Cam Newton Suffers Back Injury: NFL Draft Status in Question?

SB Nation is reporting that Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton was taken for x-rays following the BCS Championship game victory against the Oregon Ducks. Early reports are claiming that his back has been injured seriously. The injury is supposedly to his lower back and was suffered late in the game following a hit. Though Auburn University has not issued any reports regarding the extent of the injury, it is said to be "serious." With an injury of this magnitude, it makes one wonder what this will do to Cam Newton's NFL draft stock, and whether or not this will influence his decision to leave school and enter the NFL draft.

While there are early questions regarding the potential for Cam Newton to have success as an NFL quarterback, injuries before starting a professional career are common, and do not necessarily have an impact on the success that an injured athlete can have at the professional level.

In 2 of the 4 most recent NBA drafts, the number one overall pick has lost his entire first season due to injury. However, at least in the short term, it appears that the careers of these two athletes are going in opposite directions.

In the 2007 NBA draft it was hotly debated whether Kevin Durant or Greg Oden should be the number one pick. Eventually the Portland Trailblazers went with Oden because of his size and potential. Kevin Durant was the college player of the year, with a great shooting touch, particularly for his size, but Oden was considered to be a "prototype" center who could resurrect the Portland franchise. As many of us know, Oden was injured before ever playing a professional game and had to sit out his entire rookie season with a knee injury. Since this injury, Oden has come back but has continued to suffer from injury problems. He is currently out for the season once again. Durant has gone on to be the leader of one of the NBA's most exciting up and coming teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder and led the league in scoring last year at the age of 21. Durant seems to be on course for a historical NBA career while it is questionable at best as to what type of impact Greg Oden will ultimately have in the league.

On the flip side, the 2009 number one pick, Blake Griffin suffered a knee cap injury also before playing a single NBA game. Griffin, like Oden, was required to sit out his entire rookie season. However, since returning from his injury, Blake Griffin has been setting the league on fire with his powerful, above-the-rim style of play and aggressive dunks. He is a mid-season favorite to win the NBA rookie of the year award, and is averaging a double-double per game. Griffin seems to be on pace to be a franchise player, and may end up leading the L.A. Clippers out of their perennial cellar.

Within professional sports, we have two very recent examples of players who suffered serious injuries after their college careers ended and before ever playing a professional game. So, depending on the severity of the injury, Cam Newton's career could take two very opposite directions. Some will depend on his heart and his desire to overcome the injury, some will depend on his good or bad fortune and where he sustains any future hits. Unlike Oden or Griffin, however, who were both drafted by the NBA before sustaining their injuries, Newton is awaiting the NFL draft. Perhaps this injury may scare some potential suitors away.