He's not human

[Kaos]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/05/06/1567297/auburn-football-guz-malzahn-gushes.html

Does he compare to any quarterback you’ve coached or scouted?
Nobody. Nobody. I hear people compare him … Naw. They don’t know. They don’t know what I know.
What’s that?
That he’s not like anybody else.

Wonder how long it will take us to realize just what an otherworldly talent/persona Cam Newton is and was? 

Wish he'd been there for more than a year.

[GH2001]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/05/06/1567297/auburn-football-guz-malzahn-gushes.html

Wonder how long it will take us to realize just what an otherworldly talent/persona Cam Newton is and was? 

Wish he'd been there for more than a year.

Gruden kind of had the same praise. Although THAT part of his interview with Cam didn't make the headlines.

[Kaos]

I have conquered this realm and must now expand my kingdom...

[GH2001]

With great success comes great envy......

[djsimp]

I am excited to see what Super Cam will do in the NFL. At first thought, it may take a few years to really blossom with the NFL talent being so high. Then that thought is quickly surpassed by the realization that Cam has yet to unleash his full potential. Its gonna be exciting I tell ya.

[Godfather]

So will he kill Clausen to get #2 is the question?

[Snaggletiger]

Okay, I need some input here.  I've heard all the stories about how Auburn really wasn't interested in Cam but "discovered" him when they went to look at another Blinn player.  Got into a big time argument this weekend over that issue because I so want to call BS on that.  There may be some...some truth to it but I think it's blown way out of proportion.  A few things stand out to me.

First, I fully realize that no one on earth dreamed he would do what he did.  In everyone's mind, we all said "What if..." but conventional wisdom was that this guy could be pretty damn good if he catches on to CGM's system.  And remember, we all thought he would be here for 2 years, not a one year phenom, Heisman winner and #1 pick.

Second, no one can convince me that this guy was not on everyone's (except Florida's) radar after his JC season.  We all know how detailed and in depth that recruiting is these days, especially in the information age where evrything imaginable is right at your fingertips.  This kid was one of the top QB's coming out of HS and everyone under the sun wanted him then...including Auburn.  Yep, different staff but you don't think this staff knew everything about him?  He signs with what at the time was the premier program in the country and plays briefly behind Tebow before the laptop incident.  He goes JUCO and this 6'6" 250 monster puts up absolutely sick numbers leading them to the JUCO NC and being player of the year.

Third, Auburn comes out of 09' without a QB and staring at having Neil Caudle or Fro-Throw running the club.  But they really weren't pursuing this guy, who was one of the most dynamic players in the country and who grew up just up the road from Auburn?  Are you saying this staff, who quickly became known for changing our tactics and going after the biggest fish out there, was going to settle for some other player at Blinn and weren't well aware of Newton's abilities?  I don't care about the laptop deal.  You can't tell me that any coach at any program in the country wouldn't have loved to have this guy in the fold.

If not, then we are secretly being coached by Terry Bowden or somebody needs to have their head examined.

[Tiger Six]

Okay, I need some input here.  I've heard all the stories about how Auburn really wasn't interested in Cam but "discovered" him when they went to look at another Blinn player.  Got into a big time argument this weekend over that issue because I so want to call BS on that.  There may be some...some truth to it but I think it's blown way out of proportion.  A few things stand out to me.

You're getting him mixed up with Rudi Johnson.

[Snaggletiger]

You're getting him mixed up with Rudi Johnson.

That one always bumfuzzled me too but I don't think Rudi was as high profile a guy.  Still bumfuzzled.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

So will he kill Clausen to get #2 is the question?

I'm not sure, but I think I saw something up here in the Carolinas that indicated that a deal was already made between Clausen, Cam and another player to get Cam his #2 jersey.

I'll see if I can find it later.

[Kaos]

Okay, I need some input here.  I've heard all the stories about how Auburn really wasn't interested in Cam but "discovered" him when they went to look at another Blinn player.  Got into a big time argument this weekend over that issue because I so want to call BS on that.  There may be some...some truth to it but I think it's blown way out of proportion.  A few things stand out to me.

First, I fully realize that no one on earth dreamed he would do what he did.  In everyone's mind, we all said "What if..." but conventional wisdom was that this guy could be pretty damn good if he catches on to CGM's system.  And remember, we all thought he would be here for 2 years, not a one year phenom, Heisman winner and #1 pick.

Second, no one can convince me that this guy was not on everyone's (except Florida's) radar after his JC season.  We all know how detailed and in depth that recruiting is these days, especially in the information age where evrything imaginable is right at your fingertips.  This kid was one of the top QB's coming out of HS and everyone under the sun wanted him then...including Auburn.  Yep, different staff but you don't think this staff knew everything about him?  He signs with what at the time was the premier program in the country and plays briefly behind Tebow before the laptop incident.  He goes JUCO and this 6'6" 250 monster puts up absolutely sick numbers leading them to the JUCO NC and being player of the year.

Third, Auburn comes out of 09' without a QB and staring at having Neil Caudle or Fro-Throw running the club.  But they really weren't pursuing this guy, who was one of the most dynamic players in the country and who grew up just up the road from Auburn?  Are you saying this staff, who quickly became known for changing our tactics and going after the biggest fish out there, was going to settle for some other player at Blinn and weren't well aware of Newton's abilities?  I don't care about the laptop deal.  You can't tell me that any coach at any program in the country wouldn't have loved to have this guy in the fold.

If not, then we are secretly being coached by Terry Bowden or somebody needs to have their head examined.

