Cam Newton

American quarterback Cam Newton plays in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected overall first by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. He spent nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers and even won three Pro Bowls.

In his senior year at Auburn University, Newton won several trophies, including the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and many more. He was the second African-American quarterback to win the NFL MVP award since 2003 when he made his maiden Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Once regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Cam Newton is currently a free agent after being plagued by injuries.

Cam Newton’s Early Life and Background

On May 11, 1989, Cameron Jerrell Newton was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Newton, the second of three brothers, grew up in a family where work ethic and athleticism were valued highly. While Newton's mother, Jackie, kept an eye on her boys' academic progress, their father, Cecil, had a significant influence over their participation in sports and weekend activities. His sons were kept occupied with football, side jobs, and housework.

College football scouts from all across the nation began to pay notice to Newton at Atlanta's Westlake High School. The quarterback was big and quick, and he had the foot speed of a receiver along with a cannon of an arm. As one of the top high school prospects in the nation by his senior year, Newton had earned scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, the University of Georgia, and the University of Florida, among other prestigious colleges known for their football.

At the beginning of his senior year of high school, Newton decided to enroll at the University of Florida. Many thought Newton had made the best decision. The Florida Gators had one of the top programs in college football under head coach Urban Meyer. However, Newton played in just a handful of games and largely watched from the sidelines as the team’s starting QB, Tim Tebow, steered a Heisman Trophy-winning season. The following year, Newton sat out almost the entire season as a medical redshirt after suffering an ankle injury.

Cam was a Florida Gators player in 2007 and 2008, but in November 2008, he was caught for stealing a laptop from a fellow student. As a result, he was suspended from the team. Newton has always claimed that he did not know that the laptop was stolen at the time he purchased it from another student.

Brenham, Texas's Blinn College served as his landing pad. Newton restored his standing as one of the most talented amateur quarterbacks in the country during his one season at the community college, opening the door for his return to Division I football at Auburn University. Newton was a ruthless force at Auburn. He was selected for both the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and the AP Player of the Year while leading the team to the 2010 BCS National Championship. He also triumphed easily in winning the Heisman Trophy that season.

Cam Newton NFL Draft

Cam Newton forgo his final year of college and entered the 2011 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects. Although there were controversies surrounding him at the time of his draft regarding his father accepting a lot of money to let Cam play for the Auburn Tigers, he was selected as overall pick number 1 based on his talent alone.

Cam Newton’s NFL Journey

On September 11, 2011, Cam played in his debut game for the Panthers, and in January 2012, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Later that year, Newton was named to the honorary PFWA All-Rookie Team and his contemporaries voted him #40 on the list of the "NFL Top 100 Players of 2012." The following month, he received the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year awards. On the 2014 list, he rose to position #24 and participated in the Pro Bowl once more. He underwent ankle ligament surgery in March 2014, with a four-month recuperation period. In the team's second preseason game, Cam was allowed to resume playing, and in the following contest, a hard contact resulted in a hairline rib fracture.

After being involved in a car accident in Charlotte in December of that year, Newton fractured his back twice, although he only missed one game.

The Panthers advanced to the Super Bowl in 2015 after winning the NFC Championship.

The day before Super Bowl 50, Cam was crowned NFL MVP. Despite the Denver Broncos 24-10 victory over the Panthers, Newton was ranked first among the "NFL Top 100 Players of 2016" list. Throughout the ensuing seasons, Cam suffered numerous ailments, including a concussion, a partially torn rotator cuff, and another shoulder injury.

He underwent surgery on his right shoulder in January 2019, and later that year, he experienced a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot. Cam was placed on reserve by the team in November, and they gave him permission to trade in March 2020.

Newton was released by the Panthers on March 24th, 2020 after failing to locate a trade partner; three months later, he signed with the New England Patriots. The media speculated that Newton may replace 20-year veteran Tom Brady, who left New England for another city in free agency.

On September 3, he was chosen as the Patriots' starting quarterback and team captain, defeating veteran Brian Hoyer and second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the spot. He became the team's first new primary starter since 2002.

