In a game where every level—from high school to college to the pros—successfully weeds out the competition, it’s easy to fall through the cracks. One mistake and it could all be over; one screw up and your opportunity could be lost.
Cam Newton was facing that prospect just five years ago, having been humbled at Florida and losing his spot on the team. He transferred to Blinn College in Texas, a lost soul fighting depression and trying to decide if he wanted to keep playing football. Battling an emotional tailspin, it was actually his father who encouraged him to be active, his mother who told him to stay in the race rather than quit, and his older brother who said, “Bro, get your swag back and clear your name. You ball. You do whatever you got to do and come back like a bat out of Hell.”
One of two things could’ve happened: Cam could’ve quit or gotten stronger. He had to answer his own questions. Did he really want to do this? How bad did he still want it?
One NJCAA football championship later and we all had our answer.
Now a two-time NFL Pro Bowler, Newton returned to Blinn College this summer to teach the younger generation what it takes.
“I often say it’s a mentality,” Newton says. “It’s an attitude. It’s a lifestyle, because it is. You’re not just a winner on Sundays. You’re not just a winner on Saturdays. You’re a winner Monday through Monday.”
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