While finally establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, QB and fan favorite Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers continues pressing football fans to love or hate him. Regardless which side of the fence any particular fan may find themselves, Newton has made it very clear he doesn’t really care.
During his 5-year NFL career and even while playing his college ball at Auburn, Newton has never been one to worry about how polarizing he can be to the people around him. It’s that strong persona that has carried him through several seasons when he was being criticized as the man who couldn’t win the big game at the NFL level. Still, he defies authority by dancing in the end zone and taking pictures on the sidelines in the middle of games.
With Super Bowl 50 a little more than a week away, Newton now stands on one of the biggest stages in all of sports. As the unquestioned leader of the favored Panthers that went 15-1 during the regular season and have gotten better in the playoffs, he has the ear of everyone in or around the game. Apparently, he has no intention of missing out on the opportunity to tell the world who he is and what he thinks.
With that in mind, Newton said in an interview, “I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to.” This is a none too familiar topic that Newton broaches with great pride and yet disdain for those who dare to question the fact he is a black player playing a position previously dominated by white players.
Race issues aside, Newton would become only the third African-American starting quarterback in history to lead his team to a victory in the Super Bowl should the Panthers win. The other two were Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (2013) and Doug Williams, Washington Redskins (1987).
When asked about how he feels about his polarizing reputation, Newton responded by saying “Whether you win, lose or draw, people are going to talk. Now the true fans — they know what’s up. They’re going to be supportive whatever happens…. But people are going to judge and have their own opinion on certain things that I don’t have control over nor does anybody else.”
For the record, Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera also takes issue with all the criticism leveled at his star QB. “It’s funny we still fight that battled based on what? All he’s done when he came in his rookie year…he had a dynamic rookie year. He was NFL (Offensive) Rookie of the Year. He’s been in conversations every year for awards. This year he’s in the conversation for MVP. I still don’t get why he has to (be criticized). And maybe there are some people out there who are concerned with who he is, which I think is terrible. I really do. You think in this time, this day and age, it would be more about who he is as an athlete, as a person more than anything else. Hopefully we can get past those things.”
No matter what anyone thinks, Newton is indeed one of the very best QBs in the game. On the season, he passed for 3,837 yards and 35 TDs with only 10 interceptions while also rushing for 636 yards and 10 TDs. One gets the feeling this could be just one of many Super Bowl appearances coming in the future.
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