Reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton is no stranger to criticism. His play on the field, especially in the early years, hasn’t always been the greatest. Appearing to sulk on the sidelines with a towel over his head wasn’t the best representation of what an upcoming superstar, and a leader of a team is supposed to do when times get rough. And yes, he should have jumped on the ball in the Super Bowl. But make no mistake about it, this man is a competitor. No athlete in their profession is satisfied with losing, especially one who isn’t accustomed to losing on any level. National championship at the JUCO level, and he put together one of the most dominating and exciting college football seasons we’ve ever seen in route to a National Championship with the Auburn Tigers. It’s fair to criticize the development in his game, but the criticism and attacks on his character is completely unfair in my opinion.
2011 is the year Cam Newton entered the league, and since then the Carolina Panthers have seen varying levels of success. Going back to his rookie season the Panthers’ record has been 6-10, 7-9, 12-4, 7-8-1, and most recently 15-1 last season. With the last 3 seasons resulting in NFC South Championships. Not to mention, the last two seasons the Panthers have lost in the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, (Seahawks in ’14 and Broncos in ’15).
In those seasons Cam has put up some pretty good numbers, this past season was Newton’s best which he had 3,837 passing yards 35 passing touchdowns and only 10 interceptions while adding 636 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns. His 45 total touchdowns led the league ahead of Tom Brady who had 39 and was almost a lock to win MVP throughout most of the season. Newton was arguably the hottest player in the second half of the season and performed better than any QB not named Russell Wilson.
The quality of his offensive line hasn’t always been the best; in fact they were average at best. According to an ESPN article, since 2011 in terms of hits (sacks, hit while throwing, or tackled while running) Cam has taken 587 hits which is 270 more than the second place guy on the list Russell Wilson. A lot of this is due to the poor offensive line play over the years for the Panthers because when Cam gets average time to pass from the pocket he is one of the highest rated QB’s in the league. Because of the offensive line, the Panthers ran the least amount of passing plays of any team in the league last season and Newton’s numbers were still comparable to other top QBs. Olsen was the only consistent passing target last season for the Panthers at the TE position, Ted Ginn put up decent numbers but had a lot of drops in a lot of key moments, and some would have been long touchdown throws.
This team over the past couple of years have benefitted from a great defense to offset a not so great offense, with the exception of last year. They were still able to be successful because of Cam Newton’s progression and athletic greatness. He has also great intangibles mainly in his ability to make everyone around him better and foster a welcoming environment in the locker room. Ted Ginn, Corey Brown, Devin Funchess and Jonathan Stewart all benefitted greatly because of Newton. The level of maturity he has shown and the way he brings fun to the game of football has a magnetic effect on everyone around him.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player get criticized more for bringing fun and passion to the game while being successful. His on field performance speaks for itself in terms of a developing and maturing superstar. But it’s the work that he does off the field that really shows you his character and the type of man that he is. He has been criticized for celebrating after first downs and big plays, giving little kids the football after touchdowns, and even the outfits that he chooses to wear. I believe there is some truth to his claim last season that many people criticize him because he’s an African-American quarterback with a unique skill set that we have never seen before nor have anyone to compare him to. For the people who don’t like the touchdown celebrations, imagine having your kid receive a football from Cam Newton after a touchdown. That’s a lasting effect on a kid and one of those moments they remember forever. His effort to help kids and change their lives doesn’t stop on the field; he has a real passion to enhance the lives of kids. From his work with numerous charities to help children to his own Cam Newton Foundation in which he strives to ensure that children’s socioeconomic, educational, physical and emotional needs are enhanced shows the effort he makes on a day to day basis to help the youth in our society.
When you combine the off the field charity work, the magnetic smile similar to a Magic Johnson, the will and desire he shows to win, the leadership and fun he brings to the game, and not to mention the on the field athletic greatness that he shows week in and week out, it’s hard to criticize Cam Newton the man. Now if you choose to critique his play on the field, that is fair game, but to attack the character of the man that is Cam Newton is just completely unfair.
