Cam Newton will go down as one of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. He's been dominant at every level and is aiming to translate that success on the field into his ventures after his playing career. Newton has drawn headlines in 2024 for his NFL hot takes and analysis on his show 4th and 1, and is quickly ascending the media ranks as one of the most entertaining personaities in the sports industry.
More recently, Newton has triggered headlines and discourse for a major brawl between him and members of “TSP,” or TopShelf Performance, a 7-on-7 football team from Atlanta. Newton told Complex last month that he's been running 7-on-7 tournaments for over a decade now with young aspiring football players.
"Name me another NFL athlete that impacted the community more than I did," Newton says. "I don't want nothing from the kids. That's the thing, like I'm putting them on game. I've spent time, money, effort, energy for them at 15, 16 years old... I've been doing this for 15 years now."
While the reaction from the fans and social media has been centered around the comedic angle of Cam fighting off everyone by hismelf, Cam takes his 7-on-7 teams seriously. Giving back to the community and influencing the next generation has been an important aspect of Newton's career that tends to take the backseat when media talks about the former MVP. He's invested nearly a quarter of a million dollars into his team yearly with the goal of just investing into the future of the sport and teaching young guys the ropes. Newton says the perception of him doesn't align with the outside world's agenda but he doesn't do it for glory.
"I don't want nothing from them," Newton says. "I never told somebody where to go to school. I never told nobody where to sign an agent. But they try to make me out to be a bitter ass football player but not knowing like, bro, I'm really giving time, effort, and energy. These kids are staying at my house."
We sat down with the former MVP last month to go about his impact from his 7-on-7 league, his career in media, and more.
*This interview occured prior to the recent news of Newton getting into a fight.*
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What has the transition to media been like for you?
We are living in the golden age. We're witnessing a revolution right now in media where there's never been a time where athletes had this much impact in the media space and it negates a lot of bullshit from happening because now we can really say how we really feel about certain things.
That ability to create your own narrative is where we are as athletes now and it's something spectacular. I've learned so much from so many people that may not have known that I've learned from them just by looking at their content. Why can't we be the next Ted Turner? Why can't we be the next ESPN, Disney Time, Warner?
You weren't happy with our top 25 Most Entertaining Sports Personalities list in December. Let's hear what your thoughts.
Everybody is deserving to be on that list. Shannon is killing it right now. Everybody wanna make the emphasis on top 10, top five. How many people? 25? I want to go to the bottom five. I'm independent, bro. I don't have no Complex pushing my narrative. I don't have no Volume. I don't have ESPN pushing my stuff. I don't have Wave Sports.
I don't have nothing. It's just me. So the people who are tuning into my stuff, they have the admiration to say 'yo, this shit is pretty cool.' So I don't have these, I don't have this engine or the fuel. So this is how I compare myself to that. Take everybody off of what they're doing and let them go independent and see what their impact is.
That's what I'm standing on. That's my merit. So I don't wanna come off as like they've been saying this a lot, 'he's bitter.' No, I'm not bitter. I'm just saying like dog, this is real shit. I'm paying my staff like ain't nobody giving me nothing. I'm going out here to get the same type of brand deals that Complex is trying to get and I'm going against a juggernaut to that degree. I am a student of this media space and I'm learning it with the same energy that I put in football, bro.
So 2024, where do you expect to be?
It ain't 25. It ain't 25 because real talk, I'm using my time, I'm using my own money. I'm using my own energy to build a personnel that I can really compete with the Barstools.
(Cam responding to viral video of kid disrespecting him during 7-on-7 camp on "I Got Time Today" segment.
Name me another NFL athlete that impacted the community more than I did. (A lot guys) came through my 7-on-7 program. Justin Fields, Deshaun Watson Bo, Nix, George Pickens like Cam Sutton. I don't want nothing from the kids. That's the thing, like I'm putting them on game. I've spent time, money, effort, energy for them at 15, 16 years old. It's like this is how you're supposed to do it when you get in my position.
Put it like this, so I've been doing this for 15 years now. Every year. We have a tournament coming up this weekend, I'm gonna spend $25,000. We have around eight to nine tournaments this year. You do the math right there so around a quarter million dollars every year is invested in these kids.
I don't want nothing from them. I never told somebody where to go to school. I never told nobody where to sign an agent. But they try to make me out to be a bitter ass football player but not knowing like, bro, I'm really giving time, effort, and energy. These kids are staying at my house.
