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During the height of star quarterback Cam Newton's recruitment out of junior college last year, a man saying he represented Newton allegedly was soliciting a six-figure payment to secure his signature on a national letter-of-intent, ESPN.com has learned.

Former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond told ESPN.com a teammate of Bond's at Mississippi State in the early 1980s contacted him soon after Newton's official visit to Mississippi State during the Ole Miss game in December, and said he was representing Newton.

"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.

Sources told ESPN.com the former teammate is Kenny Rogers, who played at Mississippi State from 1982-85. Rogers operates a Chicago-based company called Elite Football Preparation, which holds camps in Chicago, Alabama and Mississippi. A Lexis search for that business lists Kenneth Rogers as the contact and his title as "agent." A Birmingham News story from 2008 said Elite Football Preparation "matches high school athletes with college programs."

Bond said the former teammate told him other schools had already offered $200,000, but since Newton really liked Mississippi State and had a relationship with head coach Dan Mullen dating to when both were at Florida, Mississippi State could get him for $180,000.

Prior to Newton's commitment to Auburn, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take "more than a scholarship" to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said.

After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret about his change of commitment from Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

bandl wrote:Like CR said earlier though....the NCAA won't do anything or announce their investigation results until AFTER the NC game. That way they can still deny TCU/BSU from the title game even if it means yanking the title from Auburn, should Auburn play in the game and win it.

bandl wrote:Like CR said earlier though....the NCAA won't do anything or announce their investigation results until AFTER the NC game. That way they can still deny TCU/BSU from the title game even if it means yanking the title from Auburn, should Auburn play in the game and win it.

89Hen wrote:

bandl wrote:Like CR said earlier though....the NCAA won't do anything or announce their investigation results until AFTER the NC game. That way they can still deny TCU/BSU from the title game even if it means yanking the title from Auburn, should Auburn play in the game and win it.

Not sure I believe myself, but if that happens, this may be the year I stop watching I-A football.

clenz wrote:Let's say the Newton family put bids out to Mississippi State but nothing came of it, so he went to Auburn without getting money.


Is asking for money, in-and-of-itself, a violation? If so, and they only put a pid out to Miss. State how could the NCAA punish anyone here other than Newton? Miss State didn't pay anyone, and neither did Auburn. What violation would have occurred?

bandl wrote:

clenz wrote:Let's say the Newton family put bids out to Mississippi State but nothing came of it, so he went to Auburn without getting money.


Is asking for money, in-and-of-itself, a violation? If so, and they only put a pid out to Miss. State how could the NCAA punish anyone here other than Newton? Miss State didn't pay anyone, and neither did Auburn. What violation would have occurred?

I believe soliciting is a violation, from both standpoints (recruit or school). I slept in my own bed last night though, so I'm not an expert on the matter today.

clenz wrote:

bandl wrote: I believe soliciting is a violation, from both standpoints (recruit or school). I slept in my own bed last night though, so I'm not an expert on the matter today.

Okay.


So let's say his father was pimping him out, along with that agent and Cam is innocent here, and had no idea/involvement in this...Crazy I know to think he is innocent until proven guilty and not guilty until proven innocent.... Does Cam get punished?

89Hen wrote:

bandl wrote:Like CR said earlier though....the NCAA won't do anything or announce their investigation results until AFTER the NC game. That way they can still deny TCU/BSU from the title game even if it means yanking the title from Auburn, should Auburn play in the game and win it.

Not sure I believe myself, but if that happens, this may be the year I stop watching I-A football.

After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret about his change of commitment from Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."