Heisman Trophy voter Todd Helmick has removed Auburn quarterback Cam Newton from his ballot for reasons that have nothing to do with the player’s on-field performance.
Helmick defends his decision based on Newton’s unwillingness to comment on the allegations regarding his father, Cecil Newton, asking Mississippi State to pay for the quarterback’s services.
Saying that there was “no clear-cut best player” in college football this season, Helmick suggests that a three-way race between Boise State’s Kellen Moore, Oregon’s LaMichael James and Stanford’s Andrew Luck will “go down to the wire,” with Helmick giving the nod to Moore because – and I’m not making this up – “he throws the best pass in college football.”
What?
For anyone to suggest that there wasn’t a clear-cut best player in college football this season is absurd. But for anyone to cast a Heisman vote for a player because he throws the best pass…that’s sheer stupidity.
Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows Newton was unequivocally the best player in the nation, and his statistics bear that out.
Newton rushed 242 times for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 165 of 246 passes for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Case closed.
Helmick writes that “this Heisman voter has made his opinion based on the facts presented.”
Would those be the facts surrounding the pay-for-play scheme that Newton’s father attempted to orchestrate or the level of play he produced on the field?
Helmick contends that if Newton were playing a position other than quarterback, he would have been suspended once the allegations against him were made public.
While that may be true, to dismiss Newton’s performance this season based on an argument open to debate is illogical.
The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the best player in college football and Can Newton is the only choice. Had it not been for him, Auburn wouldn’t be in position to win a BCS national championship.
The fact that Helmick completely ignores his responsibility by attempting to justify a bias against Newton should be grounds for removing him as a Heisman voter.
