Cam Newton: Everybody needs me to be my best self

[Sir Purr]

The 30-year-old has become increasingly aware of his mortality. Getting his throwing shoulder right – and keeping it right – requires regular maintenance. So as badly as he wants to be out there practicing all the time and taking every rep, he now weighs other factors.


“Everybody on the offense needs me to be my best self,” Newton said. “My best self may be taking care of my body in ways that the field may not possess.”


And it’s not just the physical part. Sure, Newton needs to keep building strength, he needs to keep repping his compact throwing motion to establish muscle memory.


There are also mental hurdles to clear throughout this process.


“A lot of times you just got to get out your own head,” Newton said. “When you’re hurt for so long, you’ve just been telling yourself, ‘Just do it, just do it.’ Football players, our mantra is big macho man. Never showing signs of weakness or show that you’re hurt.


“Where I’m at now, I may feel certain things and my mind may say, ‘You’re hurt.’ But you’re really not hurt. Because you’ve been hurt for so long, you don’t know what 100 percent feels like.”


We know what Cam at 100 percent looks like.


We know how good this offense can be when the former MVP is able to perform without limitations. We’ve seen it throughout the first week of his eighth training camp.


We all want to see it throughout the fall.


“I’ve got to uphold my end by taking care of myself first,” Newton said, “and everything else falls in line.”