Category: Panthers legends

Panthers great Cam Newton challenges Skip Bayless to high-stakes shootout

Cam Newton and Skip Bayless may actually be on the verge of competing against one another in a 3-point shootout.

Carolina Panthers great Cam Newton just took his friendly feud with larger-than-life sports personality Skip Bayless a step further.

With the two seemingly on the verge of setting up a 3-point shootout, the NFL’s former Most Valuable Player laid down a pretty serious stipulation in response to Bayless’ recent challenge.

Here’s the clip of Cam’s conditions from Friday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton:

In case you missed it, Bayless may have attempted to strike some fear into Newton (we think) by posting a . . . um . . . nicely-edited video of his latest shooting sesh this past week:

This (obviously) isn’t the first time Skip has hit the hardwood. Bayless actually played high school ball at Northwest Classen in Oklahoma City, Okla.—where he averaged 1.4 points per game during the 1970 season.

Newton isn’t a stranger to the game either. While he may not have a sick highlight heel like Skip’s, Cam did star in Auburn’s intramural basketball league upon a return to his alma mater in 2013.

So, it seems the ball is now in Skip’s court.

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Panthers great Cam Newton reveals what was said in 2018 altercation with Kelvin Benjamin

Cam Newton pulled back the curtain on the 2018 altercation with ex-teammate Kelvin Benjamin.

Cam Newton pulled back the curtain on yet another interesting moment in Carolina Panthers history.

In the summer of 2018, Newton’s Panthers were set for preseason action against the Buffalo Bills and Kelvin Benjamin—who had spent the first three and a half years of his NFL career in Carolina. But a few weeks prior to that matchup, the disgruntled wide receiver expressed some unflattering impressions of his time with Cam in an interview with The Athletic:

I mean, I felt like I would’ve been even more successful if … I don’t know, man … If I would’ve … Looking back on it, I should’ve just been drafted by somebody else. I should’ve never went to Carolina. Truly, I just think Carolina was bad for me. It was a bad fit from the get-go. If you would’ve put me with any other quarterback, let’s be real, you know what I’m saying? Any other accurate quarterback like Rodgers or Eli Manning or Big Ben — anybody! — quarterbacks with knowledge, that know how to place a ball and give you a better chance to catch the ball. It just felt like I wasn’t in that position.

As the teams were warming up for the exhibition, Newton went over to Benjamin to get some clarity on his words. Here’s how it went down:

So, what was said?

The 2015 Most Valuable Player revealed what happened on this week’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton:

Benjamin played just two full seasons in Carolina—where he amassed 1,008 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2014, followed by 941 yards and seven scores in 2016. The former first-round pick would then be traded to Buffalo in the middle of the 2017 campaign.

He’d never come close to the same success he had with Newton, totaling just 597 yards and two touchdowns away from the Panthers. Benjamin lasted just one more season following his departure—with his final NFL snap coming in 2018.

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Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. asked if he’s ‘all in’ on Bryce Young

Steve Smith Sr. on Bryce Young’s disappointing rookie season: “A smart kid can look dumb if he’s around a lot of dumb people.”

Around this time last year, Carolina Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. hitched his wagon to Bryce Young. But after a rough rookie season for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, is the wagon still attached?

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III asked him that on Thursday’s episode of RG3 and The Ones. And while he didn’t give a definitive answer, Smitty offered some interesting insight.

“Well, I liked Bryce Young initially,” he replied. “Right? We have to pick a guy. That’s our job. We have to pick a guy. Because I picked Bryce and said we should go with Bryce, that doesn’t mean that I think C.J. [Stroud] can’t play. I said, just like other people reported, Bryce’s processing was faster than C.J.’s.

“But at the end of the day, a smart kid can look dumb if he’s around a lot of dumb people. And a dumb kid, or a smart kid, can be really smart if he’s around a lot of smart people. And what I’m sayin’ is — you’re only as good as your company, and your company can only heighten and elevate you.”

Unfortunately, that company didn’t do much to heighten the 5-foot-10 quarterback. Between his wide receivers struggling to separate and his offensive line allowing the second-most sacks in the NFL, Young turned in a sour first season.

Young, who also lost his head coach after 12 weeks and experienced multiple changes at the offensive coordinator position, threw for just 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions while averaging 179.8 passing yards per game. The other quarterback Smith mentioned, by the way, averaged a league-high 273.9 passing yards a contest, made the Pro Bowl and captured Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

But hopefully for Young, he’ll be hanging around some more smart people in 2024.

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Cam Newton recalls hilarious story about Luke Kuechly’s hard-hitting practice

Don’t mess with Luke Kuechly.

