In what is known as consistently the best football conference in the nation, and, yes, the very one that also contained Cam’s former team, the Florida Gators, Auburn was snatching victories left and right. Much to the chagrin of those who wanted to see a story of redemption—or perhaps revenge, if you were a Gators fan—there was no Auburn-Florida matchup slated on the year, though the victories themselves were likely enough to provide satisfaction or ire, depending on which side of the field you were on.
The only test of the season for the Tigers would come against the fellow undefeated Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Championship Game, played on January 10, 2011. Coached by no-huddle offensive mastermind Chip Kelly, the Ducks had the highest-scoring squad in the country, and it was predicted that this battle might result in the highest point total a national championship game had ever seen.
Though that proved to be false, Cam did have the opportunity to show the world the player he had become. He had an up-and-down game, and in the fourth quarter, fumbled the ball, allowing Oregon to drive down the field and tie the game up.
But this simply would not stand. The leadership qualities he’d accumulated over his year at Blinn, coupled with the experience he’d gained throughout the 2010 season, allowed him to overcome this minor setback. Cam drove his offense back down the field and, with time expiring, got the Tigers into chip-shot field goal range, and their kicker was able to seal the deal. Auburn won the game 22-19. Two years removed from a shameful Division 1 exit and a shaky future, Cam Newton was a national champion.
The honors that followed were expected: a Heisman Trophy, which signifies the greatest player in the college game for a particular season, was awarded to Cam. After just a single season starting in college football, he had proven himself to be light years ahead of anyone else.
But Cam’s success was shrouded in controversy, this one derived from allegations that his father, Cecil Sr., had accepted bribes from other colleges attempting to entice his son to come play for them. On November 30, Cam’s season was nearly halted after he was declared ineligible thanks to these allegations. Fortunately, Auburn immediately filed to have Cam reinstated, alleging that he had no knowledge of his father’s activities—which Cecil confirmed. Cam was once again made eligible just 24 hours later. Though this ultimately proved to not keep him out of any games, it served to add to the cloud that Cam had so desperately been trying to escape since the Florida controversy.
Nonetheless, despite the shroud, the future was still extremely bright for Cam. He’d just come off a historic season, so, naturally, he struck when the iron was hot, deciding to forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft. Despite his lack of experience, his age, size, and obvious skill made this decision the most obvious and best one.
Chapter 6: A Newbie in Carolina
Cam was selected with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, who were coming off of a 2-14 season and were looking to conduct a complete overhaul. The first step in that process was to fire longtime coach John Fox. And the second was to draft a dynamic quarterback.
There was speculation that Stanford standout Andrew Luck would be forgoing his remaining year of eligibility and throwing his hat into the ring, leading some to believe that this might be the best quarterback choice for the Panthers. But it wasn’t to be, as Luck stayed in college for his senior season after all, meaning that Cam Newton was far and away the most talented player on the board.
The Panthers wanted Cam. They saw him as the quarterback that would be able to change the dynamic of their team and lead them back to the Super Bowl, where they hadn’t been since 2004, and where they’d never been before that. But for Cam, it didn’t come without its stipulations: Owner Jerry Richardson contacted Cam and told him that the team wanted to draft him first overall, but that if they were going to do that, Cam had to promise that he would maintain his clean-cut appearance. That meant no tattoos, no piercings, and no long hair. While many saw it as a violation of a player’s rights and freedoms, Cam was complicit in the deal.
After Cam was drafted, there were many naysayers predicting that he’d be a bust, that he didn’t have the passing skills or the maturity required to make it in the pros, and that the Panthers were making a huge mistake by sacrificing a coveted number-one pick on a player who was relatively unproven. One particularly humorous piece of news by Bleacher Report contributor Jim Folsom encapsulates some of the ridiculous criticisms Cam was receiving.
Cam Newton is a sure-fire bust.
Cam Newton is no brainiac.
Cam Newton’s character has been repeatedly called into question.
He has no credibility. His word means nothing.
Cam cannot hit the broad side of a barn with a football.
In five years, when Tebow is leading Denver into the playoffs and Cam Newton is riding someone’s bench, remember this article.
This is a particularly fun piece of criticism now, albeit outlandish. It was published in May of 2011—so we’re now five years removed from it. Cam’s accrued the honors he has—which, of course, we’ll get to shortly—and, well…Tim Tebow is out of the league.
Which is not to say that Tim Tebow isn’t a great man and person. But this article was a bit off-base.
And, quite frankly, it was doubters like this that helped Cam in his quest to greatness, which began in his very first season. Plus, it’s all but certain that Cam doesn’t even believe in self-doubt.
Cam arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, facing a brand-new controversy: his college number—2—was already taken by quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Cam tried to reason with Jimmy, and with a freshly padded bank account thanks to his four-year, $22 million rookie contract, he tried to make it worth the trouble, but what’s a few thousand dollars to an NFL player, really? Jimmy wouldn’t budge, so Cam had to settle on a new number: 1.
