To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Cam Newton on Saturday night won the 2010 Heisman Trophy.
Newton, Auburn's sensational junior quarterback, was the nation's most dominating player all season, passing for 2,589 yards and rushing for 1,409 yards while accounting for 48 total touchdowns. It was only fitting that he capped his remarkable campaign by winning college football's most celebrated award.
Newton beat out fellow finalists Andrew Luck of Stanford, Kellen Moore of Boise State and LaMichael James of Oregon. Luck was second in the voting, followed by James and Moore.
Though Newton has been surrounded by controversy all season--he was dogged by an NCAA investigation into his recruitment for weeks--Auburn coach Gene Chizik defended his quarterback on Saturday, calling him "a phenomenal young man."
"He's different on the field and he's different off the field," Chizik told Al.com. "He's a great kid. We get much joy and much satisfaction out of seeing our own get the benefits and see the fruits of his labor, which are many. It's very well deserved, no question about it."
Newton is the third Auburn player to win the Heisman, joining Pat Sullivan (1971) and Bo Jackson (1985). With the Heisman in hand, he will now turn his attention to the BCS National Championship Game, in which his top-ranked Tigers will take on No. 2 Oregon for the 2010 national title.
Photo: Auburn's Cam Newton is the latest winner of the Heisman Trophy. (Getty Images)
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