This years draft media darling is Cam Newton

[rayzor]

just to muddy up the water a bit...repost from another thread a while back:

did a quick search for discussion on cam newton's intangibles and here is some of what i saw.

The position of quarterback is earned not only by a player's physical performance but also by how he leads. It is easy to take for granted that Newton is a leader on the Tigers.

"He's got the ability, once he gets in the huddle, that all eyes are on him, and whatever he says, they're going to do," Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said.

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Newton already had transferred once. He went to Blinn (Texas) Junior College for the 2009 season and led his team to the juco national championship. Moving to Auburn was a little more complicated.

"Honestly, that's something that either can be a good thing or a bad thing," Newton said Wednesday at a news conference at the Camelback Inn. "A person that has so much status going into a program, everybody already has their thoughts about it. 'Who was this? He probably thinks he is going to get this and that.'"

Senior offensive tackle Lee Ziemba feels ownership of the Tigers. He has started all 51 games of his college career.

"You're trying to figure someone out when you first meet him," Ziemba said. "Every little thing they do is critiqued. As soon as he got here, it took him no time at all to become one of [us]."

During winter workouts, Newton so impressed his offensive teammates in the weight room that they named him -- a quarterback -- to a five-man tug-of-war team to take on the defense. The offense won.

"For me, I really wanted to go into Auburn and earn everything that I got with the team respect, trying to be that leader on this football team," Newton said. "And I knew it was a price I had to pay."

Ziemba remembers seeing Newton over the summer. Players put a great deal of stock in how hard a teammate works when there's no coach forcing him to do it.

"He was in the rain, throwing passes on the weekend when we were at the lake," Ziemba said. "He was dragging receivers out there with him. That kind of work ethic prepared our guys to follow him."

Newton plays football the way George Clooney acts. He tosses it off with such ease that you don't see what it took to get there. He puts in his time in video study. He searches other quarterbacks for clues, for pieces he can make his own.

"If I feel there's a trait that I don't have in my game," Newton said, "I'm going to try to take it from another quarterback that I saw and try to apply it to my own."

A trait that Newton doesn't have? Cooking a seven-course French dinner? Balancing the federal budget? Help us out here.

"You look at the Peyton Mannings, the Tom Bradys, the Andrew Lucks, the Jake Lockers, Terrelle Pryor," Newton said. "All these guys have something different they bring to the table. I'm a fan of all those guys. I'm continuously trying to see what they do, what makes them that good player or that great player and apply it to my own [game]."

The coaches saw that work ethic. They took note of how the players responded to Newton.

"They really believe in him," Malzahn said. "That's really one of the main reasons he won the job. In the spring, we saw that. They really trust him. So his leadership is definitely a big reason we're here."

In the span of 12 months, Newton has gone from juco transfer to national figure.

"I tried to go shopping yesterday," Newton said, "and I felt as if it was a memo to everybody that Cam Newton is coming. It is kind of crazy."

He has survived an NCAA investigation into his eligibility that made his father infamous. After winning the Heisman, Newton read the Top Ten List on "The Late Show with David Letterman." Jay Leno wants Newton on the "Tonight Show" next week if the Tigers win. GQ wants some time in the spring. The NFL beckons.

Newton has handled it all. That's what a leader does.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls10/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=5993420

and these are comments made by one of the people who work with the athletic department at blinn college:

"Blinn College and its football programs deserve a great deal of credit for molding Cam into the student-athlete he is today. He came to Blinn because he wanted to play instead of sitting out a year and he knew Blinn had one of the best Juco (junior college) programs in the country. He was certainly confident (not arrogant) when he arrived in Brenham, Texas. He told his coach Brad Franchione that the answer to every question concerning the Buccaneers was 'Cam Newton, baby!' He was right and continues to be the answer at Auburn.

"The talent potential was always there. What Cam lacked was maturity. The coaches worked tirelessly with him to teach him how to not only be a great athlete, but to be a true leader. Cam was a handful. There's no doubt about that. Channeling all that energy was key and our Blinn coaches truly miss him now. His work ethic was tremendous and his positive attitude never wavered.

"Cam was as successful off the field as he was on it. People loved being around him. Coach Franchione's kids still want to know when Cam is coming back to Blinn. His son Wyatt, 7, took Cam to school for show and tell. And daughter Isabella, 4, admires him so much that she called him her boyfriend. Imagine that hulking football player being gentle and playful with those little kids. It was a sight.