A wise man once said that nobody messed with Luke Kuechly. Actually, that wise man used a much naughtier word than “messed,” but the sentiment is the same nonetheless.

In the latest episode of his YouTube show 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton recalled quite the story about his former teammate and good buddy—Luke August Kuechly. And of all the Luke stories we’ve heard, this one is easily amongst the Luke-iest.

Enjoy:

Poor Devin Funchess.

Funchess, Kuechly and Newton shared a sideline from 2015 to 2018. The first of those seasons saw the Panthers blast their way to Super Bowl 50, winning 17 of their 18 games leading up to their eventual loss to the Denver Broncos.

The trio was also a part of the franchise’s last trip to the playoffs in 2017, when Carolina clinched a wild card berth at 11-5. Unfortunately, that bid for the Lombardi Trophy was also cut short—as they suffered a painful 31-26 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round.

But luckily for Funchess—and the rest of the league’s receivers, for that matter—Kuechly hasn’t had to hit anyone for a few years now.

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Panthers great Julius Peppers posts thoughts on Brian Burns trade

Julius Peppers went through something very similar to what Brian Burns just experienced. The Panthers legend tweeted his thoughts on the situation this morning.

Well, it happened to the Carolina Panthers again. And the first guy it happened with had some thoughts on the second one.

The “it” we’re referring to, by the way, is the loss of an elite pass rusher in his prime. That first strike of lightning hit the Panthers back in 2010, when Julius Peppers left town for the Chicago Bears after a messy contract tango at home.

Lightning bolt No. 2 struck yesterday, when the team traded outside linebacker Brian Burns—who also didn’t get the new deal he wanted—to the New York Giants. Peppers would post his thoughts about the situation on Tuesday morning:

This isn’t the first time the franchise legend and soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer threw in his two cents on the Burns saga. Peppers, in a recent interview with Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com, said he was hoping the organization could stick with the two-time Pro Bowler.

“I think he’s one of the best,” Peppers told Hill. “He has all the tools, he has all of the talent. I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. I hope we’d be able to keep him around for a long time.”

Unfortunately, they only kept him for another month.

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Cam Newton talks to Shaquille O’Neal about viral fight: ‘I could be in jail’

Panthers great Cam Newton was a guest on this week’s episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” where he got into what happened in Atlanta.

What happens when Superman meets Superman? Well, you get a whole lot more than a silly meme of them pointing at each other.

What happens is what went down on Wednesday’s episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq” from Playmaker HQ, where NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal interviewed Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton. Basketball’s Superman began by asking football’s Superman why things can sometimes get a bit too heated at his youth events.

“It’s the access,” replied Newton, who was recently involved in a brawl at a 7-on-7 tournament in Atlanta. “Access. Just to give you context, right—so anybody who knows me know I’m a product of my environment. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. What you saw was, those were grown men, those weren’t kids. So that narrative was familiar coaching, and it got chippy. For me, that’s not the first time that happens. And honestly, knowing my world, that probably won’t be the last.

“I think looking back at it, yeah. People see like, ‘Yeah, Cam standing on business. Yeah, Cam had bobby pins in his head.’ Those are all funny things, but when I look at it, it’s like, man, it coulda ugly . . . on both sides. ‘Cause I’m the type of person, when I feel triggered, I react. It’s not, ‘Come on Shaq, let’s go get ’em. Come on, let’s go.’ I’m not that person. You say something to me and I go, I don’t think, and that’s the issue. And that’s where my whole support was kind of caught off guard. We were talking, something was said and then it was like, ‘Hey, hey, where you going?’ I’m going to use the restroom.”

Newton is certainly no stranger to trash talk at these outings, especially from the kids. But this time, it was a pair of opposing coaches that he mixed it up with.

Newton continued.

“But that’s just how I rock and roll. You know what I’m saying? But I just have to be better and I want to use this as an example for athletes, entertainers, people of influence,” he added.

“You may want to be at In-N-Out Burger, you want to go to Chick-fil-A, you want to just go to a hookah lounge, you just want to hang out. Somebody going to say something triggering to you and it just takes one time, and ugly because I could be in jail, somebody filing a lawsuit.”

Fortunately for everyone involved, nothing of the sort came as a result of the incident.

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Video: Panthers great Cam Newton involved in fight at 7v7 event

Panthers great Cam Newton was captured on video manhandling multiple men during a brawl at one of his 7v7 events.

Apparently, a few fellas over in the Atlanta area weren’t aware of what went down in Spartanburg, S.C. about a decade ago.

On Sunday afternoon, a video of Carolina Panthers great Cam Newton appearing to be ambushed emerged on social media. Here’s the clip:

Details regarding the incident, which took place during one of Newton’s 7v7 tournaments, are scarce to this point. Per TMZ, the event was held at Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Atlanta, Ga.

