I expected to hear plenty of criticism when I revealed in a column Monday that I did not include Auburn quarterback Cam Newton on my Heisman Trophy ballot.

In fact, the reason I wrote the column in the first place was because I saw a column online calling non-Newton voters cowards for not revealing their ballots. Another site figured it must have been a racial thing.

I didn't write the column for the feedback or to stir a controversy. I just wanted to be up front about not voting for Newton. I knew the feedback would come, though.

Like I said in my column, I did consider Newton the best player in the country. I just didn't feel comfortable voting for him. There is an integrity clause in the voting, and I felt uneasy about the pay-for-play controversy involving Newton. The fact that he wasn't talking to the media didn't help.

There were 104 other voters who apparently felt the same way by leaving him off their ballots. The "innocent until proven guilty" argument doesn't apply to integrity.

I was somewhat surprised by the number of positive responses I received via email the last couple of days. Roughly 90 percent of the people who provided feedback applauded my decision. 

It was interesting to track the responses. Almost all of the positive comments I fielded came from people comfortable enough to leave their names. All of those who called for the Heisman Trust to take away my vote or called me a joke did not leave their names. (We do have access to the identities of those who leave reader comments online, so that isn't as much of a mystery).

I also knew people would disagree with my decision to put Michigan's Denard Robinson on my ballot. He finished sixth in the voting, so, again, I wasn't alone. Robinson had better passing and rushing numbers than Newton and was the Big Ten MVP despite nagging injuries. But I voted for him because he was the one college football player whose highlights I just had to see every weekend.