Cam Newton: 10 Reasons Why the Auburn Quarterback Is Destined for NFL Greatness
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is without a doubt the most polarizing figure in the 2011 NFL Draft class. Many people can't stand the quarterback and are predicting failure for him while others are envisioning big things from the Heisman Trophy winner.
In this article I'm going to give you 10 reasons why Newton will prove his doubters wrong and churn out a very successful NFL career.
Let me know your thoughts and opinions (good or bad) on the article and Newton's potential pro prospects.
10. A Proven Winner
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Newton led Blinn College to a junior college national championship before transferring to Auburn and bringing a national title home for “War Eagle.” People can say what they want about Cam Newton, but the fact is that he's won everywhere he has been.
On the eve of the NFL Draft, a players upside and skill sets are debated to death, but a winning history is an aspect of a prospect that shouldn’t get overlooked. Newton is no stranger to playing in big games and has a knack for leading his team “over the finish line” so to speak and this is one precursor of a great NFL signal-caller.
9. A Fast Learner
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Newton showed tremendous command of a complex Gus Malzahn offense in his first season at Auburn and looked adept at running the massive playbook very early in the year.
Many people have questioned whether Newton can make the transition from a spread offense to a more traditional NFL pro-style offense, but based on how quickly he grasped Malzahn’s system there is no question that he can learn.
This won’t be an easy transition that will happen overnight, but Newton should be willing to learn and make the adjustment. Learning a massive NFL playbook is one of the tougher transitions for rookie quarterbacks, and I expect him to put in the time and eventually show similar command of an NFL offense to that of an offense he ran at Auburn.
8. Prototypical Size and Strength
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A prospective quarterback can control a lot of things such as his throwing mechanics, his character and his desire to win. There is one aspect of a quarterback’s makeup that he has less control over, and that is his size and strength.
At 6’6", 250 lbs, Newton has NFL size to scan the field and see his receivers and defenders. Newton’s 250-pound frame also allows him to shake off smaller defenders.
You often see how Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's massive size allows him to take on defenders' hits and stay on his feet, proving to be invaluable during games.
Newton will have the same type of advantages and won’t have to deal with some of the pitfalls that befall smaller quarterbacks who try to make it in the NFL.
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7. Has Already Played on a Big Stage
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Cam Newton has already played in some big-time games such as the National Championship Game, SEC Championship Game and playing at Alabama as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
This experience playing on a grand stage will carry over to his time in the NFL on Sundays and Newton shouldn’t feel as many butterflies as he steps onto an NFL field for the first time. The fact that Newton performed well and won all three of these games adds to this accomplishment. One may have expected Newton to falter during these big games, but he showed resiliency and ultimately helped carry Auburn over the top for the victory.
6. A Proven Athlete
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Newton’s passing prowess is impressive in itself, but it’s his rushing statistics that truly stand out. Newton rushed for 1,473 rushing yards last season at Auburn and used a devastating mix of power and quickness to overpower defenses.
This mobility and ability to churn out positive yards when a play breaks down will be advantageous in the NFL. It will be crucial that Newton doesn’t rely too much on his scrambling ability, but yet he must not forget that he has the ability to improvise when the opportunity provides itself.
NFL defenders will no doubt be faster and stronger than the players he faced while playing at Blinn College and Auburn, but Newton’s athleticism will still help him especially during his rookie year in the league.
5. Rave Review from Former NFL Quarterback
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To be applauded by fans and media personalities is one thing, but to be called “phenomenal” by a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback is quite another.
According to NBC Sports, former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer was left in awe after watching Newton workout.
"That was phenomenal,” ESPN’s Trent Dilfer reports via Bruce Feldman. “If scouts saw this they’d have been slobbering.”
Dilfer also went on to gush over Newton’s mechanics which are an aspect of his game that has been criticized.
“His mechanics are so sound,” Dilfer said. “The ball just jumps off his hands. He made 30 big-time throws.”
Now obviously this is just one man’s opinion of a prospect’s workout, but to receive this kind of praise from a quarterback who guided the Baltimore Ravens to a win in Super Bowl XXXV carries more weight than the opinion of a media personality or random observer.
4. Learning from the Best
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Of course Newton will need someone to guide him through the trials and tribulations of his NFL career and he has already chosen a big name to mentor him through the process.
According to Yahoo Sports!, Cam would like to be mentored by Brett Favre and called his relationship with Favre “a dream come true."
Now obviously the last few seasons of Brett’s career have been well documented and Favre’s first order of advice might be to tell Newton the dangers of “sexting."
With that being said, Favre’s advice and counsel about the day-to-day life of an NFL quarterback is invaluable, and if Newton does maintain this relationship with Favre then it should prove to be beneficial. Given some of the recent controversy that has surrounded Favre this may seem like an odd move, but in the grand scheme of things, Favre is a pretty good pro to be mentored by.
3. Played Against the Best of the Best
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Cam Newton scored 30 touchdowns and gained over 2,800 yards last season while playing in the SEC. The SEC is widely considered to be the top conference in all of college football and to see Newton run roughshod over the league like he did is truly impressive.
It would be different if Newton was putting up these numbers against smaller schools with lesser talent, but last season Auburn played Alabama, LSU, Oregon and Arkansas as part of their 2010 schedule. Many of the players that Cam faced off against on the defensive side of the ball aren’t unknown college players, but rather NFL prospects in their own right. This dominance against top talent is another good sign regarding his future potential in the NFL.
2. Dealt with Controversy
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Newton took home the Heisman Trophy and was also a pivotal part of Auburn’s National Championship run. All the while he was doing this, speculation swirled about his college recruitment and whether his father tried to sell of his services to his recruiting suitors. There were also allegations of his academic conduct while he was a student at Florida.
Many people thought that all this negative attention might cause a dramatic dropoff in Newton’s play, but instead he just continued to put up big numbers and pile up victories. The fact that Newton was able to block out all the excess “noise” around him and still perform well on the field is a good sign for his future NFL prospects.
1. A Cannon for an Arm
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Newton’s arm strength is stunning and the quarterback had no problem launching the ball 50-plus yards down the field at Auburn.
It should be said that he will probably be playing under center more in the NFL than he did under the “Guz Malzahn spread look” at Auburn. Nevertheless, a strong arm is an advantage no matter what offense a quarterback directs and Newton always has the capability to launch the ball down the field.
Newton needs to keep fine-tuning his accuracy to go along with all of that sheer power, but offensive coordinators will not have to worry about shortening the field for him. Newton excelled in college throwing deep post routes to wide receivers such as Darvin Adams and Emory Blake and will look to continue that on Sundays.
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