Cam Newton Rookie of the Year: 3 Games That Defined Award-Winning Season

After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, rookie quarterback Cam Newton proved all the naysayers wrong by claiming the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year award.

It was really a great season for the former Auburn Tigers star, as he came in and took over right away for a struggling Panthers team.

The team didn't fare all that well, finishing the season 6-10, but Newton was everything the team could have hoped for.

Over the course of the year, he threw for 4,051 yards—supplanting Peyton Manning's rookie mark—and threw 21 touchdown passes and ran in another 14 while also earning a total of 706 yards on the ground.

He did throw 17 interceptions, a number that he absolutely must bring down for his sophomore season. Still, the team was very dependent on what he could do, and as a rookie he is bound to make those mistakes.

Even with the occasional struggle, Newton certainly had an excellent year. Here are three games that defined this award-winning season.

Week 1 Against the Arizona Cardinals

Talk about getting things started right away.

Newton couldn't have been anymore excited to get his NFL career started, and he showed just that in the team's opening game in Glendale against the Cardinals.

The Panthers did lose the game, but it was an incredible performance for any player's first game. He threw for 422 yards with two touchdown passes. He also had 18 yards on the ground, scoring once on his feet.

This was certainly a promising start for Newton and the Panthers.

Week 8 Against the Minnesota Vikings

Newton continued to have success for the Panthers, but this game also resulted in a loss for the team.

Against the Vikings, Newton had his first game with three passing touchdowns, while he also threw for 290 yards. He had a pretty perfect game, never throwing an interception.

He also did a nice job on the ground, rushing for 53 yards on six carries.

Unfortunately the team lost by just three points, but it was truly a great performance by the rookie.

Week 13 Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Newton's biggest rushing game of the season came against the Buccaneers, as he ran in three touchdowns on 54 yards.

He also had a solid game in terms of passing, throwing for 204 yards with one passing touchdown. It wasn't a true quarterback performance, but it echoed the success that he had with the Tigers last season.

There is still plenty of room to improve following this stellar year for the young passer, but nobody can say that he didn't perform at a high level for being thrown right into the fire.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.