CHARLOTTE, N.C. — You can't tell the story of the Carolina Panthers and the NFL without Cam Newton.
The 2011 No. 1 overall pick became the face of the franchise as a rookie and led the team to the Super Bowl as league MVP, but is he a Hall of Famer? That's a question that's up for debate as Newton seemingly winds down any chances of returning to the NFL and has dove headfirst into podcasting with his hit "4th & 1" show.
"He is unique. He's one of one," Darin Gantt, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's selection committee who covers the Panthers, told WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni. "Cam makes everything a little bit extra because of his personality and because of the way people respond to him. I've joked over the years that Cam Newton makes people stupid. Discussions of Cam tend to go to places they were never intended to go because his personality's so large and he's so fascinating a character."
Julius Peppers, who was the opposite of Newton in so many ways, became the first player who was drafted by Carolina to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Now the discussion amongst Panther fans has moved to who's next? From Steve Smith Sr. to Luke Kuechly and Greg Olsen, there are several good options to consider.
But what about Cam?
Newton's case as a Hall of Famer really picked up steam when he was asked about it by veteran sports journalist Dan Patrick. After some thought, Newton said "hell yeah" he belongs in the Hall. Gantt says if you examine Steve Young's Hall of Fame career, nearly everything he did was eclipsed by Newton.
"All the two-way quarterback records belong to him. They were set in large by Steve Young," Gantt explained. "However you want to combine all those stats, when you look at the top of the chart it's Cam Newton and Steve Young."
Gantt conceded that Young was a more prolific passer during his prime with the 49ers, but he also had an incredible supporting cast. Namely, Jerry Rice. Cam Newton didn't have that luxury for most of his career. In fact, Carolina's leading wide receiver during their Super Bowl season in 2015 was Ted Ginn Jr. Greg Olsen was the overall leader with just over 1,100 yards that season.
"No offense to the Jerricho Cotcherys of the world — he caught it, by the way — but Cam was out there doing Cam things by himself and he willed a team and carried a team to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl. I think he's special, I think he's unique, he's the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for quarterbacks and has more rushing touchdowns than many of the Hall of Fame running backs."
Cam Newton career accolades
- 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player
- 2015 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- First-team All-Pro (2015)
- Three-time Pro Bowl (2011, 2013, 2015)
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