A former Mississippi State player who worked with agents said Cecil Newton told him it would take anywhere from $100,000 to $180,000 for his son, Cam, to sign a scholarship with the university.
Kenny Rogers told ESPN radio in Dallas on Thursday that when he and Cecil Newton met with two MSU coaches at a hotel in Starkville, Miss., last Nov. 27, one of the coaches said, “No, no, I don’t want to hear that,” when Cecil Newton asked about the payment for Cam Newton to attend Mississippi State.
Cam Newton eventually signed with Auburn. He is expected to play Saturday against Georgia.
Rogers said he didn’t know anything about Cam Newton’s recruitment at Auburn and didn’t know if Cecil Newton, a preacher in Atlanta, planned to funnel any money into his church.
Documents show the city of Newton, Ga., had been pressuring the minister to make some $50,000 in repairs to the structure since June 2008. An inspector found multiple problems, including a lack of smoke detectors, sprinklers and rear exits; moldy insulation; faulty wiring; rotting wooden doors and broken windows.
Cecil Newton would not say where his church got the money to perform the improvements required by the city.
The solicitation of cash or benefits by a prospective student-athlete or another individual could be a secondary or major violation, according to an NCAA official.
Pryor won’t take shot at hoops
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite saying this week that he’d like to play basketball again, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is committed to football and swears he will be back for his senior year.
“I’m a Buckeye until I break all the records,” he said during preparations for Saturday’s game against Penn State.
The junior said he had no intention — at least right now — of jumping into the NFL draft.
“I feel like I want to get my degree and finish off strong and maybe have a better season next year with no losses,” he said. “I love being here and I need to develop more knowledge as a human being and not worry about money and stuff like that.
“My mom works a little bit so I can use some of her money, and the money that we get here,” Pryor said, referring to his scholarship and stipends athletes receive for expenses. “I don’t really have to worry. I can suffer another year, I just want to gain more knowledge as a human being.”
Footnotes.
The NCAA granted Florida cornerback Moses Jenkins a fifth year of eligibility after he received a medical hardship waiver for the 2009 season because of a concussion.
• Police at the University of North Carolina are searching for two suspects who stole about $1,000 in items after breaking into Kenan Stadium last month. Coach Butch Davis said the incident was “a little bit comical and a little bit sad,” saying the items would probably show up on eBay soon.
The Associated Press
