Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay has become the spot where celebrities come to confess their sins or call out others.
This week’s guest was former Auburn Tigers and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and boy did he have a lot to say.
Newton mainly wanted to clear up rumors of his time at Auburn when he and his father Cecil were accused of accepting money to join the Tigers.
Newton blames former Mississippi State and Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen and his wife for all the cheating rumors.
He says Mullen and his wife, Megan, were upset with him when he decided to attend Auburn. Newton says he joined the Tigers not because of money but because they had a much more experienced team.
. @CameronNewton Paid $180K to Go to Auburn? He Clears The Air & Explains Why He'll Never Go to a Heisman Ceremony
“It was Dan Mullen and his wife that created all this ruckus… $180K? $200K? You can’t hide that, not in my community. Not in my culture.” pic.twitter.com/oD5bQ1uCUc
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) April 11, 2024
But soon after, rumors began to circulate from sources at MSU that it was Newton’s father who decided for him to attend Auburn.
“They’re battle-tested. I ain’t going into a locker room with freshmen. They’re ready to win right now. They just need me to propel them to elite status,” Newton said. “Mississippi State needed me and some and I don’t think Mississippi State garners the measure of recruits — I mean, come on man, it’s Mississippi State here.”
Newton also believes that Mullen and his wife were just bitter he didn’t go to school there and that’s why he believes they started all these rumors.
“That was just a grenade thrown into the crowd, to just have a bitter person — ‘He didn’t come to my school, so he had to have took some money to go to that school, because we already had a relationship.’ But I was thinking to myself, ‘You didn’t play me while you were at Florida.’ … I’ve seen your true self. I didn’t want to get burnt twice,” Newton said.
Mullen was the Gator’s offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer when Newton was there. Newton later went to junior college after he allegedly stole a laptop.
Another thing Newton wanted to clear up was his dad’s reputation, which took a hit after the NCAA started its investigation into Newton’s recruitment.
While others from MSU claim that it was Cecil who made Newton attend Auburn because they offered more money, the NCAA investigation found that nothing improper happened, yet Newton took the hit for his son so he could continue to play.
“He said, ‘Look, how can we allow my son to play?’ ‘Well, we’re going to need somebody to take this rap.’ My father, without blinking, said, ‘Well, I’ll take it. Paint me however you want to paint me. I’ll do it for my son. He’s going to be eligible to play? Cool. I’ll take it,’” Newton said.
Newton then added “My father has done nothing wrong and was painted as a villain, still to this day.”
He said all of this fueled his will to win and not only go on to lead the Tigers to the national championship but propelled him to the Heisman.
Newton has made some harsh accusations about not only Dan Mullen but his wife Megan. It will be interesting to see if Mullen will respond and what will his response will be.
