Nov 052010
By Charles Goldberg
Birmingham News
ESPN.com is reporting that someone allegedly solicited a six-figure payment from Mississippi State for the services of Cam Newton last fall before the quarterback signed with Auburn.
The story does not say the NCAA is investigating Auburn’s recruitment of Newton. Newton is eligible for Saturday’s game against Chattanooga.
The website says the person involved in Newton’s recruitment at Mississippi State is Kenny Rogers.
The NCAA has talked with Mississippi State and Cam’s father, Cecil Newton, to get financial records, according to the story.
“If Rogers tried to solicit money from Mississippi State, he did it on his own, without our knowledge,” Cecil Newton told ESPN.com.
Former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond told ESPN.com that a former teammate in the early 1980s contacted him soon after Newton’s official visit to Mississippi State, and said he was representing Newton.
Auburn has issued a statement that says Newton remains eligible.
“We have been made aware of the allegation. Unfortunately, we cannot comment at this time,” Auburn assistant athletic director, media relations Kirk Sampson said. “However, Cam Newton is eligible to play football at Auburn.”
Newton signed with Auburn in late December.
Bond’s story on Rogers goes like this:
“He said it would take some cash to get Cam,” Bond said. “I called our athletic director, Greg Byrne, and he took it from there. That was pretty much it.”
Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Mississippi State called the SEC office with Bond’s information shortly after he brought it to the attention of the school, according to ESPN.
SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who oversees conference compliance, said the league received “specific information” regarding the Newton allegation in late July of this year.
