Don't be too quick to judge Cam Newton

(Kif's Corner is dedicated to the smaller sports at The University of Iowa, however, I wanted to take this chance to share my thoughts about the Cam Newton issue.)



I don’t know Cam Newton.

I’ve never shaken hands and looked Cam Newton in the eye.

I’ve never sat at a bar, shared a few cold ones and chatted about girls with Cam Newton.

For all I know, I’ve never even been in the same state at the same time as Cam Newton.

Because of all that I don’t know, I can wait before making an assumption about the man.


With all the allegations flying around right now, it is easy to assume Newton is guilty of something. But until I know the facts surrounding the latest pay-for-play scandal, I will hold off judgment. I don’t know the facts, and I don’t know the man.

As the old saying goes, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and right now Cam Newton has more smoke floating around him than a pile of burning leaves. But there is a more important saying out there: innocent until proven guilty. In this day of hyper-fast information, people have also turned to hyper-fast conclusions.

Maybe Cam Newton is guilty.

Maybe Cecil Newton, Cam’s father, really did demand thousands of dollars from Mississippi State for the services of his son.

But what if it’s not true? Then we have run the risk of completely assassinating the respectability and integrity of a tremendously talented young man without anything to back it up.

Back when Newton was arrested on serious charges of burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice, we knew what happened. To Newton’s credit, he manned up and admitted to wrong doing. After enrolling at Auburn, he went on talk show after talk show and confessed to making a dumb mistake. He bought a stolen computer and should have known better. He reacted in an extremely foolish manner when the police arrived at his apartment, but he has since paid his dues. And he has since owned up to issue.

I’m waiting for a recording of the alleged conversations in which Cecil Newton demanded money for Cam’s talents. I’m waiting for a confession by either Cam or Cecil, which is not likely to come anytime soon.

Although the burden of proof falls on those lobbing these allegations, Cam Newton has not helped his cause either. During a recent press conference, Newton chose to neither confirm nor deny the pay-for-play allegations. While it’s his right to act as he sees best, I think someone who knows they are innocent would quickly, fervently and repeatedly deny the allegations.

But maybe that’s just it. Maybe Cam Newton doesn’t know.

What if the demands for cash were made without any knowledge by Cam Newton himself?

Until we know for sure, stick with what we do know: Cam Newton is a great football player who has made mistakes in the past and owned up to those mistakes. He has worked his way back into a major NCAA program and lifted that team into the national spotlight. His play on the field has made him a front runner for the Heisman.

At this point, that’s all we know.