"That infectious smile you see at the conclusion of every game is genuine. In my three decades of working in the media and in public relations, I've dealt with countless athletes and I can honestly say none compare to Cam Newton. This is a young man who readily admits his lack of judgment in the computer incident (at Florida) and who humbly asked for a second chance. He has made the most of it and will reach the pinnacle when he accepts the Heisman Trophy.

http://keysnews.com/node/28258

this was interesting...it's a blogpost from a church stewardship and leadership consultant. you may not agree with everything in it, but it does give you a few things to consider.

10 Things That Make Cam Newton A Special Leader

With the exception of The Golden Calf of Bristol, college football has not had a player mean more to his team and university than Newton. The following is what I feels make him completely unique.

1. Resilience – His ability to perform at a high level under the cloud of a NCAA investigation has been amazing. Many times the difference between a successful and unsuccessful person is one simply chooses to get back up after getting knocked down.
   
2. Composure - Auburn trailed in 8 of their 13 victories this year. Newton had the capacity to remain calm and keep his teammates focused of coming back one play at a time.
   
3. Work Ethic - Newton’s ability to learn the Spread Offense and his 2nd half conditioning are indicators of the hard work and sweat equity he has put in this season.
   
4. Leadership Skills - One of the memorable moments of the college football season was Newton inspiring his team prior to the Georgia game. What made this memorable was the timing as the story of the recruiting scandal had broken earlier in the week.
   
5. Loyalty - Whether Cecil Newton erred or not, to date Cam has not dishonored his father. One person’s character does not determine your’s.
   
6. Maturity - Cam’s mistakes as a freshman have now become public record. We have all made mistakes, particularly in our youth. Cam appears to have learned from his and has matured greatly.
   
7. Personal Growth - Cam has developed into a quality pocket passer as the season progressed. His skills as a dual-threat athlete make him almost indefensible.
   
8. Attitude - Not since Magic Johnson was at Michigan State in 1978-79 has an athlete’s smile seemed to embody the sheer enjoyment of collegiate athletics. Attitude makes you attractive and draws people to you. Attitude also determines your altitude and no one is flying higher than Newton currently.
   
9. Self-Awareness - The moment is never bigger than Newton. He has risen to the challenge of beating six Top 25 teams this year.
   
10. Coachable - Newton runs offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s complicated system with multiple reads on each play flawlessly. This is the result of superior coaching and Cam’s ability to capture the information.
    

http://briandoddonleadership.com/2010/12/05/10-things-that-make-cam-newton-a-special-leader/

[rayzor]

more muddiness...

if you are familiar with Gil Brandt (very respected NFL talent evaluator) but he had some really encouraging things to say about him:

Longtime NFL personnel man Gil Brandt, now working as a draft consultant, called Newton "the most exciting player I can ever remember watching" and said the 6-foot-6, 250-pound quarterback has displayed all the physical skills necessary to be an NFL star.

"I am not an advocate of guys coming out of school early," Brandt said in a recent telephone interview. "But I think that if he does come out of school, I don't think there's any question he'll be selected in the first half of the first round (of the draft) unless there is something physically wrong with him."

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Still, NFL quarterbacks can't make a living running the ball. In the second half of the season, as Auburn's opponents became more intent on stopping Newton in the running game, he passed more.

The results were encouraging. The junior has completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

"He has excellent accuracy," Brandt said. "I'm amazed at his accuracy whether it be 10 yards down field or 20 yards down field or more. He's got arm strength.

"There is no question he is physically ready."

Brandt said the only thing Newton doesn't have he can only get by staying in school for another season: experience.

After Newton and Auburn play Oregon in the BCS championship in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 10, he will have started a total of 14 college games.

"When I guy gets to around 30 games in college, that usually is when the light turns on," Brandt said.

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Newton, of course, has said he'll think about the NFL after the BCS championship game.

The NFL, though, is already thinking about him.

"The sky's the limit for that kid," Brandt said.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/40631135/ns/sports-college_football/

[nationsford]

rayzor nice read.... might be old but new to me.

[Snake]

This was the one thing that I would love about him.