Cam Newton was released by the Patriots in 2021 during the final roster cuts in the offseason. He re-signed with the Carolina Panthers for a second stint. Newton was mostly a backup to their quarterback P.J. Walker. Throughout his time with the Panthers (first stint), Newton broke numerous marks, including the most passing yards in a debut game and the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history.

Cam Newton’ Teams

Carolina Panthers (2011-2019, 2021)

The Panthers were considered one of the worst teams in the NFL when they drafted Newton. The quarterback adjusted to the new competition quite quickly, passing for more than 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Since then, Newton has emerged as a star in the league, utilizing his size, arm, and legs to become one of the game's most exciting players. Newton won the NFL MVP award in 2015 for his efforts, which included rushing for another 10 touchdowns while only committing 10 interceptions.

In addition, he guided the Panthers to a stunning 15-1 record and a spot in Super Bowl 50, where they were defeated by Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. For Newton, the 2016 campaign brought further difficulties. The NFL great had better days, but so did his team, what with sustaining a concussion in October, getting benched for dressing inappropriately, and completing a career-worst 52.9 percent of his throws. With a terrible final record of 6-10, the Panthers were eliminated from the postseason race.

Despite a brighter start in 2017, the Panthers' star quarterback introduced new distractions through his interactions with the media. Newton reportedly harbored resentment toward the press for a few weeks following the incident. He missed the team's weekly press conference in the middle of October. The following week, Newton came back but abruptly left after answering a question. However, as the year went on, his attitude toward the media became more conciliatory, which was probably influenced by Carolina's resurgence as a playoff-caliber squad.

The Panthers finished with an overall record of 11 wins and were the NFC's No. 5 seed going into the playoffs before losing to the New Orleans Saints by a narrow margin.

Newton attempted to play through a shoulder ailment in the second half of 2018 before missing the last two games after starting all 16 games in five of his first seven seasons.

After that, he had surgery in January 2019. Newton sustained a foot injury prior to the start of the 2019 regular season, which caused him to become unusually immobile once the games started to matter.

He ultimately only participated in two games before stating that he would have another operation in December. Carolina subsequently released Newton in March 2020, bidding farewell to the franchise's career leader in passing yardage (29,041) and passing touchdowns (182).

Newton made a return to the Panthers in 2021 after being released by the Patriots. He signed a one year deal worth $ 10 million. He competed for the starting squad and was restricted to playing a total of 8 games in the season. Newton finished the season with 684 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 230 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns in eight games.

New England Patriots (2020)

On July 8, 2020, Newton agreed to a one-year contract with the New England Patriots after spending almost three months in free agency. The basic wage was set at $1.05 million, the industry minimum for a player with his level of experience, and the total worth of the contract, including incentives and playing time bonuses, was $7.5 million. In his first career start with the Patriots, a Week 1 game at home against the Miami Dolphins, Newton led the team to a 21–11 victory, completing 15 of 19 passes for 155 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while carrying the ball 15 times for 75 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He continued to start for most of the games for the New England Patriots and ended the season with a league high 12 quarterback rushing touchdowns.

Newton was re-signed by the Patriots on March 12, 2021, to a one-year contract for up to $13.6 million. He faced up against rookie first-round selection pick Mac Jones in training camp.

He left New England on August 21 to attend a meeting.

He was asked to stay away from the team facility for five days despite numerous COVID-19 tests coming back negative. He missed four days of practice leading up to their preseason game because of this. He did, however, virtually take part in the exercises.

In time for the team's last preseason game, Newton was able to join them again and participated in that contest. Newton was released from the Patriots at the final roster cuts on August 31.

Cam Newton Awards and Honors

Awards

Cam Newton Records

Cam Newton has set a number of records in the NFL. Not only has he set records in the entire NFL but also set franchise records which remain unbeaten to this day. Here are some of the most important records set by Cam Newton.

