CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton shared his side of the story about the viral video of him getting jumped by a group of people at a 7-on-7 football tournament in Atlanta last weekend, apologizing for letting his emotions get the best of him during a heated moment.
Video surfaced of the incident last weekend. Multiple people were seen attacking Newton from all sides with the former NFL MVP pushing them aside. Newton didn’t appear to throw any punches during the scuffle. On this 4th & 1 podcast, Newton said the guys involved were former coaches of his C1N organization and that there is some history between them. He said the incident began as trash talk during a game that led to fighting.
“There was a lot of talking on both sides. On all sides, and let’s just put it like that,” Newton said. “I don’t want to point the finger and say this person said that or that person said that. Am I saying this is the first time it happened or the last time it happened? It’s something that starts with words and should’ve ended with words.”
Newton went on to apologize for the incident and said he should’ve handled it better.
“I’m disappointed in myself for letting it escalate to what it did and that’s what I’m apologetic to,” Newton said. “The truth of the matter is this. Me, being in my position, I should’ve never put myself in that position. That’s just the truth. That (expletive) could’ve got ugly, for real.”
If you’re looking for a silver lining, Newton said he hopes this incident will be a teaching moment for young athletes and those who look up to him.
“This is what I really want the narrative to be,” Newton said. “To every high school player, to every single person I’ve influenced and to every single athlete, use my situation as a way to understand that in one moment and one decision, your life can change just like that. I let my emotions get the best of me and it should not have been called for. It’s simple.”
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