Associated Press
CHARLOTTE ó Cam Newton settled into a couch in the lobby of his new place of employment, flashed his million-dollar smile and quickly offered a word of warning.
ěDonít believe what youíve read,î he said.
When the Carolina Panthers made Newton the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, they gave the quarterback the fresh start few realized he needed. The Panthers, meanwhile, hope Newton will be the charismatic fresh face of a franchise in dire need of some new energy.
A 2-14 season landed the Panthers the No. 1 pick in Aprilís draft and led them to Newton, who is still adjusting to how quickly his life has changed.
He was in Brenham, Texas, two years ago, at Blinn College, where he quickly realized ěyou donít get no respect. You are already stereotyped as something happened, thatís why you are in junior college.î
Then it was on to one life-changing year at Auburn as Newton rocketed to stardom at the same time he was under constant scrutiny. He won a national championship, Auburnís first since 1957, and the Heisman Trophy all while the NCAA investigated his father for seeking money in a play-for-pay scandal. Newton was cleared by the NCAA of knowing about the scheme, but thereís an obvious sense that the entire experience left him battle scarred.
ěIt got nasty real fast,î he admitted.
Now here he is in Charlotte, a city starving for its first true superstar. Newton, with a billboard in Times Square even though heís yet to play a regular season game, might very well be the King that the Queen City has been courting since the NBAís Charlotte Hornets made it a pro city in 1988.
Although Newton knows how to turn on the charm ó as he left the field after a recent practice, he waved at a television camera and said ëHi, mom!î in a way that created a usable clip on a day he declined interviews ó he insists he doesnít want to be in a constant spotlight.
ěPeople read about me, they hear about me and they just think ëThereís Cam, heís this individualistic person ó is that a word? ó but they think ëHeís just to himself all the time,í ěhe said. ěSo I keep my circle very close because I donít want to feel like all eyes on me, unless itís out there on the field. Thatís the only time I can feel comfortable when all these people are looking at you.
ěBut outside of football, Iím really to my own. I understand you canít go out because people observe everything you do, what you eat, who you are with, how you are looking. Itís a lot of times I feel the attention and itís very uncomfortable for me, especially looking back, this time last year, still nobody knew who I was. Now 365 days fast-forward, you went from flashes to being right up on the radar.î
Thatís right where heíll be as everybody watches and waits for Newton to turn the Panthers around. First-year coach Ron Rivera has not yet named the regular season starter but that shouldnít be too far off partly because incumbent Jimmy Clausen hasnít done anything to hold onto the job.
Newton got his first start of the preseason in Thursday nightís loss to Cincinnati. He was 6 for 19 for 75 yards in three quarters, but he did show some flash with a 16-yard touchdown scramble. It impressed left tackle Jordan Gross, who protected the stationary Jake Delhomme for seven seasons.
ěWhen we drafted (Newton) I said ëThis is a long ways away from Jake Delhomme in the pocket,í and Jake is my guy,î Gross said Thursday night. ěBut thatís what I expected to see with Cam. Thatís huge. Thatís going to make my job easier. Guys are going to have to rush to contain.
ěWe were in a division with Mike Vick for so long that you were jealous of their linemen because of the run threat he possessed. But I think Cam did really well.î
But heís got to get better, something Rivera noted after Thursday nightís game.
ěHe was a little erratic at times. He felt the pressure at times. I think that got to him a bit,î Rivera said. ěHe needs to make better reads at times. It was nice to see him in an extended role. You learn that he has some moxie, but he has a long way to go.î
Newton also must adjust to making his own decisions on the field. At Auburn, plays were signaled in from the sideline and Newton mostly took the snap from the shotgun. With the Panthers, the plays are being called in directly to him, and Newton now must process them, call them in the huddle, do a defensive read and call for the snap.
Donít think for a minute he wonít get it down pat, said Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
ěTheyíre delusional if they donít think he can read defenses and throw the football,î Malzahn said. ěWhat he did in one year in this league with the pass-efficiency record is really unheard of. Heíll be a very successful pro, as long as he keeps working and doing the things heís done. And I really expect him to do that. The more he plays, the more successful heíll be.î
Newton has only ever known success. He couldnít think of a time heís ever played on a losing team, a winning streak that could be credited to his talent and ability to carry an offense.
But Newton likes to believe attitude is just as important as efficiency. Although the Panthers havenít looked all that improved through three preseason games, Newton said it has never crossed his mind that this could be a long year of losing.
ěThatís the mentality youíve got to have,î he said. ěIf you go into the season thinking that, ëMan, itís going to be a long season,í well, Iíve never been on a losing team, and I think itís because of that mentality that you start the season with. I donít think Tom Brady or Peyton Manning looks at his teammates and says ëWell look, we ainít got this and we ainít got that.í No, they work with what they have and make the best of each situation.î
So Newton is instead subscribing to Riveraís ěWin the Oneî motto of approaching every moment individually and not getting hung up on the long-term implications.
It helps that he gets nearly daily affirmations from Deion Sanders, who texts Newton a motivational thought nearly every morning, and constant advice from Warren Moon, who Newton described as ěthe key person in my corner right now.î
He also lists two role models, Muhammad Ali and Ray Lewis, who have both impressed Newton with their confidence. Itís been a struggle, Newton said, for him to express himself in a way that doesnít incite the haters. His humor can have a sarcastic tone heís found can be misinterpreted, and his drive, determination and demands on himself have definitely rubbed people the wrong way.
So much so that he said being referred to as ěcockyî is both the biggest misconception of Newton as well as a stinging insult.
ěI take that very offensive, when a person says Iím cocky,î he said. ěThereís a thin line from being cocky and confident, and people donít understand that expecting so much out of yourself doesnít make you a cocky person. I want to be good. I demand greatness for myself, and Iím not going to be complacent by no means.
ěRay Lewis … I donít think cockiness plays a role in anything he does. Thereís like an aura that he has, he donít even have to say nothing, and you feel different when you are around him. You just expect Ray to do everything the right way, you know Ray is not going to give anything less than his best.
ěThatís how I want my reputation to be.î
The Associated Press
08/26/11 19:28