1988.
The penalty destroyed football at SMU. The Mustangs did not make another bowl appearance until 2009 when under the controls of coach June Jones, running back Shawnbrey McNeal, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson, SMU beat the Nevada Wolfpack 45-10 in the Hawaii Bowl.
The players who played for SMU after the death penalty were the ones who suffered. Many of the players who were given money and other gifts by SMU were free to transfer without having to sit out a year and without consequences.
Maybe players and coaches will come under a lot more fire after committing violations and not just get a slap on the wrist like players from big conferences get.
It is bad for whoever attends Auburn University to play football in the coming years, because they will be the ones who suffer the punishment, not Newton.
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