Panthers Question Newton's Emotional State after Losses
The NFL can make some strange bedfellows when it comes to pairings.
One such match is that of former Alabama quarterback and head coach Mike Shula and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Both are now with the Carolina Panthers.
Shula, who has become Newton's offensive coordinator, called out Cam the other day about being too emotional when things don't go his way.
“Probably the biggest thing for him is maintaining that balance,” Shula said, via the Associated Press. “Because everything around you during the football season is going to be up and down. The more you can continue to stay on an even plane and lead the group of guys around you, the more effective you are going to be as a quarterback.”
In other words Cam, suck it up! Stuff happens. Newton didn't get a taste of losing until he got to Carolina, and at times, it has left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Shula hasn't been the only one who has noticed Cam's attitude, Some of his teammates have, too, which has caused some issues in the locker room.
Wide receiver Steve Smith called out Cam last year. Smith was not pleased with Newton's attitude after a blow out loss to the New York Giants.
"I don't want to be passive and not do it because if I don't do it, who will?" Smith said.
"The same way with my son, I can't expect somebody else [to do that]. So yeah, I lit into him because I thought it was an opportunity for him to see and understand what was going on. This is more than about playing football. It's about becoming a man and understanding what this is."
The issue here is Cam is not accustomed to losing. When you're winning all the time, it's hard to be humble. When he was at Auburn, you'd see him smiling and blowing kisses to the crowd and Auburn fans eating it up.
Keep in mind Newton said at one point that he wanted to be an 'icon' in the NFL. That 'icon' status is going to take a back seat until takes the Panthers to the playoffs.
Now that Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson have all taken their teams to the playoffs as rookies, the Carolina Panthers and their fans are growing impatient, and if Newton doesn't straighten out his attitude soon, he'll find out the true meaning of NFL, which is Not For Long.