MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft after leading Auburn to a national championship.
Newton led the Tigers to a 14-0 season and their first national title since 1957 with a 22-19 victory over Oregon on Monday night.
“This decision was difficult for me and my family,” Newton said Thursday. “It’s been a blessing for me to be a part of something so great.”
The former backup to Tim Tebow at Florida arrived after leading Blinn College in Texas to a junior college national championship and won on a much bigger stage in his lone season with the Tigers.
Lombardi Award-winning defensive tackle Nick Fairley is expected to announce his NFL decision today.
• Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, first player in NCAA history to throw and run for 1,500 yards, said he will return for his junior season.
• Kentucky all-purpose star Randall Cobb said he will bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
• LSU leading rusher Stevan Ridley said he’s going to the NFL draft.
Stanford promotes Shaw
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford’s David Shaw won out over fellow assistants Greg Roman and Vic Fangio, among others, to take over the program less than a week after Jim Harbaugh left to become coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
Footnotes.
Former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, who ended the season as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, was hired to replace Randy Edsall as Connecticut’s coach. Edsall took the head coaching job at Maryland.
• Southern Utah coach Ed Lamb received a contract extension through 2015.
The Associated Press
