Cam Newton
Op/Ed Sports

Zero Drop-Off in Community Service with Bridgewater Replacing Newton as Panthers Quarterback

Landon Bost

CHARLOTTE– Only time will tell if Teddy Bridgewater surpasses the legacy that Cameron Netwon left on the gridiron as a Carolina Panther, but one aspect that will not fall flat with the quarterback change – community service.

Since the Panthers drafted Newton with the first overall pick in 2011, he’s been an advocate for the community. Newton started his annual Thanksgiving Jam in 2012 to provide meals for locals families, the 8th annual event in Nov. 2019 served 1,300 children and their families.

The Cam Newton Foundation, founded in 2012, addresses the physical, social, emotional and educational needs of youth in the Atlanta and Charlotte areas through community outreach programs ranging from 7v7 football tournaments to serving at the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte.

The Panthers announced Tuesday morning that they, “have given Cam Newton permission to seek a trade.”

Newton responded to the Instagram post with, “I never asked for it. … I love the Panthers. … You forced me into this.”

Carolina is now finalizing a deal with Bridgwater worth $63 million over three years, $33 million guaranteed at signing.

“Teddy Two-Gloves” has shown resiliency on and off the field from a young age. He suffered a near career-ending ACL tear in practice be before the start of the 2016 season and battled back to win all five games he started for the New Orleans Saints in 2019 while backing up Drew Brees. 

He was nominated for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the highest off-the-field honor for community activism, as a junior at Lousiville for his volunteerism ranging from speaking at local schools to tornado relief efforts. 

Bridgewater ran out of toys at his during his Christmas drive in his hometown of Miami last year, and gave the remaining children 20-dollar bills so they wouldn’t leave empty-handed.

In Feb, Bridgewater garnered attention for his impromptu motivational twee titled: ‘I believe in you.’

No matter what you may think about Newton’s declining on-field performance, he exceeded his expectations in giving back.  

And he will forever be a champion in the Carolinas For that, thank you QB1.

You’ll be missed.

(Feature image credit: Keith Allison)