NFL.com's Albert Breer: Cam Newton's origin story

[tiger7_88]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000629849/article/notebook-cam-newtons-origin-story-titans-plan-for-no-1-pick

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- "Let me show you," said Ron Rivera, as he popped out of his seat, made his way down the hall with a visitor, and hung a left toward the quarterbacks room.

As promised, when the Carolina Panthers head coach swung the door open, on the wall opposite the video screen, there was a whiteboard with a smattering of Xs & Os, accompanied by bent and squiggly lines, handiwork of his quarterback's start on Super Bowl prep less than 15 hours after teal-and-black confetti started falling at Bank of America Stadium. This, as the coach saw it, would be a pretty vivid illustration of the work that's been apparent to everyone toiling away here for five years.

But even he didn't expected the best example of all: A smiling Cam Newton sitting there by himself.

A Chicago Bulls hat on his head, a pea coat covering his oversized frame, a clicker in his hand, and the Cardinals' defense on the screen, the quarterback jumped to his feet and said hello before retreating to his swivel chair. And in one five-second frame, the reason Newton landed here in the first place played out in living color.

About five years out now, Rivera looks back at the evaluation he and then-GM Marty Hurney went through on the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, and these are the moments he remembers most, those where Newton is doing a little extra -- whether it be on the field or off, inside of football or out -- for someone or something. The Auburn product's overwhelming physical ability, to be sure, drew thePanthers in on Newton. But it was times like this that truly sold them.

Heading into Super Bowl 50, it's nearly impossible to debate what the Panthers did with the first pick that April. Easy to forget, too, that back then it was, indeed, the subject of much debate. And accordingly, Carolina's final decision didn't come until five days before that draft.

 

 

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Rivera got back from Atlanta on that Saturday afternoon, with the draft looming.

"I'd been thinking it for a while, but when I got back from Atlanta after I visited, soon as I landed, I got on my phone, called Marty and we started talking," Rivera said. "I said, 'Marty, I don't see anybody else being better. I think this is the guy for us, I really do. I see him being the guy that fits us.' And Marty said the same thing -- 'Ron, I think you're right.' "

As it turns out, they were both right. And five years later, Rivera thinks there's a lesson for everyone in this day of snap judgments and sweeping generalizations.

Mainly, he says, it's that there's no replacement for doing the homework the way it's supposed to be done.

"I think he should change how people evaluate everything," Rivera said. "I know it's hard, really unrealistic, to think you're gonna be able to do that with all 250 or 300 kids that go out there. But when you've got top guys, you have to be right."

The Panthers sure were. And five years later -- manufactured storylines aside -- it looks like the rest of us finally figured out what Carolina knew that April.

 

 

Good stuff.

[IGSaint]

Great article. It's crazy how all those draft commentators got their analysis wrong. 

[ickmule]

Sweet read

[LinvilleGorge]

His origin story?  I don't really need nor want to know how that went down between Mr. and Mrs. Newton.  Seems a little personal.

[tiger7_88]

Also this farther down the article:

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4) How the Panthers found Kuechly. So, this is doubling up on Carolina, but this story is too good to leave out of here. As Rivera and I talked about how the Panthers vetted Newton, he went into how coaches try to conceal their intentions like assassins before the draft -- and he offered a pretty funny rundown on how he wound up gathering info on Luke Kuechly without giving away Carolina's affection for the Boston College star. "We didn't go out to see Luke because we didn't want that on the radar," Rivera said. "He's one of those guys. I was fortunate, as far as Luke was concerned, one of my teammates that played on the '85 Bears, Jim Morrissey, was my travel roommate for nine seasons. His son was Luke's travel roommate. So we're getting ready for the draft and I get this call from Jim and he says, 'Hey Ron, you gotta check this guy out -- he's Michael's roommate.' I knew who he was. So I said, 'Tell me about him.' So he starts describing this guy, who he is. I ask, 'Can I talk to Michael?' He gives me his son's number; I call his son. Then I talk to Jim's wife, Amy, and they told me this story, when their daughter went to go visit their son, they said, 'Make sure you introduce her to Luke.' When I heard that, I was like, OK, this kid has gotta be a good kid." So there's some free advice for all the prospective draftees in April: Coaches like guys who can be trusted to date their buddies' daughters.

 

HAHAHAHAHA!

[tiger7_88]

3 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

His origin story?  I don't really need nor want to know how that went down between Mr. and Mrs. Newton.  Seems a little personal.

Read it!

YOU NEED TO KNOW!  :P

[B.BERSIN]

These are some awesome draft stories.

[w280sax]

I thought his parents sent him to earth from krypton as a baby.