CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cameron Jerrell Newton has had many memorable moments during his football career, including awards, acrobatic flips and abbreviated press conferences.
Many have been accompanied by memorable lines.
So as the Carolina Panthers quarterback turns 27 today, I’ve compiled a list of my top 27 quotes from the 2015 NFL MVP.
1. “I say this with the most humility, but I don’t think nobody has ever been who I am trying to be. Nobody has the size, nobody has the speed, nobody has the arm strength, nobody has the intangibles that I’ve had. I’m not saying I’m the one-on-one type of person that this league will never see again. … I’m just saying that so much of my talents have not been seen in one person.” – 2015
2. “Hindsight is always 50/50.” – 2014 (and a few other times)
3. “A person that says losing is not difficult, I don’t even want to be around that person. And obviously, that person has never won anything relevant in their life.” – 2012
4. “I’ve been on record to say I’m a sore loser. You show me a good loser and I’m going to show you a loser. It’s not a popularity contest. I’m here to win football games.” – 2016 (two days after Super Bowl loss)
5. “What happens when you take a lion out of the safari and try to take him to your place of residence and make him a house pet? It ain’t going to happen. That’s the type of person I am. I’m that lion.” – 2011
6. “I don’t bring race into the game, ’cause then you’re talking about excuses. I. Hate. Excuses. Excuses are a disease.” – 2011
7. “I’ve said this since day one, I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to.” – 2015
8. “[Dancing] takes me to a happy place.” – 2015 (after his first dab)
9. “There’s no similarity between football and ballet, so this ain’t ballet music being played on the field. I’m pumping something that’s going to put me in a frame of mind to go to war, and something that’s very high-tempo and high beat.” – 2013
10. “This is a football game and it’s supposed to be played as such. I’m not in the sport of ballerina, gymnastics.” – 2015 (on being hit so much)
11. “Tom Brady is good, real good … but he plays in the same league as I do.” – 2011
12. “It’s no secret that I am not afraid to shine bright and be festive, and I like to encourage that in others.” – 2015
13. “Genuine people, at this stage of my life, are very scarce. That’s unfortunate. Most of the time, I don’t really give people a chance. I have a wall up. I’m always protecting who I am. Thinking about my brand.” – 2012
14. “I want people to say, ‘He can be the next Cam Newton.’ Not, ‘He can be the next JaMarcus Russell.’” – 2011
15. “I’m a living testament that anything is possible.” – 2010 (after winning the Heisman Trophy at Auburn)
16. “I’m looking at this truck and I’m like, ‘Somebody is supposed to be dead.’” – 2015 (after his truck crash)
17. “I just can’t stop smiling because God has his hands on me. I’m on somebody’s fantasy league [team]. And I think it’s the man upstairs.’” – 2015 (after his truck crash)
18. “My pop always said, ‘One day you can be on top of the world, and the next day the world can be on top of you.’” – 2015 (after his truck crash)
19. “I wake up in the morning with a lot of honey in my tea, lemon and lime, trying to make it as sweet as it can be so I can feel the energy, so when I get out there on the field it’s all smiles.” – 2015
20. “I just call myself the sensei of nicknames.” – 2014
21. “Good shoes – they’re the ultimate finishing touch. In fact, we actually joke in my family that your shoes have to be shined before you can leave the house.” – 2015
22. “Every time I put on an attire, every single morning of my life, it’s a must-win attire. Trust me.” – 2016
23. “Anything the Sheriff says, you can probably ink it in gold.” – 2016 (on Peyton Manning saying Newton will be the face of the NFL in the next eight to 10 years)
24. “I scratch my head sometimes and ask myself, ‘Why I am in this position?’ A lot of answers I come back with are, ‘Why not?’” – 2016
25. “Every person that I’ve had this conversation with, I say, ‘I didn’t want him to have the pressure of being the Junior.’ Then they replied with, ‘What the hell do you think Chosen is going to bring?’” – 2016 (on naming his son Chosen Sebastian Newton)
26. “How can I reword the questions I’ve been asked so many times? Golly. Nothing pretty much has changed since I’ve seen you guys 24 hours ago. … I sound like a broken record.” – 2016 (third day of Super Bowl week)
27. “You’ve been shopping in David Newton’s closet I see. Didn’t you wear that coat the other day, like a chinchilla, velvet?” – 2015
