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"Rivera pinpoints positive change in Newton"- David Newton article

Cary Kollins

By Cary Kollins,
in Carolina Panthers

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Cary Kollins Experienced

Cary Kollins

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Great story about the moment Rivera noticed a change in Cam.

 

 

It happened in a hotel in the Washington, D.C., area when Sgt. First Class Cedric King spoke to the team the Saturday night before a November game against the Redskins.

It happened when Cam Newton bent his towering 6-foot-5 frame over and began talking to King, in a wheelchair after losing both of his legs in Afghanistan. Rivera observed as Newton held King's hand and rubbed his back in such a caring way that, "I thought he was going to well up."

"There was a connection there you saw," Rivera told ESPN.com. "It's like, 'Wow, I'm going through a tough time, but this guy really has had it tough.' It made him kind of put things in perspective. I think that helped him a lot."

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/2334/rivera-pinpoints-positive-change-in-newton

 

 

 

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Cary Kollins Experienced

Cary Kollins

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And this is from an earlier article focusing on Veterans Day 2013.  It has more details about Sgt. King and his speech.

 


The King's speech

 

 

Not long into his introduction to Rivera, King told a story about his time at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington.

 

 

King told of a doctor who took him to a ward, pointed to one side of the room and said, "Those are the guys that are waiting to die." The doctor then pointed to the other and said, "Those are the guys that want to live."

 

 

King turned his wheelchair and rolled quickly to the side of those who wanted to live.

 

 

Rivera asked him how he maintained such a positive daily outlook. King told him he gets up every morning thinking something good is going to happen. Like on that morning, he had no idea he would meet Rivera.

 

 

 

[+] Enlargenfl_r_cedric-king_mb_300x200.jpg
Courtesty of Cedric KingCedric King received a game ball from the Panthers after their victory in Washington on Nov. 4, 2012.

 

 

 

"Then he says, 'Tomorrow I'm going to the game to see you guys win, and Monday I'm getting my new legs,'" Rivera recalled. "I said, 'Wow, you've got to talk to my team.'"

 

 

Rivera began the introduction to his players by reminding them that he always talks about opportunities and chances, and how they are what you make of them. He proceeded to call King "a guy whose opportunities have all been changed."

 

 

"We talked about pride, we talked about belief, we talked about inspiration, teamwork and leadership," King said. "That was all the principles [Rivera] wanted the team to hear from me."

 

 

King went on to share how he was injured, how he decided to live.

 

 

"And then he said, 'Tomorrow morning, I'm going to get up and I'm going to go watch you guys win,'" Rivera said. "And we won."

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/veteransnflpanthers/veterans-day-2013-carolina-panthers-coach-ron-rivera-strong-military-bond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great stuff all around.  I am proud to be a fan of such a classy organization.

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RelaxImaPro Contributor

RelaxImaPro

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Stats since that game?

So Cam's revelation came last season vs Washington and Rivera's came in the aftermath of the Buffalo loss.

Glad they were humbled, but got up, re-examined and pressed on.

 

39 total TDs, 12 INTs since then

 

Over a 16 game stretch (which ends at the TNF Bucs game) it's 34 TDs and 9 INTs.

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