Cameron Jerrell Newton is the best player in football. Go ahead, name any other quarterback, or position player for that matter, who possess the athletic skill set, leadership ability and capacity to inspire his team in the manner of the Carolina Panthers’ 26-year-old signal caller.
While there are a handful of others worthy of the designation as the game’s preeminent player, which is certainly a subjective argument, Newton has tangibly proved to have earned the title this season. In a few days he will undoubtedly be named the 2015-16 National Football League MVP. This past Sunday, he led the Panthers to a dominating 49-15 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game, earning a trip to the Super Bowl versus the AFC champion Denver Broncos on Feb. 7.
“We’ve been dreaming about this moment since Day 1,” Newton said after the victory. “Our pen has a lot more ink left.”
“When we were getting ready to come out for the second half, I didn’t have to say anything,” shared Panthers coach Ron Rivera after becoming the first coach of Puerto Rican descent to lead a team to the Super Bowl. “The players said it. Cam stepped up and really challenged everybody.”
Newton’s physical gifts have been evident since his high school days in Atlanta and later at Auburn University, where he became a Heisman Trophy winner and major college national champion.
But his maturity and overall quarterback acumen were questioned by critics as he entered the pro ranks after several controversial issues off the field and the perception that he was more of a stereotypical elite athlete than prototypical cerebral pocket quarterback on the field.
Now in his fifth season, Newton has shattered those characterizations, accounting for 45 touchdowns during the 16-game regular season, including 35 passing TDs. Only Tom Brady with 36 had more. And he has demonstrated evolution as a man teammates follow.
Nevertheless, haters still hate. So be it. They have to deal with the unnerving reality that Newton has arrived.
