Cam Newton: Top 10 Things Brett Favre Would Tell the Rookie QB as His Mentor
In a recent interview, future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said that he is not planning to come back to quarterback again in the NFL but that he is open to working as a coach or in broadcasting.
If Favre does want to stay connected with the game in a coaching capacity, he should consider starting out as a quarterback guru or mentor, as many members of the recent quarterback crop from the 2011 NFL draft are in dire need of coaching and seasoning to prepare for life in the NFL.
If Favre wants this new career to really take off, imagine the potential clients he could have waiting in the wings. Imagine if he were to mentor and ultimately transform Cam Newton into an upper echelon quarterback. Why Favre and Newton, you ask? Who do you think is prepared to properly handle the job now between Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen and Ron Rivera?
If successful, Favre could name his price in the future, and as good as Newton becomes towards reaching his potential, he would have Favre to thank.
So it is with this distinct scenario in mind that we are prepared to go down this path, looking at 10 various topics. Not all 10 topics are necessarily things we advise Favre to share with Newton; in fact, there are some topics we want him to stay far away from (as in don't go there, Brett!). Either way, we hope you enjoy the presentation.
Learn How to Bide Your Time as a Rookie
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As most people know, Brett Favre was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons but never really had much of a chance there. It wasn't until he landed in Green Bay that his career took off.
For Cam Newton, the challenge of watching versus playing is something that Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera will lay out for Newton once the lockout is lifted. With each passing week and subsequent passing month that the NFL remains in lockout, the window of time that anyone can work with Newton and get him ready to play a game in the 2011 NFL season grows shorter and shorter.
The current labor mess is something that will have an impact on every NFL rookie quarterback drafted in 2011. It is a serious issue, and without the benefit of OTAs, breaking down the playbook months in advance, etc., these quarterbacks can't be expected to come into a situation that they aren't prepared for and be expected to perform.
That is something that Favre can help Newton with—teaching him how to bide your time, what to watch for, how to learn and all the invaluable tips he can share with him from all of his years in the league.
How to Use Your Fame for Endorsement Deals
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Sure, it helps to get endorsement deals if you have somebody that is constantly tooting your horn, like John Madden did from his broadcast booth for Favre. Newton has already been able to strike some deals, as he signed on early with Under Armour and GMC, according to a story in The Charlotte Observer.
If there is anyone in the NFL that can advise Newton about how to cash in his celebrity status in endorsement deals, it is Favre, as he and Peyton Manning are probably the top two pitchmen from the NFL.
The key to Newton gaining more endorsements will be to play well, stay out of trouble and win. If he can do that, the endorsements will line up like the floats in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year's Day.
How well Newton can stay out of trouble is something that only time will tell. But at least Favre can talk about what it is like when your reputation is sky-high and also what it is like when your reputation is being dragged through the mud.
How to Command Credibility and Respect
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One thing for sure is that Favre does bring a wealth of experience to the table. He offers credibility, and his results speak for themselves. Consider that in his 20 years in the NFL, Favre accomplished the following:
He completed 6,300 passes out of 10,169 attempts, good for 71,838 yards and an average of 7.1 yards per attempt. His completion percentage was 62 percent, and his QB career passer rating for the 302 games that he appeared in was 86.0. He threw 508 touchdown passes to 336 interceptions, so that is a very healthy ratio. He rushed 602 times for 1,844 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground.
In terms of his toughness, Favre often played through pain, especially in the twilight years of his career. During the 20 seasons, Favre was sacked an incredible 525 times. He fumbled the ball 111 times in total, so there is plenty of experience for him to draw on (both positive and negative) to share with Newton.
Of course, there are numerous playoff appearances, in addition to the two Super Bowl games. Favre helped Green Bay win Super Bowl XXXI, when the Packers beat New England 35-21, and then they lost against Denver in Super Bowl XXXII 31-24, so he can share those ups and downs as well.
Newton will not be handed respect from his Carolina Panthers teammates. He will have to earn it.
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QB Style: Their Games Don't Exactly Match Up That Well
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Obviously, we are talking two completely different quarterbacks when we compare Cam Newton to Brett Favre. Favre goes 6'2" and weighs 222 pounds. Newton goes 6'5" and weighs 248 pounds. Newton is just as big as a good percentage of the NFL linebackers that will be trying to sack him.
Favre had to use his elusiveness and toughness to escape sacks, while Newton will be able to simply shake many defenders off due to his strength. We are aware that he has solid scrambling and elusive skills of his own, but the ability to shake people off so easily is something that the quarterbacks do not have in common.
Newton almost matched the rushing totals Favre amassed in 20 years (1,844) in one year at Auburn (1,473). Newton had 20 rushing touchdowns at Auburn last year; for his career Favre had 14 rushing touchdowns.
Newton has the ability to physically lay a defender out if he chooses to, while Favre had to play with tremendous heart to attempt to throw his body out there when he needed to make a block or to stand there in the pocket knowing he was about to take a big hit.
Talk About Being an Entertainer and Icon and the Social Media Scene
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Cam Newton had the infamous "entertainer and icon" quote leading up to the NFL scouting combine, where teams began to question how seriously committed he was to becoming a starting NFL quarterback.
