The wait is finally over! After 15 years, Auburn Athletics will retire 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton’s No. 2 jersey. The retirement ceremony will take place on October 11 during the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry at Jordan-Hare Stadium, when the Tigers will take on the Georgia Bulldogs.
Newton’s No. 2 jersey will join a hallowed group of Auburn legends, becoming only the fourth jersey number to be retired in program history, alongside Heisman winners Pat Sullivan (No. 7) and Bo Jackson (No. 34), and legendary receiver Terry Beasley (No. 88).
"Auburn will always be home to me,” Newton said. “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 is argued to be one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time, and for good reason. The College Park, GA, native posted 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air and ran for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns, en route to winning the 2010 SEC Championship and the BCS National Championship to cap off a 14-0 season.
“Cam Newton not only led Auburn to a national championship in 2010, but he produced one of the most prolific seasons ever by a college football player,” Auburn athletics director John Cohen said. “Retiring Cam’s jersey number is a fitting way to celebrate his lasting impact on Auburn University and Auburn Athletics for all time.”
After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL, winning the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2015 while leading the Panthers to a Super Bowl 50 appearance.
Newton is now royalty in Charlotte, holding the all-time record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns in Panthers history.
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Rory is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
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