Your honor, I'm going to object to this line of reasoning.  It goes against the "Auburn wouldn't have paid for somebody they weren't heavily pursuing" defense that has already been established. 

[Snaggletiger]

Your honor, I'm going to object to this line of reasoning.  It goes against the "Auburn wouldn't have paid for somebody they weren't heavily pursuing" defense that has already been established.

I thought when Tyrik Rollison left, they freed up a good amount of ca$h...

[AUTiger1]

I thought when Tyrik Rollison left, they freed up a good amount of ca$h...

He left after NSD and knew that Cam was coming in didn't he?  There was an article on Rivals about Cam when he committed and before hand, hell, I can't remember when.  Luper said that he went to Blinn to look at someone else and when he got there he saw Cam in action and called back to AU and said we have to offer this kid.  (paraphrasing of course).  I looked for the article a few minutes ago, but haven't found it. 

[AU_Tiger_2000]

That one always bumfuzzled me too but I don't think Rudi was as high profile a guy.  Still bumfuzzled.

Rudi wasn't a high profile guy due to his size and (lack of) speed.  I remember hearing that when Cobb first brought Rudi up to whoever was recruiting him (I think Mazzone at the time) saying that Auburn might want to take a look at his running back.  Mazzone asked Cobb how big he was and Cobb told him about 5'10" 230lbs.  Mazzone replied that Auburn didn't need another blocking back right then.  After he saw some film he changed his mind.  Then Rudi went and set some single game rushing record in the JUCO championship game and he was on a lot of people's radar.

[Kaos]

He left after NSD and knew that Cam was coming in didn't he?  There was an article on Rivals about Cam when he committed and before hand, hell, I can't remember when.  Luper said that he went to Blinn to look at someone else and when he got there he saw Cam in action and called back to AU and said we have to offer this kid.  (paraphrasing of course).  I looked for the article a few minutes ago, but haven't found it.

Cam told the same story himself in a TV interview. 

He doesn't lie. 

[Snaggletiger]

He left after NSD and knew that Cam was coming in didn't he?  There was an article on Rivals about Cam when he committed and before hand, hell, I can't remember when.  Luper said that he went to Blinn to look at someone else and when he got there he saw Cam in action and called back to AU and said we have to offer this kid.  (paraphrasing of course).  I looked for the article a few minutes ago, but haven't found it.

I guess what it comes down to for me is this.  Did Luper go there not really knowing about Cam?  Did he at least have instructions to take a look at him or try and recruit him in some way?  Because again, if not, you have to question some mental incapacitators runnin' round in our coaches heads.  I know, I know...the greatest staff/recruiters on earth....but you don't have a QB on the roster who has taken one meaningful snap....and you're traveling to a school who boasts the JUCO national player of the year and....you're not going there to at least have a sit down with the guy???

[AU_Tiger_2000]

I guess what it comes down to for me is this.  Did Luper go there not really knowing about Cam?  Did he at least have instructions to take a look at him or try and recruit him in some way?  Because again, if not, you have to question some mental incapacitators runnin' round in our coaches heads.  I know, I know...the greatest staff/recruiters on earth....but you don't have a QB on the roster who has taken one meaningful snap....and you're traveling to a school who boasts the JUCO national player of the year and....you're not going there to at least have a sit down with the guy???

Let me lay out a timeline (I could be wrong).

1. Cam dressed his freshmen season (2007) and backed up Tim Tebow who was in the middle of a huge Heisman winning year, ergo he didn't play much, not a lot of film.

2. Cam injures his ankle and takes a medical redshirt (2008), no film.

3. Cam leaves Florida under a shadow after the laptop incident.

4. Cam goes to Blinn Juco.

Now then, we have a player who was a big time recruit coming out of high school who the Auburn staff has not seen play 2.5 years.  He was just coming off an injury that held him out for a whole season.  The last we (Auburn) had heard of him he had left his last school under suspicious circumstances.  You talk about him winning the NC at Juco and player of the year, but all that happens at the end of the season.  How long does it take a player to put up numbers at a school that is not on TV to start getting on your radar? 

I don't think it is that big a deal that our coaches didn't have Cam on the radar.  Recruiting starts at the beginning of the season not at the end.  Cam was just Juco Honorable Mention All American which means some voters out there thought there were other guys better.

[Snaggletiger]

If that's the case, my question is when was that visit to Blinn?  I didn't recall us being on him until after the season.  His name started surfacing and all of a sudden, we're announcing his signing.

I know it all doesn't matter and I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I just have a hard time believing that he wasn't on everyone's wish list, including Auburn's.  Whether there was any real film on the guy for 2.5 years or not....I think one youtube vid of the guy wearing a UF uniform and trucking some poor Tennessee soul, would make coaches around the country go..."How's that 6'6" Newton kid doing?"

Rivals has 3 hours of film on 190 pound 1A linebackers from Rottencrotch, Louisiana.   

[JR4AU]

Sometimes kids get "lost" when they go Juco.  Somebody has to bring them to the  attention of the staff.  None of the recruiting services spend much effort on them vs the HS kids. 

Could also be that he was pretty well known to be headed to MSU, and when Kenny Rogers fucked that all up, they contacted Auburn. 

[AUTiger1]

Here is an article that said they didn't even know who he was.  I don't know, I thought they had Rollinson and wasn't actively looking for a QB until he started screwing up and it was becoming apparent that he wasn't going to make it. 

http://amarillo.com/sports/football-college/2010-12-09/pleasant-recruiting-surprise