2010 SN College Football Player of the Year: Auburn QB Cam NewtonDave Curtis , Matt Hayes SN Icon Sporting News Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has flashed his 1,000-watt smile in front of cameras for days now, collecting and showing off the prized Heisman Trophy. Just in case the season hasn’t been wild enough for Newton, there is this: He might just be college football’s next Best Ever. For sure, he’s the best right now, masterfully dominating a season worthy of the 2010 Sporting News College Football Player of the Year award. At this point, the only player in recent memory Newton can be judged against is the one who transcended the game over the previous four seasons. “It’s just the ultimate honor to be talked about in the same sentence as Tim Tebow,†Newton says. “To be compared to him … wow.†So let’s compare. In 2007, Tebow’s Heisman Trophy-winning season at Florida, he became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to eclipse 20 touchdowns passing (32) and rushing (23), and he had a quarterback rating of 172.5. In Newton’s Heisman-winning season this fall, he became the third player (after Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick) in NCAA Division I-A history to join the 20/20 club, throwing for 28 TDs and rushing for 20. He also recorded a 188.2 QB rating. With one game remaining, Newton has accounted for 3,998 yards (2,589 passing, 1,409 rushing). Through the same number of games, Tebow had 4,181 (3,286 passing, 895 rushing). “I’ve never seen anything like it,†said Auburn coach, Gene Chizik. “It’s running the ball, throwing the ball. Usually great quarterbacks do one or the other better. What God has blessed Cameron with is the ability to be really, really good at both. I can say he’s probably the best football player I’ve ever seen.†He was a nightmare for opponents, most recently taking down South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. “We couldn’t tackle him. I had two sacks on him that I missed the tackle,†said Gamecocks safety Antonio Allen. “He’s so strong in his legs and up top, too. I thought if you hit him high, you would go right through him. All you can do is just grab him and hang on and hope half the team comes over and helps you get him down.†As lauded as the 6-6, 250-pound junior is for his magnificent physical tools – “Who do you compare him to,†said one NFL scout. “Maybe Ben Roethlisberger, but Ben doesn’t have what this kid has.†– his teammates are equally impressed with his grasp of the game. Newton has started only one full season of Division I football, having transferred to Auburn from Blinn Junior College. But his relative inexperience didn’t hold him back. “He’s an intelligent guy,†said Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba. “Everybody thinks of how well he runs and how elusive he is. But he knows the offense so well. In the huddle, nobody doubts that he’s in control.†What happens next is largely up to Newton. The Tigers face Oregon Jan. 10 in the BCS National Championship Game. Newton will perhaps then declare for the NFL draft, as many expect. There, his future is more of a question mark. “He can throw it, but you have to wonder about his accuracy and his touch,†said one NFL scout. “It takes more than arm strength. Look at JaMarcus Russell.†As it stands today, he’s perfectly suited for the college game. Behind the scenes, controversy has swirled about him late in the year. On the field, though, where the lights are brightest and his talent is unquestionable, Newton has been the best – maybe ever. At the very least, statistically, he has equaled Tebow’s best season at Florida. Win a national championship and Newton’s year would surpass Tebow’s 2007 campaign. “Cam is a dual threat and a tough kid,†said Georgia coach Mark Richt. “They have other good players, but he’s the difference.†SN's All-American Team Offense QB Cam Newton, Jr., Auburn RB LaMichael James, Soph., Oregon RB Jordan Todman, Jr., Connecticut WR Justin Blackmon, Soph., Oklahoma State WR Ryan Broyles, Jr., Oklahoma TE Lance Kendricks, Sr., Wisconsin OL Jake Kirkpatrick, Sr., TCU OL Rodney Hudson, Sr., Florida State OL Chase Beeler, Sr., Stanford OL Gabe Carimi, Sr., Wisconsin OL Nate Solder, Sr., Colorado K Josh Jasper, Sr., LSU KR Eric Page, Soph., Toledo Defense DT Nick Fairley, Jr., Auburn DE Ryan Kerrigan, Sr., Purdue DE Da’Quan Bowers, Jr., Clemson DT Stephen Paea, Sr., Oregon State LB Luke Kuechly, Soph., Boston College LB Greg Jones, Sr., Michigan State LB Vontaze Burfict, Soph., Arizona State CB Patrick Peterson, Jr., LSU CB Prince Amukamara, Sr., Nebraska S Rahim Moore, Jr., UCLA S Robert Sands, Jr., West Virginia P Chas Henry, Sr., Florida PR Cliff Harris, Soph., Oregon
Kinda cool. When you drill into the player section it has other players introducing them.
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