CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There’s no doubt Cam Newton is unique in terms of physical stature and what he does as a running/passing quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.
And the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Newton knows it.
During a recent interview with Morgan Fogarty on WCCB-TV in Charlotte, Newton was asked: “You have been called the NFL’s greatest talent as well as the NFL’s greatest unknown. Do you agree with that?’’
Here’s how Newton responded:
“Absolutely not,” he said. “And I say this with the most humility, but I don’t think nobody has ever been who I’m trying to be. Nobody has the size, nobody has the speed, nobody has the arm strength, nobody had the intangibles that I’ve had.
“I’m not saying I’m the one-on-one type of person that this league will never see again. No, I’m not saying that. Hear me out. I’m just saying that so much of my talents have not been seen in one person.”
This will cause debate. While there have been few quarterbacks with Newton’s size, there have been a few close who have excelled as a runner and a passer.
No. 1 would be John Elway (6-3, 215). The Hall of Famer had a strong arm, throwing for 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns. He also ran for 3,407 yards and 33 touchdowns.
You could throw Warren Moon (6-3, 221) into the mix. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection passed for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,736 yards and 22 touchdowns in the NFL after rushing for 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns in six seasons in the Canadian Football League.
Elway and Moon may not have been quite as imposing physically as Newton, but they weren’t far from it.
They also weren’t called to run as often as Newton has been in the read-option offense. There’s no denying the first pick of the 2011 draft is unique in his ability to efficiently do that, accumulating more rushing yards (2,571) and rushing touchdowns (33) than any quarterback in the NFL the past four seasons.
There’s also no denying Newton’s toughness. He played much of the 2013 season with an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. In 2014 it took fractured ribs suffered during a preseason game and fractures in his lower back suffered in a multi-vehicle accident to force him to miss starts for the first season in his career.
And he came back each time after one missed start.
In fact, Newton told Fogarty he still wears the hospital bracelet on his wrist as a “constant reminder’’ of what he went through in December when his truck rolled near Bank of America Stadium.
“That’s a daily reminder for me to have that reset button or that conscientious button, you know, don’t take life for granted,’’ Newton said.
The Panthers hope to sign Newton to a long-term deal as he approaches the final year of his rookie deal (including a fifth-year option). Newton consistently has said Carolina is where he wants to play.
Newton made it clear to Fogarty there are few, if any, he respects or trusts more than Carolina owner Jerry Richardson.
“I will always be humbled and appreciate him for giving me a chance,’’ Newton said. “When I talk to him, it becomes even more comfortable why I am grateful to have been drafted by the Panthers. Because no matter what people may say or think, Mr. Richardson took a chance on me that others didn't believe in me at the time.
“With him being the owner and last say, he did take a chance on me and I'm trying to give him everything and more on my end of the bargain.’’