Auburn formally retires Cam Newton’s No. 2 jersey

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn formally retired Cam Newton’s No. 2 jersey at halftime against No. 10 Georgia on Saturday night, engraving his name and number into Jordan-Hare Stadium amid a light show.

Newton became the fourth player in program history to receive the honor.

His No. 2 joins Pat Sullivan’s No. 7, Terry Beasley’s No. 88 and Bo Jackson’s No. 34 as an untouchable number in Auburn football history.

“Words can’t even express the amount of gratitude that I’m walking in right now,” Newton said. “To be able to share this moment with my friends and my family, that’s what it’s all about, man. For all the times and all the kids that I’ve given back to, telling memories, to be able to share these memories in this type of magnitude, to this type of capacity, is every athlete’s dream.”

Newton led the Tigers to a 14-0 season in 2010, capped by an SEC championship and a 22-19 victory over Oregon in the BCS national championship game — Auburn’s most recent national title.

“Retiring Cam’s jersey number is a fitting way to celebrate his lasting impact on Auburn University and Auburn athletics for all time,” Auburn athletic director John Cohen said.

Celebrating Newton came amid a loss, though. Georgia scored the final 20 points to win the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry for the ninth consecutive year.

Newton was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year, earned consensus All-American honors and won the Heisman Trophy during his historic season on the Plains. He became the school’s third Heisman recipient, joining Sullivan (1971) and Jackson (1985). Newton threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 1,473 yards and 20 more scores.

“When I came to Auburn, I had a simple idea: I wanted to be better than Bo Jackson,” Newton said. “I’m challenging the next generation when they decide to go to Auburn, that somebody dares to say, ‘I want to be better than Cam Newton.’”