Highlights from Wednesday's media availability

 

QB Cam Newton

 

Q: A lot of people have criticized you guys for how much fun you seem to have. Do you think some are starting to accept that this is who you are?

CN: "I’ve been seeing more Carolina Panther support than ever in my life — from flags to posts to everything. Truth be told, whether you win, lose or draw people are going to talk. I’m comfortable with the position that I’m in right now. I speak for the masses when I say we really could care less what you say because the true fans, they know what’s up. They're going to be supporters whether what happens in the outcome. But people are going to judge and have their own opinion on certain things that I don't have control over nor does anyone else."

Q: You haven't done anything wrong to anybody, though. Do you ever let the detractors bother you?

CN: "No."

Q: Why?

CN: "It's funny because I've come to this point in my life where I’ve been faced with so much from good, bad or indifferent that I try to check myself if I’m trying to judge somebody. See what I’m saying? I think we all are guilty of it at times. If we look in the mirror or at our own closet we see that we aren’t perfect. There was only one person that walked this green earth that was perfect and we know who that is. But yet that’s not Cam, that’s not you, that's not nobody. But I say that to say if we all look at everyone's situation, we can all say something about it. And for me to be in the position that I am today, when I see someone say this, that and the third about whatever, it's like, 'OK, well who are you? What do you do?' All right now I go back into try to dig up anything with you, I'm pretty sure I could find it, but that's not who I am. You know what I'm saying? I’m a firm believer in my religion and the way I feel. There’s a great quote that says, 'God won’t be too much on you than you can bear.' And I’m in the position that I can bear so much because of what I’ve been through and what I know, what my dreams and aspirations are."

Q: Why do you think you've become more of a lightning rod than other athletes?

CN: "I think this is a trick question because if I answer it truthfully, it's going to be, 'Oh, he's this, that.' But I'm going to say it anyway. I don't think people have seen what I am or what I'm trying to do, and I said that prior to me being in this situation. But when I said it then — 'Oh, he's immature. Oh, he's young. He's this, that and the third.' It's like I felt a certain type of way then, I feel the same type of way now. Nothing's pretty much changed. They talk about maturity with me; they talk about skillset with this team. Nobody has changed. It’s been the same Ted Ginn that was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. It’s the same Jericho Cotchery, the same Philly Brown, the same Cam Newton. Nothing’s changed. The only thing has changed is that we’re winning. I said it since Day One: I'm an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to. It’s funny, I get inspired — It makes me go out there and practice even harder because I remember when I was working out for the Draft. I would see the Senior Bowl playing and I see these guys out there busting their tails trying to get drafted, try to have a job to provide for their family or themselves. And it’s like, here I am, I’m doing exactly what I want to do, how I want to do it and when I look in the mirror, it’s me. Nobody changed me. Nobody made me act a certain type of way and I’m true to my roots. It feels great, but yet, people are going to say whatever they want to say. And if I’m in this world living for that person — 'Oh, this person is going to say this, this person is going to say that' — then I can’t look at myself and say I’m Cam Newton, or I'm Cameron Newton to most people. Because I’m not because I’m living for you."

 

Coach Ron Rivera

 

RE: Do you feel there’s any truth to Cam’s comment about people being afraid of an African American with his skill set?

"I don’t know. I think people...well somebody might, but I think people should be scared of a quarterback with his skillset more than anything else. That’s who he is. He’s a tremendously gifted athlete, a terrific quarterback, a smart football player. I mean the list goes on and on. That’s who you should be concerned with more so than anything else. I know that’s one of the things he’s always strived to, is to get that separation. I don’t think he wants to be known as an African American quarterback. I think he wants to be known as quarterback and a great one at that and I think that’s what drives him is to be able to transcend those boundaries, which I think is great. That’s what it’s about. I’m kind of in the same boat. Some people want to tag me as a Hispanic head coach. Well, that’s great but the truth of the matter is I just want to be tagged as a Head Coach, because it really should be about your merit more so than anything else – about what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve done. I think that’s how we should judge people and base people."

RE: Cam responding to questions about being a lightning rod

"I’d like to believe it’s more about who he is, his personality more than it is anything else. People think you should be stoic when you play this game and I think a lot of people disagree. I think you should be able to come out and have fun. This is a kid’s game we are playing. I know there is a lot of money involved and stuff like that, but at the end of the day it’s about entertainment and having fun. If you’re not enjoying yourself, don’t play the game and a great example is we lost to Atlanta because we didn’t play the way we’d been playing the rest of the year. So I told our guys let’s keep our personalities and be who we are. If people don’t like us then that’s theirs. The truth of the matter is at the end of the day you love people for who they are – to you, not to anybody else."

RE: Other players you’ve seen that have had the locker room effect Cam has?

"Walter Payton. As a running back, as a guy that could put the team on his shoulder and carry them by running the football the way he did. Dominating the game by running the ball. I’ve seen Jim McMahon do it when we played Minnesota, get down into the huddle and tell everybody let’s go, let’s roll and the next thing you know we win the football game. There are guys like that, but I think the thing about Cam is he said, he’s special, he’s different. I mean you don’t… how many 6’6” quarterbacks do you see that are 260 (pounds) that are running like he does and throwing like he does. He’s different. That’s the only thing people should say is that his skillset is different more so than anything else."

 

RE: Would winning National Title and winning Super Bowl deflect Cam’s critics

"I think so. It’s funny we still fight that battle based on what all he’s done. He came in his rookie year and had a dynamic year, NFL Rookie of the Year… he’s been in conversations every year for awards. This year he’s in the conversation for MVP. I still don’t get why he has to, and again maybe there are some people out there who are concerned about who he is, which I think is terrible. You would think this day and age, in this time, it would be more about who he is as a person and as an athlete more than anything else and hopefully we can get past those things."