In the 2010 NFL football season the Carolina Panthers gained the dubious distinction of being the NFL's worst team. This occurrence afforded them the opportunity to have the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. It was largely believed that the Panthers would pick a QB due to the lackluster play of the 2010 2nd round pick ,Jimmy Clausen and determining early on that he wasn't the QB of the future.
It was largely assumed Andrew Luck, a once in a generation prospect, a prodigy at the QB position, would probably come out after his junior year. Now hear me out, I commend anyone who values their education and because he grew up in an affluent household, he was not pressured into not leaving early to turn pro. Andrew ,allegedly returned to school to complete his college degree avoiding the draft all together. Whether true or not, in Carolina this was perceived as a slap in the face and that he didn't want to be with their franchise. Ironically several athletes who go pro early return to school to finish their degree during their playing careers. I recall Vince Carter and Antwain Jamison getting their UNC degrees at the same time. Shaquille O'Neal walked the stage at LSU. In fact, Cam Newton, another top prospect at the time, just received his degree earlier this year. So that reasoning comes with a hint of skepticism.
In 2010 Cam Newton had one of the most dominant individual seasons in college football history at Auburn University. Leading the Tigers to an undefeated National championship season and accumulating several awards including the Heisman Trophy.
As a result Cam declared a year early and the Carolina Panthers made Cam Newton the first pick of the 2011 draft. Luck consequently entered the 2012 draft the next year and became the first overall pick of the Indianpolis Colts.
Cam entered the league under much scrutiny. There was talk he couldn't understand the NFL game and that his transition to the league would be rough. He would follow along th same lines of JaMarcus Russell, Vince Young, and Ryan Leaf and be a big bust. All he did was break the all time rookie passing yardage record and single handedly gave the Panthers franchise hope. He may never be a traditional drop back passer. His success can not be solely quantified by passing statistics. He could very well become the all time rushing TD leader for QBs by seasons end and there are countless times throughout the course of a game where he pulls a rabbit out of a hat to make a play.
Early on winning games was challenging to say the least. Was it always Cam's fault ? No, but he struggled making plays when it mattered most and sulked in postgame press conferences as the loses mounted. The media constantly beat him down. Asking can he win? Is he a leader, why is he always hiding under a towel, etc. But in his 3rd season after a 1-3 start, Cam would lead the Panthers to one of their most successful seasons in their history.
Entering his 4th season, the Panthers organization decided to make several changes to the team replacing his top 4 wide receivers including the franchise's most accomplished player, Steve Smith. Under these circumstances even Peyton Manning would struggle with such a transition. The receiving corps were already underwhelming but to do that and expect Cam to excell was incomprehensible. Not to mention he missed time due to offseason ankle surgery, which set him back even more. Leading to questions about is he a franchise QB? Have the Panthers overpaid for him? He's not a leader, etc. To say Cam Newton is free from criticism would be naive. His passes sometime look as though he is throwing to the Charlotte Hornets Front court, but to say he's not a good QB is asinine. No he doesn't have the stats of a prototype QB. But what he does for this team can't be quantified. He's special in his own unique way. No QB has nearly as many running TDs as him since he arrived in the league and the last time I checked they count the same as a passing touchdown.
So why all the vitriol for Cam and not so much for others like Ryan Tannehill or Andrew Luck. In Andrew Luck's 4th season his team acquired several former Pro Bowl players most notably Andre Johnson and Frank Gore, to help get his Colt team over the hump. How has the chosen one responded ? How about going 1-5 and leading the NFL in interceptions. Mind you the Colts are 3-5 and those two other wins were led by seasoned vet, Matt Hassellbeck. Luck is excused because he has little help. Little help, what about TY, what about Andre Johnson, Dwayne Allen. No line , Cam was sacked 9 times by the Eagles on a Monday Night in 2014, was that strong line play. Oh and he's injured. Cam had an injured ankle all of last season, and also had the rollover accident that resulted in transverse fractures in his back. Was he given a fair shake? No, all you hear is he has pedestrian numbers and that he is too arrogant
Now Newton and the Panthers are owners of an 11 game regular season winning streak. A year ago the NFC South was the armpit of the NFL. This year the the South is awful again, except it's the AFC South led by Texans and Colts at a smoking 3-5 record. Cam Newton has ascended to MVP status while Luck is throwing interceptions like Santa delivering presents on Christmas Eve. Both of these young signal callers have potential for greatness. But you can't dismiss the talents of Cam. When the chosen one has been awful. He is an acquired taste. An anomaly of sorts. Trust me being USC fan I saw why some may not be too fond of him. All the smiling and running over your team's DBs is tough to watch and is something few others can mimic. But the man is having fun. His gamesmanship is contagious and gives his team confidence. Give him his due all that matters is that he wins. This isn't a Rex Grossman or Trent Dilfer situation though. Cam is needed, and without him this team would be awful. That's the true definition of a MVP.
