This is not the first time that football has taken away a state champion hurdler with still much untapped potential left on the track. Granby's Chris Bell won multiple state titles in the 110 meter hurdles from 2004 to 2006, but never bothered to compete at a national meet in high school due to the focus being on football immediately after the state track meet. Granted both Bell and Newsome clearly had or have the talent to compete at big-time college football powerhouses (some tout Newsome as one of the top two high school football recruits in Virginia), but could it have hurt to still leave the door open to compete in the hurdles as a collegiate?
Freep.com article: Kevin Newsome answers critics at national showcase