When discussing Cam Newton this summer, almost every player has brought up the energy he brings every day.
It is also evident watching practice, as the quarterback is one of the loudest players on the field and it begins when the team stretches and continues all the way through 11-on-11 work. Newton even cheers for the other quarterbacks when they make good throws.
Speaking via video conference Wednesday, Newton was asked about his energy and he said he prefers to use the word “vibe.”
“It’s extremely important, especially for me as a person,” he said. “Anybody who knows me knows that it's all about the vibe that you have to set and you curate, and in essence, we want to change that word ‘vibe.’ It more or less becomes the standard. Walking into this locker room, it’s been such a good energy here that I just want to make sure that I do my part. And even though we may have a lackluster day offensively, it’s just my job as one of the default leaders in my position to make sure that everybody knows we have to become better. We have to make sure we hold each other accountable. And that's all I'm trying to do each and every day.
“So for me, no matter if it's if it's coming up with a handshake, no matter if it's just jumping up and down, no matter if it's getting in somebody's face to tell them a joke — those things may come off as me getting other people focused and ready, but more or less, it’s just me holding myself accountable more than anything else, because I go by a code and stick to the code of, if you say something to somebody, you’d better make sure that you're holding yourself in check, as well. And that's what I'm trying to do.”
Speaking of handshakes, Newton has a unique one with almost every player on the roster, and he said it came from LeBron James.
“You know, everybody's different. One handshake for one person kind of speaks to the relationship that you may have to that specific person,” Newton said. “And I'm just gonna be honest with you, I kind of bit off somebody else's swag with LeBron (James). I saw LeBron years ago have different handshakes for every single person on the roster. And I was like, ‘Man, that's pretty cool.’ But as I began to do that, I started realizing how my relationship with that person — certain handshakes just morph off of you know how you particularly know that person.”
While it’s more likely than not Newton will be the Week 1 starter, he’s not ready to say it himself.
Related
