Auburn announced it will retire Cam Newton's No. 2 jersey this season, with the ceremony set for Oct. 11 when the Tigers host Georgia.
It comes as no surprise Auburn is honoring Newton — the bigger surprise is that it took this long. Newton quarterbacked the Tigers to their last national championship in 2010, a season in which they went 14-0 and also captured the SEC Championship.
Newton put together one of the most remarkable single seasons in college football history on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He completed more than 66 percent of his passes for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,473 yards and 20 scores. He even caught a touchdown.
While the No. 2 will be retired, Newton’s legacy has a tie to another number as well.
The Legacy of No. 2 🦅
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 18, 2025
Cemented in Auburn history forever.@CameronNewton | #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/zNylNfy7yF
“Next to it, they should put the number one,” On3’s Andy Staples wrote. “That’s the total number of combined NFL starts the rest of the 2010 Auburn offense had. It would have been more had Phillip Lutzenkirchen not passed away, but it still shows that Cam had the most impactful season a player has had.”
Lutzenkirchen, a former Auburn tight end, was killed in a single-vehicle accident in June 2014. He went undrafted in 2013, signing briefly with the St. Louis Rams.
Newton and four other offensive teammates from the 2010 championship squad eventually made NFL rosters: Onterio McCalebb, Darvin Adams, Emory Blake and Brandon Mosley.
Newton becomes the fourth Auburn player to have his number retired, joining Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley. Like Newton, Jackson and Sullivan were Heisman Trophy winners.
“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!”