It would prove to be far more befitting.
But as with every great success, nothing happens overnight.
In Cam’s very first regular-season game, on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, he passed for 422 yards, breaking Peyton Manning’s first-game record and becoming the first rookie QB to pass for over 400 yards in his first career game. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be enough to bring about a victory, and the Panthers would fall, 28 to 21.
Losing was new for Cam—he’d come off an undefeated season at Auburn, capped with a national championship, and before that, he had gone undefeated at Blinn College, where he’d also won the league’s national championship. Many considered the fact that he hadn’t had to endure losses as a knock on him, and others, while taking a more rational route, still wondered how he would react.
Cam took the loss in stride and returned the following week for his first game at home with an even stronger performance: 432 yards through the air, with a passing and a rushing touchdown. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ foe was arguably the most formidable in the league: the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, read by one of the league’s best quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers. Once again, the Panthers would falter, dropping the game, 30 to 23. But the loss didn’t go unnoticed—Rodgers was quoted after the game as saying, “I’m glad we played him this early in the season. Once he figures it out fully, he’s going to be even tougher to stop.”
Finally, Cam would get the first win of his professional career in Week 3, at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Cam’s individual stats weren’t spectacular—just 158 yards through the air and a single touchdown—it was an important milestone to have crossed off the list, as it is for so many young players. Cam now knew how to win in the NFL, but perhaps more importantly, he could also adequately cope with a loss.
And he had plenty to cope with that season—the Panthers would drop the following three games after Cam’s first win, and ended up going 6-10 on the year, finishing at the bottom of the NFC South.
But 2011 was a sort of renaissance year for the Panthers, and not just with their new quarterback. The team also fi
elded a brand-new head coach in Ron Rivera, a defensive-minded leader who had played in the league himself. He was the perfect leader for the young, bright star, and the positive relationship they formed was evident from the onset.
Though the season ended with a losing record and no playoff berth, it wasn’t without its share of individual accolades for Cam. Not only was he named Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he also made a Pro Bowl roster, an incredible feat for virtually any rookie, but particularly so at the high skill position of quarterback.
The city of Charlotte was electrified by Cam’s presence. For the very first time, they had someone who had the potential to become a genuine superstar in his sport, something that the city had not seen on either its Panthers football or its Charlotte Hornets NBA team. Could Cam Newton really be the real deal—the Supercam—as the beginnings of his high-flying persona might suggest? It remained to be seen, but even the prospect of it was awesome.
Chapter 7: Sophomore Slump
The following year, the team made some excellent acquisitions, particularly on defense, which was where they were really struggling. They picked up a rookie linebacker in the first round out of Boston College named Luke Kuechly. They were starting to put the pieces together that would make them one of the most powerful teams on both sides of the ball. Along with Cam, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart made the Panthers appear to have one of the best rushing offenses in the league—on paper, at least. Options were more limited through the air, though veteran Steve Smith and tight end Greg Olsen were solid choices for Newton.
Call it growing pains. Call it a sophomore slump. Hopes were high, but Cam struggled mightily through the first half of his second year. The team’s struggles were due in part to internal issues, and general manager Marty Hurney was fired halfway through the year. But something changed in early December with Cam and the rest of the team, and though there was to be no Pro Bowl for Cam in his second year, it appeared late in the year that both he and his team were trending in the right direction. On December 9, coming off a road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Panthers played host to arguably their biggest nemesis, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were sitting at 11-1 and were undoubtedly the best team in the NFC South that year. If there were ever a time for Cam to shine, it was now.
Quite simply, something clicked in Cam that day. He passed for nearly 300 yards and rushed for a career-high 116, including a 72-yard breakaway run that resulted in a touchdown. It was the encapsulation of the performance everyone knew Cam Newton was capable of—most of all, Cam himself. And it was beautiful. The Panthers would win that game, and go on to win their remaining three games as well.
Not only was this huge for Cam and the faith that his teammates and the fans had in him, but it also had secondary benefits: head coach Ron Rivera was on the hot seat. Many had grown tired of his conservative play calling, and they wanted more of a risk taker to work with their dynamic quarterback. So Rivera threw out his rule book, started calling more passing plays, and eventually began making high-risk calls on fourth down. This practice led to a new nickname to go along with his Supercam quarterback: Riverboat Ron.
No, the Panthers didn’t make the playoffs Cam’s second year—they finished at 7-9, a one-game improvement on 2011’s effort—but every indication pointed to a successful third year for the team and its star.
Chapter 8: Third Time’s the Charm
But Cam’s third year began with a little controversy. In the offseason, the Panthers lost their all-time-great wide receiver, Steve Smith, to free agency. Smith was outspoken about his frustration with the decision, and many in Carolina were heartbroken by the move—namely, because there was a question as to whether or not a rookie wide receiver would prove to be as strong of a target for Cam as Smith had been. To make matters worse, the season started with an ugly season-opening loss at home to Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks and a tough road loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2; many thought that they might have put the cart before the horse—and the consensus in Charlotte was that Ron Rivera needed to be canned immediately. However, Cam continued to defend his coach in press conferences and took a significant amount of the blame for the early struggles. This was a marked improvement on his part, and showed a great amount of maturity that shut all of his former naysayers down.
