Auburn's Cam Newton wins Heisman Trophy

Newton, a junior, won the accolade over Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Oregon running back LaMichael James and Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore.

Newton overcame the furor created by an NCAA investigation of the activities of his father, who was accused of shopping his son to Mississippi State in a pay-for-play scheme.

Newton became the third Auburn player to win the Heisman, joining Bo Jackson in 1985 and Pat Sullivan in 1971.

The signal-caller has guided the Tigers (13-0) into the BCS national title game after winning the Southeastern Conference championship.

He was the SEC's leading rusher with 1,409 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns on the ground, and is also the nation's top-rated passer with 2,589 yards and 28 TD tosses.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).