Black Millionaires: Cam Newton

Cam Newton Net Worth

Cam Newton is an American professional football quarterback. He started his football career playing for his college team as a backup to Tim Tebow until Newton transferred to Blinn College. He became a member of Auburn and won the BCS National Championship, as well as the Heisman Trophy in 2010. In the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton was drafted as the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers.

Early life and education

Cam Newton's real name is Cameron Jerrell Newton, he was born on May 11, 1989, in Atlanta Georgia, to Jackie and Cecil Newton Sr. His father, Cecil was cut from the pre-season rosters of the 1983 Dallas Cowboys, as well as the 1984 Buffalo Bills. Growing up, Newton was better talented in playing basketball and baseball, but he couldn't continue with either of them. He was afraid of being hit by a pitch in baseball, and always got a foul on the basketball court. He quit both sports before graduating from high school.

At his high school, Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, Newton played for the Westlake Lions high school football team. At the age of 16, he passed for 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran 638 yards and 9 touchdowns, this gained the attention of major college programs. Scholarship offers came in from Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma. Newton was rated five-star by Rivals.com, in his senior year. He was also rated No.2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, the 14^th quarterback, and 28^th player overall.

Newton attended Auburn University, where he graduated with a degree in sociology, in the spring of 2015.

College Career and Professional Career

Newton first selected the University of Florida, where he played with the Florida Gators football team in 2007 and 2008. In his freshman year, Newton beat John Brantley, a fellow freshman quarterback, as the back-up for Tim Tebow, an eventual Heisman Trophy winner. During his freshman season, Newton played in five games and passed for 40 yards on 5-of-10 and rushing 16 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns. In his sophomore year, Newton played in the season opener match against Hawaii but suffered an injury before the game was over.

While at Florida, Newton was arrested on felony charges of larceny, burglary, and obstruction of justice, in November 2008. All charges against him were eventually dropped after he completed a court-approved pre-trial diversion program. In 2010, Newton announced his intention to transfer from Florida, three days before the Gator’s big win against Oklahoma in the national championship. However, there were reports from Thayer Evans of Fox Sports, that Newton’s intention to transfer from Florida was as a result of possible expulsion due to his misbehavior at the University.  

Newton left for Blinn College in January 2009 and played for head coach Brad Franchione. In his first football year, he led the team to the 2009 NJCAA National Football Championship where he threw 2,833 yards, 22 touchdowns, and rushing for 655 yards. He was also named a Juco All-America honorable mention, becoming the most recruited Juco quarterback in the country. Newton’s stay at Blinn was short-lived, as he soon transferred to Auburn University in 2010.

His first game at Auburn University in 2010 was a home win over Arkansas State. Newton had 186 passing yards, 171 rushing yards, and five offensive touchdowns. He was eventually named SEC Offensive Player of the week after his 52-26 performance. On October 23, Newton led his team to a 24-17 game against the LSU Tigers where he had a 217 rushing yard in the game, giving him a total of 1,077 yards for the season. He also set the SEC record for yards rushing in a season by a quarterback.

Newton led Auburn to numerous victories including the BCS National Championship, during which Newton declared for the 2011 NFL Draft preceding his senior year.

On April 28, 2011, Newton was drafted the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. He became the first reigning Heisman Trophy winner to go first overall, breaking the 2003 Carson Palmer record.

In his rookie season (2011), Newton broke all-time NFL rookie records for passing and rushing yards by a quarterback. He set a new record after he threw 400 yards in his first game, breaking Payton Manning’s record by 120 yards to become the first NFL quarterback to throw that far. When it comes to breaking and setting new records in the NFL, Newton is well-recognized. He once again broke Otto Graham’s 61-year-old-record for passing by any quarterback in an NFL debut. Still in his rookie year, Newton became the first rookie quarterback to throw 4,000 yards in a season. He also ran for 14 touchdowns in a single season, breaking Steve Grogan’s 35-year-old record.

Newton kicked off the 2015 season with the AP NFL MVP honors, leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a trip to the Super Bowl 50. He then became the second African-American quarterback to win the NFL MVP together with Steve McNair. At the close of the 2019 season, Newton was released by the Panthers after having dealt with a number of injuries over the last season.