In Week 3, the Panthers got their first W of the 2013 season, at home against the New York Giants. And it wasn’t just a win, it was a demolition—the Panthers took it 38-0. Kelvin Benjamin appeared to be the weapon that Cam had been looking for, after all.
The following week, they had a bye, and Cam looked rusty in Week 5, where they would lose to the Cardinals on the road.
However, what followed was the greatest stretch the Panthers had ever seen. From Weeks 6 to 13, the Panthers didn’t lose a single game, and they finished the regular season at 12-4. Once more, Cam was selected to a Pro Bowl, but more importantly, he finally led the Panthers to the playoffs, including a first-round bye.
Their first playoff opponent came in the form of the San Francisco 49ers, whose quarterback Colin Kaepernick had the build, the game, and perhaps the swagger that more resembled Cam than any other player in the league. Kaepernick had inundated the media recently with juicy fodder, implying that he was sick of Cam’s signature Superman pose that he made after touchdowns, where he would mime the motions of tearing his jersey apart at the front like the famous Clark-Kent-turned-hero. Needless to say, tensions were high for the battle.
Alas, Cam would struggle in his postseason debut. Though the Panthers held a small lead at halftime at 10 to 6, San Francisco would rally, intercepting Cam four times in the second half and sacking him twice. Kaepernick used weapon Anquan Boldin through the air to rack up almost all of his yardage, and that, coupled with a stifling 49ers defense, would be more than enough to take the Panthers down.
But that was far from the most painful episode for the Panthers, and particularly for Cam: after scoring a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, Kaepernick turned to the Carolina crowd and, puffing his chest out, did his best copycat attempt of Cam’s signature Superman move. The stadium erupted and the entire Panthers contingent was ready to brawl—but what could be done? Alas, the victory spoke louder than any response ever could.
Cam was not amused, only offering a single statement on the matter in his postgame press conference: “It’s not the first nor the last time somebody does that.”
He would be right—and, as he implies, nobody imitates anyone who isn’t great. Insert the old cliché. Right?
Chapter 9: One Forward, Two Back
Alas, as Cam had experienced with his return to junior college after Florida—before his year at Auburn, and immense success—sometimes we must go backward before we go forward again. This is what he’d experience throughout much of the 2014 season.
In the offseason, he had surgery to tighten his loose ankle ligaments, a condition that had plagued him for some years and made them more prone to twisting or spraining. The intention, of course, was to minimize injury here, but sometimes when we fix one problem, another one crops up.
In a frustratingly meaningless preseason game, Cam sustained a sack early on, breaking a rib and causing him to miss the Panthers’ first game of the season—against the Bucs, which they won behind backup quarterback Derek Anderson’s fine play. Week 2 would be his debut, and the Panthers home opener, where they’d easily take down the Detroit Lions. All seemed well.
Distressingly, despite decent play from Newton, the Panthers dropped their next two games, but all was redeemed in Week 5, at home against the Chicago Bears. In his most exciting performance of the year to that point, Cam brought the Panthers back from a late 14-point deficit, but what was particularly impressive about the game was his confidence and ability within the pocket—in addition to his already-over-the-top mobility, Cam was developing a true pro style, as well.
Nearly halfway through the season, Cam was statistically the most effective quarterback in the league
. And opposing teams were terrified.
Of course, we must go back to the development of what was hinted at here—several steps backward. And this would begin in Week 7, with a crushing loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The game would set the tone for the next seven weeks of the season, where over a six-game span (including a bye week), Cam and his Panthers went from 3-2-1 (with a bizarre tie against the Bengals in Week 6, where Cam played phenomenally) to 3-8-1, falling all but out of the playoff race and leaving their team, their coach, and their star quarterback shaking their heads.
Right around this time, Cam started getting flack from the media about his lack of leadership skills. They cited the fact that he would often sit on the bench with a towel over his head as proof that he had lost control of his team. For whatever reason, they equated Cam showing his head to the media and the fans as somehow meaning that he had the ability to lead, and if he didn’t do that, then he was lacking some crucial leadership element.
His teammates rushed to his defense, saying that Cam was still the great leader that he’d always been, and that this was yet another attempt at the media circus to bring down Cam Newton or to try to tarnish his image in some way.
And it wouldn’t be the last time. But for now, there were definitely team issues to be worked out and elements of chemistry to be tinkered with. And they stemmed further than some silly towel-over-the-head story.
When asked how he was handling it, Cam could have blamed his rib injury; or, he could have blamed the weakened Panthers offensive line, which was admittedly one of the most depleted in the league, and was letting its quarterback get sacked more than any other in the league. But Cam decided to take the high road—and add a shade of optimism.
“You just deal with it,” he said. “You realize rainy days don’t last.”
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