Cam Newton is preparing to enter his third season as the quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. As the former No. 1 overall pick, the team is expecting the young player to begin to step up and demonstrate some leadership in his role. Newton is the X factor for the Panthers and Carolina is hopeful he starts to act like it. The quarterback understands the expectations to develop into a leader are much higher now.
At the start of organized team activities, Newton expressed his desire to be named a team captain this season for the Panthers. He has had his leadership knocked in past years, leading many to wonder if he is built for the captain role. Steve Smith publically chewed out Newton during the 2012 season after the quarterback was seen moping during a loss to the New York Giants. He also found himself in hot water during that same game when the team was losing by a large margin and Newton did his traditional Super Man act after scoring. Many felt the celebration was out of place and immature.
Newton realizes the need to step up and act like a third-year player. He is anxious to prove to his teammates that he can be the leader they are looking for.
"I recognize-and everyone knows around the league-when you're a team captain, that's not just a patch on a jersey. You're holding yourself to a high standard with being accountable. I'm going about it each and every day and trying to make that happen," Newton said.
Smith is still not sold on the idea of Newton as a team captain. Smith was a former team captain, earning the honors last season and he knows the title is voted on by the entire team. The players decide who they believe is the true captain to lead them through the season.
"It's voted on by the players, and we have 53 guys that vote. So those 53 votes count and there's a lot of guys who get votes. And so, I know Cam got votes last year, but he didn't get enough votes, so it's not about whether one person believes he should or shouldn't-it takes a whole team that votes on that, so it's really not up to one person to make that decision," Smith said.
The Panthers are certainly hoping Newton wins over his teammates prior to the start of the season. They will be relying on the quarterback to show real improvement both on the field and off.