Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Kenny Rogers, the Mississippi State alumnus heavily engaged in MSU’s recruitment of former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, also contacted ousted North Carolina assistant John Blake and others about Newton.

Auburn University released on Friday a 32-page report on the NCAA investigation into its national championship winning, Heisman Trophy quarterback. The NCAA has already cleared Newton of any wrongdoing, while confirming that the player’s father, Cecil Newton, sought as much as $180,000 from Mississippi State representatives for his son to play there.

According to Friday’s report, it was determined that during Cam Newton’s recruitment, Cecil Newton and Rogers exchanged approximately 275 phone calls and text messages. Approximately 200 of those phone calls or contacts were made before the pay-for-play scheme came up. Also, Rogers accompanied the family on Newton’s visit to the school.

It was during that time that Rogers claims Cecil Newton told two MSU assistant coaches what it would take to get his son there. Cam Newton was not present at that time. MSU coaches denied the exchange ever took place.

Rogers, owner of Elite Football Preparation, helped to facilitate the proposed cash payment through his former teammates and MSU boosters, John Bond and Bill Bell. However, Auburn’s investigation determined that the Newtons did not hire Rogers as an agent and Rogers was not set to receive any compensation from Cecil Newton. Furthermore, Cam Newton was exonerated, the university said, because he knew nothing of his father’s dealings with Rogers.

Cam Newton said during the investigation that Rogers’ primary role was to give Newton perspective as an African-American on attending MSU in Starkville, Miss. Rogers was also a recruiter for sports agents, but the Newtons denied having known that.

The “only reason my dad was talking to Kenny Rogers was because he graduated from, or played at Mississippi State and was trying to find out information of why he should let his son go to Mississippi State,” Newton said, according to the documents.

Bell told investigators that he didn’t think the whole scenario was a “money thing” for Rogers.

Rogers was clearly most interested in getting Cam Newton to play at Mississippi State. According to Bell, Rogers was upset that MSU had not offered scholarships to other players he’d presented to the coaching staff. This time, he wanted to ensure Newton would be an MSU lock. Still, he contacted Oklahoma, Kansas State, Tennessee and North Carolina about Newton.

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WRITTEN BY Rana L. Cash - Sporting News  & FULL STORY HERE