Cam Newton's father on Auburn investigation: 'I willfully fell on the sword'
Years after former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was cleared by the NCAA in a possible pay-for-play scheme, his father Cecil is ready to admit some things.
"I fell on the sword... I willfully fell on the sword for my son. I didn't want the allegation to spread and create an environment where he was going to be disqualified to play," the elder Newton stated, according to Brandon Marcello of AL.com.
The Newtons spoke on the scandal on ESPN's E:60 where they maintain they did not accept any benefits for Cam's participation with the Tigers in 2010.
"There was one individual who tried to navigate the services for Cam... Were we promised stuff? Were we gifted with stuff of this sort? No. Never," Cecil said.
Cam had a remarkable lone season at Auburn, throwing for 2,854 yards with 30 touchdowns in addition to 1,473 yards rushing with another 20 scores, leading up to a Heisman award and National Championship.
The Newtons were investigated regarding a claim where they sought out $120,000 to $180,000 from Mississippi State, causing Auburn to declare Cam ineligible on Nov. 30th, 2010. He was ruled eligible to play the following day on the grounds that Cam and Auburn did not know of his father's actions, the actions that were in violation to NCAA rules.
In October 2011, the NCAA closed their 13-month long investigation, claiming that Cecil only requested money from just the Bulldogs, and the burden of proof was not met to continue the investigation.
The Newtons maintain that though Cecil took the fall in the issue, he and his son did not violate any rules.