With the fame and fortune of becoming an NFL quarterback come all of the trappings as well. Some players' egos begin to grow so large that they lose all semblance of common sense and start to think that they can do anything and get away with it. They are above the law, and it doesn't matter if they are single or married. They just do as they please.
The Brett Favre incident with Jenn Sterger will be something that probably haunts him for some time. I am sure that Favre's wife Deanna will not let him forget about it that easily either.
If there is something Favre can impress upon Newton early on, it is that you can be a target and people will always look to knock you down a peg or two. You have to know that people are constantly watching you, and you have to question yourself from time to time to take a reality check.
There is also the lesson to impart about taking pictures of yourself and sending them out there where they can be reproduced on the Internet for all to see.
Know When It Is Time to Walk Away
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This is a topic that Favre knows well—too well, in fact. It is one thing to be thought of as a legend in the sport. It is another thing to have that legendary status verified by being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It is another thing to stay past your welcome and go out of the game with your head bowed low in disgrace and your image tarnished.
To the extent that Favre fell far short of repeating his strong 2009 season with an abysmal showing in 2010, that is the final lasting memory that he is leaving all NFL fans. Too bad that he couldn't be more in tune with his body and know he was physically not at his best, but his ego took control, and he decided to come back for one last hurrah.
The Vikings had a number of key pieces in place to win in 2010. The gamble backfired, and many changes resulted to the Vikings team and organization as a result.
It will be difficult for Newton to even think about walking or retiring since his career is just getting started, but hopefully he will be able to recall the pain and humiliation that Favre went through in 2010 and know when it is time to walk away.
How to Stay in Shape
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One of the mysteries regarding Favre is that he was able to play for as long as he did. If you happened to listen to the interview that he gave (link was provided in the first paragraph of the opening slide), Favre admitted to not being a fan of working out, summer camp, two-a-days or the weight room.
For someone that played into his 40s, Favre held up incredibly well in such a physical sport when you consider his attitude towards working out or developing himself in the gym.
Newton, on the other hand, has a very developed body already and stays in very good physical condition. You can see in his legs and shoulders how developed he is already, so if Carolina can keep him limber and retain his flexibility, he will be able to withstand the pounding due to his sheer strength and mass.
This is an area, on the surface, where it doesn't seem like Favre will be doing much mentoring, unless he is aware of some secret tips that he is willing to pass along.
How to Read an NFL Defense
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This is one of the biggest areas that Newton will need help from someone like Favre. At Auburn, his game evolved around very simple reads. He had a primary option, and if that wasn't there, he would then go to the second option. That was it. Two option read and let his athletic skills take over from there, and all would be well.
That type of approach will not fly too well in the NFL, where the defenders are bigger, stronger and faster.
The ability to understand what a defense is trying to make you think it will be doing prior to the snap, to going from your first progression, to your second read and then on to your third or fourth option will be something that Newton has to allow by changing his mindset about reacting to what his eyes are telling him about the defense during the play. He will have to forget all of the old Auburn rules and be ready to operate according to how the Panthers want him to play.
To my way of thinking, this is perhaps the most critical skill set and learning curve that lies ahead of Cam Newton. If he can do this successfully, he might just be able to realize a very high level of productivity that some felt he could attain. If he can't, this will lead to people coming back and saying, "I told you so."
How to Deal with the Media
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One thing that Brett Favre can appreciate is what it is like to be a media darling and what it is like to be a media target. In fact, Cam Newton has already experienced some of those very issues as well.
If the media perceives that Newton is making progress and improving his game (given a reasonable win versus loss record), the pressure should be manageable from a media perspective.
If his game appears to be retreating or the Panthers get off to a terrible start, that is where the media can step in and create a very negative or tainted public perception, which is a tough way for any rookie to cope with his first year.
Not referring to yourself in the third person is probably one lesson Favre would share with Newton. Taking ownership for your mistakes or shortcomings is another. Selling your teammates short or throwing them under the bus to build yourself up is a quick way to find yourself becoming a media target, and that would not be in a good way.
The final issue with the media is the on-camera and off-camera actions. Talking to the media with sincerity and looking the person you are talking to in the eye are good places to start. Looking off in space and coming back at the end of your quote to flash the million-dollar smile are not good practices. It will be interesting to see how Newton evolves as he matures.
How to Retain Your Passion for the Game and Keep Having Fun
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Jumping up and down like a little kid on the football field is one of the memories I will retain from my years of watching Favre play. He would run around the field, obviously in a very excited state, looking for some teammate to jump up on top of after a touchdown pass.
Favre always seemed to be able to find joy in the game of football, and that passion was something he was always able to demonstrate throughout his career. This would be another great lesson or trait that he could pass on to Cam Newton.
Newton has passion for the game, and coming out of a college situation like Auburn, why wouldn't he? He was the big man on campus and the star of the team. Now that he is going from a game to a job, or to his profession, there may be a certain element of fun that escapes as he sees the evidence every passing month that this is not just a game—it is a business.
If he can stay out of trouble off the field in his rookie year, that will go a long way towards keeping a degree of fun still in the game for him. If not, he might find that the fun aspect left town a long time ago.
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