A day after Cam Newton tussled with teammate Josh Norman last August, the Carolina's quarterback wore a T-shirt featuring Muhammad Ali.

Five days after the Panthers lost the Super Bowl, Newton reminded folks "iW1LL W1N... MY WAY" while posing in front of a framed Ali picture.

So when word of Ali's passing started to spread late Friday night, those aware of Newton's appreciation of "The Greatest" waited for his reaction.

They didn't have to wait long, as Newton began a long Instagram message with "iCANTevenL1E…imHÜRT‼," Saturday morning.

In a short piece for The Players' Tribune posted Sunday afternoon, Newton has shared more about his affection toward Ali.

"I gravitated toward the fact that he seemed to truly enjoy himself and have fun as an athlete, and that he was not scared to have an opinion about important social issues," Newton explained.

He then recalled a birthday when he heard from his idol.

"I could not have been more in shock and in awe, ... He finished the surprise birthday call in true Ali fashion. He said, “You might be a good football player, but you will never be as pretty as me!”