Be Honest, How Many of You Were Cam Fans When He Was At Auburn?

[Nomad82]

I'm a casual college football fan, but yet I rooted for him and the tigers in '10.

I lived near Auburn for 5 years (although I relocated to Virginia by the time Cam was there.) , so I got to see a ton of their games on TV and experience the hysteria of the annual Iron Bowl. 

[redbuddha]

I live in Alabama and typically root for them, but all preseason I kept hearing rumblings from Auburn faithful about this juco kid fresh off a championship. So I started researching him, watching videos of him at blinn Jc. Watching his first few games at Auburn I was like he makes everyone look like they are still in hs. Then I began to wonder how Saban, had managed to miss this force of nature 2x. Every game had an incredible highlight or comeback.When Bo Jackson started showing up at Auburn games I knew that even "Bo knows."

[Gipetto]

i was on deployment when he was at auburn all i saw were clips on sportscenter and that other thing thats in the past not being talked about.

[Carolina Cajun]

I rooted for them over Oregon, and generally liked him at Auburn in hopes they'd slay the Alabama beast.  That said, I didn't like the pick in 2011, I wanted us to take Marcell Dareus mainly because I didn't think his skills would translate to the NFL...I mean, by his own admission, we've NEVER seen someone who looks like him do what he does, and by that, I don't mean because he's African American, I mean guys that are 6-6, 250, and run a 4.4 40 usually don't play QB, and even if they do, they usually don't don't develop as a passer because they rely so heavily on their running ability to open up holes for them to throw to.  All of those fears have been squashed, Cam has developed into a top tier passer and his running is something the NFL has never seen because as much as they compare him to Vick, having a QB run that can run the power is a completely different beast.

[Galvatron]

I know zero about college, so I hadn't really heard of him until the draft season started. I was impressed with the game stuff I saw, but I can trace back the moment I loved him to this video. I work with kids periodically and have kids (1 at the time) and I knew what was being said about him being artificial was wrong. You could see how engaged he was and what kind of a person he is. Kids can cut through the bs pretty quick and they loved him. So I did to and hoped we got him.

[Cyberjag]

I'm somewhat of an LSU fan, and watched Newton's year at Auburn pretty closely because it seemed like they were on TV every week.  I honestly had no idea how well he would do in the pro game, but I trusted the pick.  I remember saying on this board at the time that if he could do in the NFL what he did in college, he would revolutionize the game.  But of course, I wasn't predicting that.

After his first few years, I figured we had a good QB, not a great one, and that this Cam guy had worked out for us after all.  After this season, I'm back to the whole "revolutionize the game" idea, and this time I think it's going to happen.

[Bj-Monster23]

I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted Andrew Luck in that draft. I watched a lot of the Auburn games and when I saw Cam he just seemed like he had it all and could  potentially be a monster in the NFL which he is now. But at that time Andrew Luck was the most pro ready QB. But everything else you had to give to Cam! He had the undefeated season in the toughest conference he also had the Heisman trophy, any QB award or best player award regardless of position you can win, and the National Championship. I'm very happy with the pick that Marty made.

[TN05]

Hated him. I changed my mind after his first game here. 

[DaveThePanther2008]

My daughter was a student at Auburn when Cam was there.  As a OSU fan and an SEC hater I didn't pay much attention until they made it to the National Championship game.  Of course being mired in a 2-14 season didn't give me much excitement for any football.

When Auburn went to the National Championship the only reasons I pulled for Auburn was my daughter of course and the fact that I had a colleague that wouldn't shut the hell up about how Oregon was going to destroy Auburn.  So I pulled for Auburn even more... Just out of spite.

Obviously after the game and Andrew Luck's committing to Stanford (Thanks Andrew) Cam was on our target list.  I remember watching us go through the process of vetting him.   As I heard more and more about him I was on the Cam Newton Bandwagon. 

 

 

[stirs]

Any football fan that follows the college game and the pro game would have had apprehensions.  Not about taking him as our first pick, but the fact that the pick was first overall.  I, like Philly B, was not wanting to risk the number 1 pick in the draft, on a guy who had very little passing tape to watch from college, but was coming into a primarily passing league.  I thought it safer to take Dareus or like I always want to do, trade down and get more picks.  I even thought at the time, that we could move down to #5 or #6 and still get Cam.

Still was not convinced even after the first couple of seasons.  I saw a cannon for an arm, but not the accuracy needed.

By last year, it all seemed to be coming together and this season is working like a charm.

Did not see it at all as a sure thing on draft day though, guess that is why I still do MOCK drafts and not the real thing

[tondi]

I only watched his national championship game where he was good but didn't really look like he was ready to dominate the NFL or anything.  I would have been on the fence about drafting him first if the NFL hadn't changed the way it pays rookies and we were looking at being forced to pay Bradford money for him.  Since we weren't risking nearly as much financially I thought it was worth the risk to pick him first but I never thought he would be what he's become.

[WVPanther]

I did not hate him @ Auburn till the scandal - felt it was BS and NCAA turned the other cheek with him because of the success and great story lines and $ they made off of him and his name/personality - therefore, in the end...NCAA made a s hit ton more on him that he ever did on them, so good for him.

As for the draft...hated the pick and immediately thought he was gonna be a failure...felt he didn't have the intelligence and because of the lengthy NFL playbook...he had all but no chance.

But I was 100% completely wrong and embrace him as our QB.

I have no issues admitting when I'm wrong, but this was my 2 cents...wouldn't have any other QB in my huddle as we do here in Charlotte.  Everyone loves them some Cam...he does, we do and I DO AS WELL!

GO PANTHERS!

[rayzor]

I saw him play in the iron bowl and I was hooked. Auburn was behind at the half and he rallied them to a big and spectacular win. I watched how he was with the team and the effect on the people in the spectacular ands and I knew this was a guy I wanted. I was cool with either him or luck but when luck didn't come out I was 100% for cam. Imo there was no other way to go.

[L-TownCat]

He put a beat down on my ducks.  Couldn't pull for him but didn't know much about him until Luck went back to school.

then I started researching the kid and fell in love.