As a child, if there was a ball involved, Morgan Newton was participating. Growing up in a family where his father, John, was a four-year starter at Grambling State University, and his mother, Ruby, was a basketball player, playing sports was something that was sort of expected for Newton.

"It has been a tradition to have everyone involved in sports. My parents put me in sports," said Newton, who also played soccer, baseball and basketball as a youth.

However, when he was in the third grade, he found a sport where he would rewrite the history books and ultimately earn a college education as a result of.

Early moments lead to big things

As a third grader playing in the Pike Township Youth Football League, Newton showed signs of brilliance starting at quarterback or running back.

Those early signs of brilliance would help Newton when he became the starting quarterback at Carmel (IN) High School after moving from the Pike School District prior to his sophomore year. The move proved to be a good one for Newton, as the 6-foot-5, 220-pound signal caller, guided Carmel to three consecutive Class 5A state title game appearances.

"It's always nice playing a football game in high school. I get to go to class, be around my friends and the people who support me, play a game and then go home to my parents. It's always fun," Newton said.

One can't help but feel bad for the opposition if they don't view it as fun as Newton helped guide they Greyhounds to a 38-7 mark since 2006, including a state title in 2007.

In the 2006 season, Newton led Carmel to a 5-1 record in six starts. He was 30-of-51 for 464 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Newton also rushed for 200 yards on 38 carries.

In the 2007 state championship game, the final prep game ever played inside the RCA Dome, Newton rushed for 67 yards and threw for 77 more in Carmel's 16-7 victory over Pike. The title was the sixth overall for the Greyhounds.

During the 2008 season, Newton again brought his "A" game, leading Carmel to a 13-2 record and a runner-up appearance in the state championship game. Against six of Indiana's top programs -- Cathedral, Warren Central, Ben Davis, Fort Wayne Snider, Penn and Center Grove (two games) -- Newton averaged 280 yards and 2.9 touchdowns (running and passing). On the season, Newton threw for 1,938 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,664 yards and 26 touchdowns.

While others may be surprised with his personal and team accomplishments, Newton is not one of them. "I am not really surprised. Surprised would not be the right word. I would say we expected it after the work and effort we put in. We expected to be the best," Newton said.

Along the way, Newton racked up numerous honors including being named the Gatorade Indiana Player-of-the-Year and earning the Indiana Mr. Football Award. However, the honor that came as the biggest surprise was Newton being named to Parade Magazine's 46th Annual All-America High School Football Team, where he was one of 58 standouts recognized.

"It's pretty special," Newton said of the Parade Magazine honor. "I didn't realize how special it was until I got the honor."

In addition to being great on the gridiron, Newton is also great when it comes to academics as he carries a 3.5 GPA, is a Scholar athlete and an honor roll student, who has taken advanced courses since the seventh grade.

Despite putting Carmel on the map when it comes to Indiana High School football, Newton is aware that Indiana is still a basketball state, something he hopes will change in the future.

"I don't know if we will ever get the same respect as Florida, Texas or California when it comes to football, but getting people to watch the games on T.V. is great. People are becoming aware of football in Indiana, and I hope we can continue to get some respect," Newton said.

It's a family tradition

Growing up in a family where the father played four seasons and had teammates like future Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams at Grambling State could be a bit intimidating but it was the complete opposite for Newton and his father.

Dr. John Newton, who is also the assistant principal at Carmel High School, played for the legendary Eddie Robinson at Grambling State University, something Morgan said he hears about daily; however, in an era where children are quickly running from their parents, the two said their relationship is not like that. Dr. Newton, who coached Morgan in youth sports, said Morgan constantly makes his way down to his office.

When it comes to who was the better football player in the family, this is where you get an argument. "He surpassed my shoes a long time ago," Dr. Newton said.

"There's no written history with my dad. That was prehistoric time," Morgan said laughing. "Dad played in college and I haven't done that yet, so the edge goes to him."

In addition to Morgan, brothers Langston and Jordan, both freshmen, are also involved in football. "They are keeping the tradition going," Newton said.

Headed to the University of Kentucky

Rated as the sixth best quarterback by Scout.com, Newton began attracting college interest as a sophomore at Carmel when he recorded his first scholarship offer by nearby Indiana University.

Over the next three years, Newton, who entered this season as the 16th top passer in the ESPNU Top 150, would get close to 24 offers, mostly from ACC, SEC and Big 10 schools, including South Carolina, Purdue, Clemson, Louisville, Florida, Miami and Illinois.

On his Scout.com recruiting page, Bob Lichtenfels, of Scout.com, had the following to say about Newton, "Newton is a very efficient passer. He has outstanding size and a very strong arm, almost too strong at times. He is very poised and makes good decisions. Newton also gives you that threat to run. He can make all the throws in the pocket or on the move. He has a quick release, but needs to fine tune it mechanically. He seems to have a little hitch at times. He seems to get better as he gets more reps."

While the recruiting whirlwind may be too tough for some recruits, Newton said he actually enjoyed the process. "It was pretty fun. After getting my first offer, we looked around and visited schools," Newton said.

In August of 2008, Newton gave his commitment to Rich Brooks and the University of Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC.

"I feel comfortable with the coaches and it's close to home. It will be fun to be on T.V., and to play in the SEC will be a great challenge. I hope to get better the next four years," Newton said.

As soon as he gave his commitment, the comparisons began between Newton and former Wildcat quarterback Andre Woodson, who was drafted in 2008 by the New York Giants. Woodson was UK's starting quarterback from 2005-2007 and along the way he rewrote the history books. In 2006, Woodson led the Wildcats to a 7-5 regular season and their first bowl win in 22 years in the Music City Bowl. Furthermore, he became the second Kentucky quarterback to throw 30 or more touchdowns in a single season.

Newton says the comparisons, while nice, are not accurate.

"There are things I do that are similar to him, but we are two different players. He was a great college player and he can throw it," Newton said.

While that is true, there is no question that Newton has the attributes to win over the Wildcat fans the same way Woodson did during his storied career in Lexington.