Records and achievements

• Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history (75)
• Most passing yards by a quarterback in his first two games (854), September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers
• Most games in NFL history with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown (32)
• Most player of the week awards in a single season (5) tied with Tom Brady
• First player in NFL history and most games with at least 250 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown in a single game (2)
• Most games in single season with at least one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown (8)
• Only player in NFL history with at least 30 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in same season: 2015
• Most rushing touchdowns in single season by a quarterback (14), achieved on December 4, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Most combined yards in a player's first five seasons (21,560)
• First quarterback and fifth player in NFL history with at least 500 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, and 4.8 yards a carry in 5 consecutive NFL seasons
• First quarterback in NFL history to win both NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP at some point in his career.
• Most passing yards by a quarterback in debut game (422), September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals
• First quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first two career starts, September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers

• First player to have 30 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in first two seasons

• First player in NFL history with 50 passing touchdowns and 25 rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons

• First player in NFL history with 4,000+ passing yards and 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season

• First player in NFL history with 4,000+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards in a season

• First quarterback in NFL history with 100+ pass touchdowns and 25+ rush touchdowns in first five seasons

• First quarterback in NFL history with multiple seasons of 20+ passing touchdowns and 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season

• First player in NFL history with 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first three seasons

• First player in NFL history with 10,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his first four seasons

• First player in NFL history to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in five consecutive seasons

• First quarterback in NFL history to rush for 100+ yards and pass for 300+ yards with 5 touchdowns in a single game (December 20, 2015).

• First player in NFL history with 100+ rush yards and 5 pass touchdowns in a single game

• First player with 3,500 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season (2011, 2015)

• First quarterback in NFL history with 10+ rushing touchdowns in multiple NFL seasons (2011, 2015)

Rookie records and achievements

• Most combined touchdowns for a rookie in NFL history (35)

• Most combined yards for a rookie in NFL history (4,784)

• First rookie to pass for at least 4,000 yards

• The first and only rookie to pass for more than 4,000 yards and rush for more than 700 yards

• First rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in back to back games, September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers

(H2) Cam Newton's Net Worth

Cam Newton has a net worth of around $75 million. The former Panthers star earned $5.5 million per year (thanks to his four-year $22 million contract) through the 2014 season. In 2015 he signed a five-year contract extension worth $103.8 million. In his first nine years in the NFL he earned $121 million in base salary alone. He has earned tens of millions off the field from endorsements with companies like Gatorade, Under Armour, Danon and Beats by Dre.

Cam Newton Contract

Newton is currently a free agent. His last contract was with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Cam Newton’s contract with the Carolina Panthers guaranteed the quarterback $4.5 million. This included a $2.25 million signing bonus as well as the 2021 salary of $1.5 million. Newton earned approximately $ 187,500 as per game active bonus, $5.5 million in incentives from playoffs, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, MVP, Super Bowl, MVP, etc.

Get all the details about Cam Newton’s contract and contract history here

Cam Newton Cars

Cam Newton is not shy of living a luxurious lifestyle and he has some of the best supercars to show it off. Among the many cars Newton owns, the most extravagant buy is a gold plated 1970 Oldsmobile 422 Cutlass. The gold plated muscle car is a custom made piece which cost him a lot of money.

Cam Newton Family

Cam Newton was born on 11 May 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Cecil and Jackie Newton. Cam Newton’s father Cecil Newton Sr. was a safety for the 1983 Dallas Cowboys and 1984 Buffalo Bills. Cam Newton has two other siblings and his older brother Cecil Newton used to play as a center for the Jacksonville Jaguars and later the Baltimore Ravens. Cam Newton’s other brother Caylin was a quarterback for the Howard Bison’s football team.

Cam Newton has 7 children. Four of his children are with his ex-girlfriend Kia Proctor. He has two kids with Instagram model La Reina Shaw. Newton has 5 biological children and he also was a father to La Reina Shaw’s children from previous relationships. Cam Newton’s children are called Jaden, Shakira, Chosen, Sovereign-Dior, Camidas, Caesar, and Cashmere.

Get an in depth look into Cam Newton’s kids by clicking here.