The video shows a few individuals attempting to attack the former quarterback. But Newton, who made a career out of bulldozing defenders and carrying whole teams, seemed rather comfortable while manhandling multiple attackers.

This isn’t a first for Panthers fans, who are very much acquainted with Newton’s scuffling skills. In 2015, the eventual Most Valuable Player and cornerback Josh Norman engaged in a fit of fisticuffs during training camp—giving us this lasting image:

And just like in that brawl, Newton looked to come out on top.

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Cam Newton regrets not jumping on infamous fumble in Super Bowl 50

Panthers great Cam Newton regrets his decision not to jump on a loose ball back in Super Bowl 50.

In the eyes of some, not jumping on that loose ball in Super Bowl 50 was a career-defining moment for Cam Newton. Heck, you’ll still see that painful image of it pop up in the replies, over eight years later.

Nonetheless, Newton is taking it on the chin.

On Wednesday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers great was asked why he did not try to recover a fumble on the fateful February night. He didn’t give an exact answer as to why, but he regrets the choice he made.

“It ain’t no excuse for me not jumpin’ on the fumble,” Newton said. “I should’ve jumped on the fumble. Straight up. The competitor in me, if that happens again, duh. And this is the Super Bowl—all effort goes to, like, ‘Yo, Super Bowl energy.’ That wasn’t Super Bowl energy. And I think that is what hurts the most. You don’t get another opportunity to go back, it’s not promised for you to go back.

“‘Cause next year, that’s when the shoulder injury happened and the year following that, that’s when the foot injury happened. So you don’t necessarily know when it’s gonna be your time. That was your time to seize the moment. Carpe diem—the words that I live by. And I didn’t.”

Well, Newton and the Panthers didn’t make it back after their 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.

The 2015 Most Valuable Player would go on a bit of a dip, as those shoulder and foot injuries eventually shortened his career. And as for the Panthers, who have dipped even further, they’re still without a postseason win since that season.

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Julius Peppers hopes Panthers can keep Brian Burns from free agency

Julius Peppers has lived through this story before, and he hopes it doesn’t happen with Brian Burns and the Panthers.

Somehow, the Carolina Panthers have yet to reach a long-term agreement with a homegrown, first-round pass rusher who has become one of the very best defenders in the game. Sound familiar?

Well, it should to Julius Peppers—who experienced a very similar story to what Brian Burns is going through now.

On Wednesday, the newly-named Pro Football Hall of Famer spoke with local reporters on a Zoom call following his eventful weekend in Las Vegas. When asked about Burns, who is slated to become a free agent this offseason, Peppers said he hopes the two-time Pro Bowler sticks around.

“I traded a couple of texts with him a couple of days ago, he was congratulating me on the Hall of Fame and stuff like that,” he replied, via Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com. “And we’ve been meaning to link up at some point just about those off the field things…that’s where I come from. I come from, what’s going on off the field, who’s around you, what do you have going on? What’s your support looking like off the field? Because I think that translates to on the field type of stuff. So I’m there…more for that kind of stuff, like the mentor or big brother kind of stuff.

“But like, as far as his game, I think he’s one of the best. I think he’s one of the best. He has all the tools, he has all of the talent. I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. I hope we’d be able to keep him around for a long time.”

That wasn’t necessarily the case for Peppers, who bounced from Charlotte in 2010 when the team couldn’t meet his number. The Chicago Bears, instead, did—signing the Wilson, N.C. native to a six-year, $91.5 million pact.

As for Burns, the Panthers could—like they did with Peppers—use the franchise tag to keep their top sack getter around for another season. In the meantime, they’ll still have a chance to keep him around even longer.

But if they can’t, a bad bit of franchise history will repeat itself.

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Julius Peppers: Steve Smith should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers thinks former Panthers teammate Steve Smith Sr. is past due for Canton.

Hopefully, former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. will soon join fellow franchise legend Julius Peppers in Canton. But it’s Peppers who believes that he should be the one having to join Smith Sr.

This past weekend was certainly a memorable one for Peppers, who was just named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his very first year of eligibility. The NFL’s fourth leading sack artist of all-time also made time to appear at Allegiant Stadium for Super Bowl LVIII, where he ran into his old teammate on the sideline.

And while catching up on the congratulatory messages he’s received in the past few days, Peppers made sure to catch us up on his thoughts about Smitty’s Hall of Fame candidacy . . .

Smith Sr., a semifinalist in each of his three bids, has been eligible since 2021. But he has yet to advance into the finalist group.

If you ask Peppers, that’s no place for his pal—who is eighth all-time in receiving yards and 12th in receptions. And if you ask us, he’s right.

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