Cam Newton: Carolina Panthers Star Right to Blame Former QBs for Lack of Respect

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is featured in ESPN the Magazine’s NEXT issue, which examines the story behind the rising stars in sports. In the piece, he had some interesting thoughts about JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young, who he was compared to during the draft process.

Newton blames the duo for blowing their opportunity to change the opinion of black quarterbacks instead of pointing the finger at critics for stereotyping him into the same category as those former first-round busts.

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"But I can't sit up here and look at it like, oh man, my critics are racist," Newton says. "I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree Vince Young. If you have the opportunity to make that kind of money doing something you love to do, why would you screw it up? I'm trying to be a trailblazer. If Baylor's Robert Griffin decides to come out, I want people to say 'He can be the next Cam Newton' instead of 'He's gonna be the next JaMarcus Russell.'"

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The most important thing about those comments is not how bold they are compared to usual player speak, but how Newton's views on the subject are dead on. Those thoughts alone show how much more mature the Panthers QB is than Russell and Young were coming out of college.

When media talking heads were analyzing Newton before April's draft, some placed him into the same category as those busts because of two things: his skin color and the reputation of quarterbacks of that race who were drafted early.

Right or not, a trend was beginning to develop so it had to be pointed out. Both Russell and Young failed to live up to expectations, likely due to a sense of entitlement that came with being handpicked to be the face of a franchise.

By not working hard enough to excel at the next level, they were not only hurting their own careers but were costing future black quarterbacks millions of dollars by limiting their opportunities for success in the future.

Teams weren't going to admit it, but they had to take an extra long look at African American signal-callers before selecting them because of the recent cautionary tales.

It was going to take a special talent, such as Newton, to change that negative perception. He is single-handedly reopening avenues for success for future black quarterbacks like Robert Griffin III by tearing up opposing defenses on the field and acting like a professional off of it.

Most of the character concerns raised about Cam after his brief stay at Auburn were actually about his father Cecil. It appeared that the younger Newton learned from his mistakes at Florida and became a much better person for it.

He certainly hasn't carried over any bad habits to the NFL and there hasn't been a single whisper about a lack of work ethic. Newton doesn't just say he wants to be a role model for future black QBs, he goes out on a daily basis and proves it.

Even though racial tolerance has made major strides in recent times, it will never be a non-factor. If an elite QB prospect's skin is white, they will be compared to Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. If he's black, you're going to hear names like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb. That's just the way things work for better or worse.

Newton is smart enough to understand that, which is why he didn't place the blame for a lack of respect solely on the media. If Russell and Young would have had more success, his triumphs would be more openly celebrated, but instead there is still a cautious view of his performance. People are not yet convinced he's the real deal.

One thing's for sure, every black quarterback from middle school to college should be rooting for him because with every rookie record he breaks, another hurdle for them to reach NFL stardom is removed.

That's the definition of a trailblazer.