Quarterback Cam Newton is returning to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, and the former Auburn All-American is bringing 50 fans with him.
Newton signed with the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 11, produced two touchdowns in nine snaps three days later and will start on Sunday when the Washington Football Team visits Charlotte, North Carolina.
· NFL WEEK 11: CAM NEWTON, RON RIVERA TOGETHER AGAIN IN CAROLINA
· IS JALEN HURTS A FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK?
· ALABAMA ROOTS: 81 ON BALLOT FOR NFL’S PRO BOWL
Newton will play on the Panthers’ home field for the first time since Sept. 12, 2019. Carolina’s quarterback since joining the team as the first player picked in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton played only two games in the 2019 season because of a foot injury, and the Panthers released him last year.
After a season with the New England Patriots and 10 weeks as a free agent, Newton returned to Carolina when an injury sidelined Panthers QB Sam Darnold.
Carolina won three of its six division titles and went to Super Bowl 50 with Newton at quarterback. In the first home game of his return, Newton wants Bank of American Stadium rocking as it was when he was dabbing in the end zone and presenting touchdown footballs to fans.
“Let’s get back to getting that edge and bringing the pride back to Carolina – how I once knew it to be,” Newton said. “… I’m adamant about this Sunday is important for us. We need to reclaim Bank of America Stadium. I know the success hasn’t been there, but we ain’t talking about the past. We’re talking about the things here moving forward.”
To help with that, Newton is giving away 50 tickets to Sunday’s game to fans who have never or rarely been to a Panthers game.
“One thing I know for sure, there will be 50 people screaming to the top of their lungs because they’ve never done it,” Newton said, “and I would hope their experience would be something that’s life-changing, ground-breaking and, obviously, something that will give us the added push to win a football game on Sunday.”
Newton said he was “trying to get a fan base to believe in this team because it’s going to take all hands on deck.”
With Darnold out and Newton so new to the team, the Panthers started backup P.J. Walker at quarterback in their upset of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
When asked on Friday about Carolina’s QB starter against Washington, Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Newton would “take the first play.”
Rhule made it sound likely Walker also would play on Sunday.
“I won’t get into too much schematically, but P.J.’s ready to play as well,” Rhule said. “There are certain parts of the offense that Cam doesn’t have a lot of exposure to yet, so we’ll have both guys up, ready to play and probably use both of them.”
Newton didn’t elaborate on his role for Sunday’s game. He said he would be “doing what’s asked of me. To what extent, I don’t know. … I’m looking forward to the opportunity, great or small, however it is.”
While much has been made of Newton’s personality and the energy injection that Carolina received by signing him, Rhule said what the Panthers needed most from the quarterback was the kind of plays he produced in his first game.
“The thing that Cam brings to me is he brings execution,” Rhule said. “Like the first two plays he touched the ball, he scored touchdowns. That’s like a movie. I sat there and I couldn’t believe that that happened. Yeah, he does bring energy. I just don’t want to diminish his on-the-field play, if that makes sense. Yes, he’s walking around the locker room, he’s fun to be around, he’s yelling, he’s screaming, he smacked me in the middle of the game one time. He’s fun to be around, but at the end of the day, he’ll be the first to tell you, all that’s for naught if he doesn’t play well and we don’t play well. He gets that. …
“We all understand Cam is like a force of nature almost in terms of the things that he brings. But I don’t want that to be all that people realize. I’m only knowing him a short time. What I see is a true professional that wants to win, that puts the time in. All he said to me was, ‘Hold me accountable.’ …
“I don’t know Cam before. The Cam I know right now wants to win and wants to be good and wants to help make this team a good team. All the other stuff is fun, it’s gravy.”
Washington and Carolina are scheduled to kick off at noon CST Sunday in Charlotte. The Panthers have a 5-5 record. Washington is 3-6 after upending the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
"bring" - Google News
November 21, 2021 at 12:20AM
https://ift.tt/3x5oXzn
Cam Newton aims to bring ‘the pride back to Carolina’ - al.com
"bring" - Google News
https://ift.tt/38Bquje
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Cam Newton aims to bring ‘the pride back to Carolina’ - al.com"
Post a Comment