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50 greatest college football players this century, ranked

By Jeremy Morris

Tim Tebow, #15 quarterback of the Florida Gators (Photo by Matt Marriott/University of Florida/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
Tim Tebow, #15 quarterback of the Florida Gators (Photo by Matt Marriott/University of Florida/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /
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Auburn quarterback Cam Newton (#2) (Robin Trimarchi/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer/MCT via Getty Images)
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton (#2) (Robin Trimarchi/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer/MCT via Getty Images) /
  • Heisman Trophy (2010), Maxwell Award (2010)
  • Davey O’Brien Award (2010)
  • Walter Camp Award (2010
  • AP Player of the Year (2010)
  • SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2010)
  • Consensus All-American (2010)
  • First-team All-SEC (2010)

Cam Newton had the most dominant single season in the history of college football in 2010. It was his first and only season as a starter.

In the process of leading Auburn to a 14-0 season, winning the SEC Championship and National Title, he completed over 66 percent of his passes for nearly 3,000 yards, throwing 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. On the ground, he averaged 5.6 yards per carry while rushing for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns. He accounted for a staggering 62 percent of Auburn’s total yards and 51 of the team’s 72 touchdowns (he also caught one touchdown in addition to the 50 passing and rushing scores).

Only one other player on Auburn’s 2010 team was a first round draft pick (DL, Nick Fairley) and including Cam, only five players on from the team’s two-deep depth chart were drafted at all. Alabama, by comparison, had 21 players drafted and 12 first round picks on their 2010 team. Oregon, who Auburn beat in the National Championship, had 10 players drafted.

Auburn went 8-5 in 2009 and came into the season ranked No. 22 in preseason polls. In route to a perfect season, Auburn beat seven ranked opponents and Newton led second-half comebacks against Clemson, South Carolina, LSU, and a 24-point deficit against Alabama. He had eight games accounting for four touchdowns or more and 34 of his 51 touchdowns came in conference play.

After collecting the Heisman, Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp, and AP Player of the Year awards in December, he finished the season by accounting for 329 of Auburn’s 500 yards and passing for both the team’s touchdown in a 22-19 win over Oregon in the BCS National Championship game.

Bonus Quote: “What happens when you take a lion out of the safari and try to take him to your place of residence and make him a house pet? It ain’t going to happen. That’s the type of person that I am. I’m that lion.” -Cam Newton

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