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

[TPanther920]

......I wanted Blaine Gabbert. 

Just goes to prove grey hair doesn't equate to wisdom.

[TheRed]

I knew of him, I'm not really big into college football, but I do follow it depending on the teams/players.

Cam was someone just about everyone in football began to hear about. All that other stupid bs furthered by bitter rivals, and jealous fools aside, his upside was tremendous to say the least. When Auburn won the Championship, that pretty much sealed it for me.

[Jaxel]

Me and my dad are South Carolina fans. I remember watching that Auburn vs. S.C. game with him, it was a great game, and saying to my dad, "Man that Cam Newton would look great in a Panther uniform huh." And my dad responded with, "He sure would."

[DamnItJake!]

I saw Kuechly play UNC when he was at BC but had no idea who he was..does that make me a BC fan?? No.. it was a close game and UNC won..But I watched the Auburn game but wasn't a fan just cuz of Cam..don't chase teams just cuz we got a draft pick from them.. UNC Fan even though our football isn't great yearly like FSU!

[PandaPancake]

College football fans ruin the game for everyone then try to rape the NFL experience because "their" guy plays on a certain team

[*FreeFua*]

1 hour ago, stirs said:

Any football fan that follows the college game and the pro game would have had apprehensions.  

Nope.

 

There was enough times during games that he was having to make pro style type throws and completing them in the smallest of windows to kill any doubts. The dude is/was an athletic freak and that alone made it easy to know his game would be beyond fine at the next level. I'll never forget that 4th down throw he made in the iron bowl during the game winning TD drive. 

[HeatCheck]

Being a Gator fan, I was a a fan three years earlier while he was at Florida. Never thought he'd be what he is today based off his "play" with Florida but he did show glimpses. He was used somewhere similar to how Tim was used when he backed up Leak. 

So yes, naturally, I was a fan of his while at Auburn. He just was never going to play as Tim's backup.

I wanted Luck but when he announced he wasn't coming out, I was all over Newton. I wasn't one of those who was "Luck or nobody" types. I'm glad he didn't come out.

[Johnny Fever]

Never follow college football much, so I did not know much about him other than he won two different national championships and stole a laptop (like, who hasn't, am I right?). So, my opinion of him was neutral.

But, I do think this is a reason for all the hate - he comes from a football program that has a lot of die-hard rival fans. They'll never like Cam - no matter what.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Here's how the Huddle thought of Cam 2 weeks before Draft Day 2011. Also, even though you only see 9 people that pied the first post, that happened after we changed formats here and I was actually pied like 60 times:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[therealmjl]

I'm a Gamecock, needless to say I wasn't a huge Cam fan...I did respect his game---unfortunately he destroyed our best team (in my lifetime)

[MHS831]

Heck, I didn't like him when he came here, something that caused a lot of heated exchanges here.  I claimed he was not mature and he could not lead us---people here got pissed and called me a racist.  The media agreed with me for the most part, and his teammates refused to make him a captain---truth be told, I don't think they liked him much. 

Now some of my adversaries during that time have made comments to me about how wrong I was--I still do not think I was.  In his first year or two, Cam was not roaming the bench, talking to teammates, cheering for the defense, sitting with his coach looking at the tablet---he was not a leader.  he was good, but he was not making everyone around him better.

Now?  My god---he makes Remmers, Ted Ginn, Oher, Philly Brown, etc etc look like pro bowlers.  He has matured and stayed true to himself. 

I think this is more than a Super Bowl--I think history will show that this Super Bowl was Cam Newton's coming out party, the game where the world watches him take his rightful place on stage with football's immortals. 

Do I think Cam Newton is the prototype of the future NFL QB?  Not unless he picks up the pace as a breeder.  There just aren't Cam Newton's sitting around to draft and develop.

Cam's only issues were between his ears.  I think his leadership and character flaws were based on his impatience--nothing more.  I think he entered a toxic, losing culture--one he had never known---and could not change it alone.  His bravado was almost mocking his teammates (without intending to do so) as he must have given off the vibe that he is the franchise savior--the icon and entertainer, if you will. 

Five years later, that is exactly what he is.  But he had to learn the culture first.

I teach a course in a doctoral leadership program at an area university.  Next week, we are discussing Cam Newton's growth as a leader--I will share what the class says about his leadership development. 

[bababoey]

I loved Cam at Auburn.  My best friend is a Alabama fan so that 4 touchdown comeback in the iron bowl had me going wild.  But I remember going to take my dog to the vet, who is an Auburn grad, about a week after the draft and we were talking about Cam.  Both of us we in agreement that he was either going to be the greatest QB to come out of college in 20 years or he was going to suck something awful.  So I guess we were both half right.

[sharkkiller]

Being an Auburn fan, I loved Cam. How could you not? I was stoked when we got him in the draft, but even then, I never imagined he would be as great as he turned out to be.

[Hammerin'Cameron34]

Wouldn't say a fan but I was like damn he is good. Didn't ever strike me that he could be a Panther when I was watching him in college