Auburn legend Cam Newton ranks high on ESPN's top 100 QBs of the 2000s

[ASFN Admin]

Auburn football only enjoyed having Cam Newton on its roster for one season, but it was a season many fans will talk about for years to come.

Newton won the Heisman Trophy in 2010, completing 66.1% of his passes for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns, adding 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. His efforts also played a giant role in Auburn finishing the season with an unbeaten record, which included an SEC Championship and a BCS National Championship win. Not only was his season memorable for Auburn fans, but it stands out to many media members who cover the sport on a national level.

Bill Connelly of ESPN recently ranked the top 100 college quarterbacks of the 2000s and gave Newton plenty of respect by placing him at No. 2 on the list. Here is what Connelly said of Newton's place in the ranking.

Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest single-season supernova the sport has seen. After two years of backing up Tebow at Florida, Newton won a juco national title at Blinn College, then landed at Auburn and almost single-handedly carried the Tigers to their first AP national title since 1957. His supporting cast was good but not nearly the caliber of Young's, Tebow's, etc., but that was fine -- he was simultaneously the best running back and quarterback in the sport.

Then he was gone, off to an NFL career that has included an MVP award, more than 31,000 passing yards and a Super Bowl appearance.

Newton takes the No. 2 slot above several notable names, including Vince Young of Texas, Joe Burrow of LSU, Tim Tebow of Florida, and Deshaun Watson of Clemson. The only quarterback ranked higher than Newton was former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, with Connelly crediting Mayfield for posting a solid career, compared to just one season. Another former Auburn quarterback, Bo Nix, also made the list. Nix is at No. 30 above West Virginia's Pat White. Miami Ohio's Ben Rothlisberger, and Russell Wilson, who played at NC State and Wisconsin.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn's Cam Newton ranks No. 2 on ESPN's top QBs of the 2000s ranking

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