Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton will enter the NFL draft after leading Auburn to the school's second national championship.

His announcement comes three days after the Tigers beat Oregon in the BCS title game and two days before the deadline to declare for the draft. Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley will announce his plans Friday.

"This decision was difficult for me and my family," Newton said in a statement. "After talking to Coach (Gene) Chizik and Coach (Gus) Malzahn, I think it is best that I make that next step in my career and forgo my senior season and enter the NFL Draft. It was a very hard decision for me, especially after coming off the great season we had at Auburn. I'm blessed to have been around an excellent environment and have great teammates, coaches and support from the Auburn family."

Newton currently is projected to be a first-round pick on Mel Kiper's Big Board after a season rushing for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns and throwing for 2,854 yards and 30 scores.

"We appreciate Cameron's many contributions to Auburn and the outstanding leader that he was for our football team," Chizik said. "He had one of the greatest individual seasons ever by an Auburn player and was a key part of our championship run. Cam will always be a member of the Auburn family and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Newton played the past three months for the Tigers with an ongoing NCAA investigation into the actions of his father during his recruiting. It was determined Cecil Newton solicited money from representatives of Mississippi State, but since there was no evidence that Cam Newton was aware of the deal, he was allowed to continue playing.

Cecil Newton was forced to keep his distance from the program, but he was seen celebrating on the field with his son, despite an announcement from Auburn that he was not attending the game.

Even though Newton has left for the NFL, the NCAA is still investigating the matter. Should new details be uncovered, it is possible Auburn's championship could be penalized in a similar manner as USC was hit with sanctions four years after Reggie Bush finished his career.

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