Kenny Rogers fingers Cecil Newton on ESPN Radio: “100,000 to $180,000” to get Cam

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News has the rush copy out.

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Rogers told ESPN 103.3 in Dallas that, on Friday night, Nov. 27, 2009, the night before Ole Miss played Mississippi State, he and Cecil Newton sat inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Starkville, Miss., and discussed where Cam Newton would sign with two Mississippi State football coaches.

Cam Newton was on his official visit to Mississippi State that weekend.

Rogers said that Cecil Newton told the two Mississippi State coaches, whom he would not identify, that State would have to pay between $100,000 and $180,000 to get Cam Newton to sign with the Bulldogs.

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UPDATE: ESPN Radio has a podcast of the interview with Rogers.

This is a reversal of sorts for Rogers, who last Friday said he didn’t know anything about solicitation of money for Cam Newton’s signature:

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**Agent Kenny Rogers, who ESPN.com said Thursday was offering Newton to Mississippi State for $180,000, told ESPN Radio in Dallas that he has never asked for money for a player to sign and he's never contacted Auburn. He also said he and Newton's father, Cecil Newton Sr., had talked about Mississippi State and Starkville, where Rogers played college football.

"He was asking about the culture of Mississippi State because that's a small town,'' Rogers said.

Otherwise, Rogers said, "I have no idea where my name came up in this.''

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This essentially corroborates the original ESPN story that broke the scandal, and supports Mississippi State’s version of events as well. Unfortunately, Rogers has fingered Cecil for shopping his son.

The obvious question is, if Cam’s services were for sale to Mississippi State, were they also for sale to Auburn University?

It gets weirder and weirder, while it gets clearer and clearer.