Auburn Undercover.com senior editor Phillip Marshall is reporting this afternoon that Florida coach Urban Meyer is the person responsible for the Cam Newton pay-for-play story being leaked to the press over the past few days.
In the story, Marshall talks of a three-way phone conversation between Meyer, Miss State coach Dan Mullen and former Bulldog quarterback John Bond, who made news yesterday in a story for ESPN.com.
According to Marshall, Bond is quoted as saying that he and Mullen agreed that the Newton matter was closed after submitting all of their documentation to SEC Headquarters.
Meyer disagreed and told the two that he thought it needed to be reported to The New York Times and he was going to make the call. Pete Thamel, who wrote the Times piece is close friends with Meyer.
The story goes on to say that Bond agreed to be interviewed by ESPN.com only after it became apparent the story was going to break. Marshall writes that Bond "is distressed about the reaction, particularly the attacks on Newton's character."
Bond is quoted as saying, "(Meyer) is behind the whole thing."