Newton Earns Respect

[The Saltman]

"A lot of people want to talk about what's happening to him as a football player, but as a person, I've really seen him grow," head coach Ron Rivera said. "When he came in, he was enthusiastic like all college draft picks are, but as things have gone on, you've seen his seriousness and maturity level."

Rivera recalls Newton's reaction to a poor practice late in training camp, just before his first preseason start Aug. 19 at the Miami Dolphins.

"He beat himself up, and I noticed, so I went to him immediately after bed check, and we spent maybe 45 minutes talking about it," Rivera said. "I asked him, ‘Cam, what is this all about?' He said, ‘Coach, truthfully it's about letting guys down. I don't want to let Jordan Gross down or Ryan Kalil or Steve Smith or DeAngelo Williams or the defensive players.'

"It was refreshing to see a guy put so much on himself but not for himself. It was for his teammates. I thought that was a real sign of maturity."

Within that conversation, Rivera jokingly asked Newton if he even wanted to start given his frustration, to which Newton quickly pepped up and replied, "Oh no, I want to start."

"He hasn't complained about anything, and he's had a lot on his plate," Gross said. "This is my ninth year, and it's been a challenge for me learning this offense this fast, let alone being a rookie or a quarterback. He's really impressed us off the field as much as he has on the field.

"He hasn't really come in saying a lot. He has opened up a little bit, making a few jokes and having some fun, but really he's just worked hard and done what's asked of him."

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Strickly-Panthers-Newton-earns-respect/9528eb7b-9ea6-4046-9eab-ea8cc2546a01

[CRA]

....they all end the same :(

[PantherBrew]

lol

[Mvp2014]

If he can throw the ball we might have made the best draft pick since 04. Nice scouting fellas

[The Saltman]

This article is cheesy.

[jtnc]

Rivera is gay. Who the hell would talk to their QB in their hotel room?

[The_Cannon]

This thread seems strangely familiar...

After seeing the praise that Newtons been getting from teammates and coaches it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Newton does earn that C patch on his jersey, even though I don't really want to see a rookie as a team captain. Right now Riv and Cam are both showing me something that this team has been needing for a long time, and I'm excited to see if they can make good on all this potential.

[Panthro]

What an interesting article.

It's good to see from your QB. When he starts saying stuff like this and talks about playing for his teammates and not letting them down....they will start playing for him. The difference between winning and losing in the NFL is pretty darned close.

That is the part that's been missing since the good delhomme days (yes there were some)

[PantherBrew]

I really don't know why your guys respond to TRD anymore.

You give him credibility by continuing to argue the same tired points.

[CRA]

This thread seems strangely familiar...

After seeing the praise that Newtons been getting from teammates and coaches it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Newton does earn that C patch on his jersey, even though I don't really want to see a rookie as a team captain. Right now Riv and Cam are both showing me something that this team has been needing for a long time, and I'm excited to see if they can make good on all this potential.

When are captains named?

[Gipetto]

Inb4TRDderailsthisThread......again

[CatMan72]

Coach eluded to a "nice surprise" from what I recall in regards to the captains, would be funny if the team voted for Cam as a captain in the spirit of a vote of confidence for the young fella.

[The Saltman]

when are they going to release that info anyways?

[Floppin]

I think it's refreshing to get an inside perspective of the coach and players interpersonal relationships. It's neat to see from a fan exactly the mentorship that a coach like Rivera can provide for a young man like Cam who already has many upstanding qualities. This article is the very definition of non-cheesy, it's so not cheesy it's kickass bacon!