Cam Newton has been on fire this season. With 35 touchdowns, 296 passes for 3,387 yards and 636 rushing yards, he has every reason to be proclaimed at the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2015 season. He led his team to a 15-1 regular season, their only loss being against the Falcons, whom they shut out earlier in the season 38-0. So basically, they had one off day in an away game. Big whoop.
The Panthers entered the post-season with high hopes of the Super Bowl. With a close win against the Seahawks and a huge win against the Cardinals, the Panthers were favored to take home all the glory. Unfortunately, the Broncos didn’t have the same plans in mind and ended up beating the Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
Regardless, no one is going to argue against the fact that the Panthers had a great season and are a big contender for next season with Cam leading the way.
But off the field, Cam Newton has been the talk of a lot controversy all year long. Critics have scrutinized his dancing on the field, like dabbing, and outspoken behavior off the field. He’s been accused of lacking humility and maturity, referring to last season when he would sit on the bench with a towel over his head sulking as his team trailed behind.
“I’m doing exactly what I want to do, how I want to do it and when I look in the mirror, it’s me,” he once told reporters. “Nobody changed me. Nobody made me act a certain type of way and I’m true to my roots. It feels great, but yet, people are going to say whatever they want to say. And if I’m in this world living for that person — ‘Oh, this person is going to say this, this person is going to say that’ — then I can’t look at myself and say I’m Cam Newton, or I’m Cameron Newton to most people. Because I’m not because I’m living for you.”
The latest hit Cam took came after he abruptly exited his post-Super Bowl interviews after answering a few questions with short, mostly one-word answers covering himself in a dark hoodie. But what we didn’t initially notice was that Cam was being interviewed in the same room as the Bronco’s players as they raved about their win. What we didn’t hear was Bronco’s defensive cornerback Chris Harris say, “Load the box, force y’all to throw the ball. Can you throw the football? That was the gameplan.” Newton, within ear shot of Harris, then shook his head, stood up and exited the interview.
So, Cam Newton is obviously a talented quarterback who has had a terrific season and shows promise for many more to come. Is he showing his professionalism in the right way? Is there a right way? Regardless, Cam Newton doesn’t care what you think and as he’s said, “If I offended anybody, that’s cool, but I know who I am and I’m not about to conform nor bend for anybody’s expectations, because yours or anybody’s expectations would never exceed mine.”
You do you, Cam.