"He was in the rain, throwing passes on the weekend when we were at the lake," Ziemba said. "He was dragging receivers out there with him. That kind of work ethic prepared our guys to follow him."

You know Steve Smith is the same kind of intensity and they would both work/push each other to be great. Thats something I have not seen ever from Clausen. He never seemed to really care.

[Kakarot]

+rep to rayzor for that bit of info on Cam.

After reading that, I'm fully onboard, and wants us to draft him. He's a great teammate, leader, and would fit in perfectly with the Panther organization. I got pals that go to Auburn who were telling me his work ethic was insane, but the info above just erases all doubt. I cant wait to see how he perfroms in the combine and his pro day. I hope he becomes a Panther. He'll breathe a new life, and bring tons of excitement to the Carolinas.

[Snake]

+rep to rayzor for that bit of info on Cam.

After reading that, I'm fully onboard, and wants us to draft him. He's a great teammate, leader, and would fit in perfectly with the Panther organization. I got pals that go to Auburn who were telling me his work ethic was insane, but the info above just erases all doubt. I cant wait to see how he perfroms in the combine and his pro day. I hope he becomes a Panther. He'll breathe a new life, and bring tons of excitement to the Carolinas.

Smith,Beason, and Newton. Now thats some intensity and work ethic!

[TheRealDeal]

+rep to rayzor for that bit of info on Cam.

After reading that, I'm fully onboard, and wants us to draft him. He's a great teammate, leader, and would fit in perfectly with the Panther organization. I got pals that go to Auburn who were telling me his work ethic was insane, but the info above just erases all doubt. I cant wait to see how he perfroms in the combine and his pro day. I hope he becomes a Panther. He'll breathe a new life, and bring tons of excitement to the Carolinas.

Were you not fully onboard before?

If his footwork and accuracy on the deeper throws improves and he proves he can read an NFL defense (post draft obviously) the sky is the limit for him.

[pantherj]

Imo he has the physical attributes to make all the throws needed to be a good QB in the NFL, provided he improves his footwork. The down side is that it will probably take a couple of years for him to be ready to start, and even then he might end up a bust. I wouldn't be upset with taking Cam #1, but we would still need to address the QB position via FA.

I don't know who the future stars of this draft will be, although I think Green and Cam have a lot of potential. Our team can barely complete short dinky passes, so I would hope we use both the draft and FA to improve our passing offense. Our passing game is so far behind the other NFC South teams that we have no choice but to find a QB, TE, and hopefully a #1 WR. The top priorty has to be improving our passing offense. I would draft Green #1, add a vet FA QB, draft a TE in the 3rd, 4th round o-line depth. Something like that, assuming the draft favours our needs. At any rate, I hope the entire Panthers organization is thinking o 0 (Improve the passing offense!)

[jtm]

The media always likes athletes that are controversial.

[KaseKlosed]

Newton is an incredible raw talent, I keep day dreaming about what it would be like IF he could develop into a legit NFL QB... but I'm not sure I want to sit through that development process and I'm not ready to give up on Clausen.

if Cam Newton started and went 1-13, would you still stick with him?

[blackcatgrowl]

if Cam Newton started and went 1-13, would you still stick with him?

This.

[rayzor]

if Cam Newton started and went 1-13, would you still stick with him?

it depends on how he did. did he show improvement? was there some positive growth and did he show signs of being able to be great? did he get us down the field and into the endzone? did he look like a leader out there and did the other players look up to him? if all of those things are positive, then i would be perfectly fine.

it's the lack of growth and improvement along with the lack of cohesion with the rest of the team that will make him look bad (much like clausen).

[monstercat]

There is no way the Panthers would do worse with Cam Newton as a rookie than they did with Jimmy Clausen as a rookie.

Anyway, as much as people want to compare this kid to JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young, he is a completely different type of personality that either of those guys. He will impress some people in his interviews.

[rayzor]

There is no way the Panthers would do worse with Cam Newton as a rookie than they did with Jimmy Clausen as a rookie.

Anyway, as much as people want to compare this kid to JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young, he is a completely different type of personality that either of those guys. He will impress some people in his interviews.

agreed. he has a lot stronger character than VY and a lot more work ethic than vick.

i don't like comparing him to those guys, but since he is automatically lumped in with those guys by some, thought i would help shed some light.