Sports

Unbelievable Stat Might Just End The ‘Greatest College Player Of All Time’ Debate

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Cam Newton stands on the field during the SEC Championship Game.

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College football fans love to debate, particularly during the offseason. One of those arguments comes down to deciding the sport’s best player of all time.

Many names come to mind, including Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Vince Young, and Reggie Bush. Then there’s legends from years back like Herschel Walker, Barry Sanders, and Archie Griffin, the sport’s only two-time Heisman trophy winner.

And, of course, there are many others not listed, and depending on who you talk to, answers vary wildly.

Everyone has an opinion.

One mind-blowing stat that’s now circulating social media, however, could give one player an edge. That player is Auburn’s Cam Newton.

Cam’s story is well-known.

He was booted from the Florida team as a sophomore where he backed up Tim Tebow. Following a stint at Blinn College, he enrolled at Auburn where he’d go on to win the Heisman.

Despite only playing one season at the FBS level, his performance is worthy enough for all-time consideration. To even be in the conversation is a feat in and of itself.

In that one season, Newton threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,473 yards and another 20 scores, leading the SEC in both categories. He added a receiving touchdown, to boot. Why not?

Auburn would run the table in the regular season before winning both the SEC title and national championship. He’d go on to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

But what’s maybe most impressive about his record-setting season is the fact that he did it with so little NFL talent around him. College football analyst Cole Cubelic pointed out an interesting statistic about that 2010 Tigers team in regard to professional production.

None of Cam Newton’s offensive teammates have recorded an NFL catch, rush, or pass. Going further, just one of his offensive linemen made a start in the league.

Let’s take a rundown of that offensive unit.

Michael Dyer had a stellar season at running back, winning national championship game MVP honors in the final victory. He later transferred amid legal issues.

At wide receiver, the Tigers had Kodi Burns, Terrell Zachary, Emory Blake, and Darvin Adams. Philip Lutzenkirchen played tight end.

While some spent time in the NFL, none made any significant impact. Fans have been quick to comment on that ridiculous stat.

Hard to argue given what he had around him.

This certainly gives Cam Newton a leg up in some arguments. Still, the debate for greatest college player of all time will likely never be agreed upon.