Tag: 4th & 1 with Cam Newton

Panthers great Cam Newton reveals his favorite receiver (other than Greg Olsen)

Who was Cam Newton’s favorite non-Greg Olsen target from his NFL career? The former MVP had an emphatic answer for that.

Asking Cam Newton for his favorite pass catcher from his NFL career is an exercise in futility. (We all know it’s his dawg.) So, the field has to be narrowed down a bit.

While filming this week’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers legend took the following question from a fan:

Newton and former tight end Greg Olsen spent nine seasons together in Carolina—a run that saw three NFC South titles, four total playoff appearances and a trip to Super Bowl 50. Their partnership also helped produce a Most Valuable Player Award for Newton and a three-year string of 1,000-yard receiving campaigns for Olsen—a then-NFL record for the position.

But with Greg off the table, who would Cam take . . . ?

“Ted Ginn,” he replied emphatically. “Ted had a very high IQ. And I don’t think he was ever featured like he was featured during the Carolina Panthers days, ’cause he scared so many people with his speed. And you couldn’t out, overthrow the [expletive].”

Ginn was in on two of those three division titles, including the one that resulted in their NFC championship win in 2015. Over three total seasons with Newton and the Panthers, the speed merchant recorded 134 catches for 2,047 yards and 19 touchdowns.

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Panthers great Cam Newton explains key difference between Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule

Panthers great Cam Newton: “I would kick it with Matt Rhule.”

There’s no question, even to the most novice eye of the game, that former Carolina Panthers head coaches Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule were two completely different Carolina Panthers head coaches. And a certain someone who played under both men spoke about why.

While talking about the dynamic between pro athletes and their higher-ups on Friday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, franchise great Cam Newton was asked about the differences between Rivera and Rhule. He responded to co-host Omari “Peggy” Collins by saying that Rhule’s lack of a playing background in the NFL showed.

“And that’s not no slight to Matt Rhule,” Newton stated. “Matt Rhule was an unbelievable guy. So much so, that when I say ‘unbelievable,’ I’m like, yo, he’s a guy that I would kick it with. We had great conversations. We had great meetings and great insights on the game, family, religion—just the whole process to how we both got to this situation.

“But it was a little different coming from Ron Rivera. He knew what it was like to be a player in certain situations. Practice intensity, locker room tension, knowing how to get the most out of their players—it’s just certain different tactics you have to go about.”

While the circumstances were vastly different, Newton probably had a much better experience with Rivera—a former Super Bowl-winning linebacker. The two spent nine years together in Carolina, where they secured three NFC South titles and the organization’s second-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

Newton’s time with Rhule lasted just half a season, as the Panthers brought back the 2015 Most Valuable Player to help save their 2021 season. But even Superman couldn’t save that ship from ultimately sinking.

Regardless, perhaps we’ll see Newton and Rhule kick it some time down the line.

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