Meet Cam Newton's Father, Cecil Newton

If Cam Newton is at the center of an NCAA investigation regarding his eligibility, his father may be just slightly off-center.

Cecil Newton is mentioned in ESPN's report on the investigation as the pastor of Holy Zion Center of Deliverance in the Atlanta suburb of Newnan, Georgia. That church doesn't return many results, but a condemned building the church has used has been part of an ongoing squabble over its destruction, and Bishop Cecil Newton shows up in news reports about it.

ESPN report has Cecil Newton saying he's met Kenny Rogers, the agent (or "agent") who solicited cash from Mississippi State for Cam Newton's commitment. But Cecil is also important because he reportedly made the decision that his son would play for Auburn.

From a Sports Illustrated story on Newton:

Last December the choice of which college to attend came down to two schools—Auburn and Mississippi State. Newton preferred Starkville because of his close relationship with Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen, who had been Newton's offensive coordinator at Florida. But Cecil thought his son should choose Auburn, which had an experienced offensive line (four starters were returning) and was only a two-hour drive from Atlanta. Newton let his father make the final decision, and a few days before Christmas, while sitting at the dinner table in his brother's house in Jacksonville, Cecil Sr. uttered two words that would radically alter the college football landscape: "It's Auburn."

It's a safe bet we'll learn more about Cecil Newton in the days to come.