17 Things You Should Know About Cam Newton
Business + Economy

17 Things You Should Know About Cam Newton

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Newton is already one of the NFL’s brightest stars, but the 26-year-old quarterback is about to reach a whole new level. On Saturday, he’s expected to be named the NFL’s most valuable player for the season. On Sunday, he has a chance to lead his Carolina Panthers to victory in Super Bowl 50. A championship could really cement Newton’s place in the NFL firmament. “Cam Newton will be the face of the NFL for the next eight to 10 years,” Peyton Manning, Newton’s Super Bowl opponent, predicted the other day.

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So get ready to hear a lot more about Newton. Here’s what you should know about him for starters:

1. He grew up in Georgia and attended Westlake High School in Atlanta.         

2. As a college freshman at the University of Florida, he was the backup to quarterback Tim Tebow.

3. His father, Cecil Newton Sr., solicited Mississippi State for over $100,000 to get his son to play there — a violation of NCAA rules.

4. He finished his college playing career at Auburn University winning a National Championship there.

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5. Although Newton has been in the NFL since 2011, he officially graduated from Auburn University in 2015 with a degree in Sociology. Newton completed his classwork during the NFL offseasons.

6. Newton won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship and was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft in the same year, 2011.

7. His rookie NFL contract was a four-year deal worth $22 million.

8. Newton threw for 422 yards in his first game as a pro, breaking Peyton Manning’s rookie record.

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9. He has earned about $53 million so far in his career.

10. Newton signed a new five-year, $103.8 million contract in June 2015. As part of the deal, the Panthers agreed to pay him $31 million in 2015.

11. Newton makes $11 million annually in endorsements.

12. Newton was second on the NFL’s list of top-selling jerseys from April 2015 through January 2016, behind Tom Brady but ahead of star quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.

13. At 6’5” and about 250 pounds, with a 35-inch vertical leap, he is a hard man to tackle. Newton has run for more than 3,000 yards in his short NFL career.

14. Despite all the hits he takes because of his rushing, he has only missed one regular-season game.

15. He has been to the Pro Bowl three times in his five-year career.

16. Newton had his first child in December. He named his son Chosen.

17. Newton is known for wearing colorful pants:

 

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