Cam Newton, Richard Dent among Atlanta鈥檚 top 10 NFL stars
1. Cam Newton, QB, Westlake
The quarterback position is the most important in football, and that combined with incredible athleticism and talent puts Newton at the top of this list. The son of former NFL player Cecil Newton Sr., Cam was a five-star prospect coming out of Westlake who committed to Florida where he spent two seasons behind starter Tim Tebow. After getting into trouble at Florida, Cam landed at Blinn College who he helped lead to an NJCAA national championship. He earned another chance in the SEC at Auburn and had a memorable 2010 season with 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns passing as well as 1,473 yards and another 20 scores rushing, winning the Heisman Trophy as a consensus All-American. Taken with the No. 1 pick in 2011 by the Carolina Panthers, Cam shined as a true dual-threat that is so common in the NFL a decade later. The Offensive Rookie of the Year that season, Cam also made the Pro Bowl as he threw for 4,051 yards and ran for another 706 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback had a bit of a sophomore slump in 2012, but returned to Pro Bowl form in 2013 as he led Carolina to a 12-4 record. The best season of Cam鈥檚 career came two years later as he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance while becoming the league鈥檚 MVP with 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air, as well as 636 yards and 10 scores on the ground.聽
2015 Cam Newton was UNSTOPPABLE
via @nflthrowback
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports)
Despite continued success in Carolina, Cam became severely limited by shoulder injuries and wound up as the starter on the New England Patriots in 2020 following Tom Brady鈥檚 departure. Cam reunited with the Panthers last year where he had some memorable moments, but he remains a free agent currently.
