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Adam Rittenberg
Auburn will retire the No. 2 jersey of Cam Newton, the former Tigers quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 before leading the team to a national title that season.
The retirement ceremony will take place Oct. 11 during Auburn’s rivalry game against Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Newton will join fellow Heisman winners Pat Sullivan (No. 7) and Bo Jackson (No. 34), as well as record-setting wide receiver Terry Beasley (No. 88), as the only Auburn players to have their numbers retired.
In 2010, both Newton and cornerback Aairon Savage wore No. 2, which has not been given out since the national championship game.
In a video posted to social media by Auburnathletic director John Cohen and deputy athletic director Tim Jackson informed Newton of the jersey retirement while he was recording an interview in the school’s football facility.
“Auburn will always be home to me,” Newton in a statement. “The national championship we won in 2010 was a special moment, and to have my jersey retired alongside legends like Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Terry Beasley is an incredible honor that I’ll cherish forever. War Eagle!”
Newton spent only one year at Auburn, after starting his college career at Florida and then spending the 2009 at Blinn College in Texas. He became the first SEC player to record 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He had 2,854 passing yards and 1,473 rushing yards, and accounted for 51 total touchdowns that fall (30 passing, 20 rushing, one receiving) while helping Auburn to a 14-0 record and a national championship game win against Oregon.
Newton swept the college football honors in 2010, winning the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Manning and Davey O’Brien awards, and winning AP Player of the Year honors.
He played 11 NFL seasons, 10 for the Carolina Pantherswho drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011. Newton won NFL MVP honors in 2015 and helped the Panthers to the Super Bowl, where they lost to Denver.
