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Dabbin' on Leadership: The Growth of Cam Newton

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Did this for my student government class, was told it was good and thought I should share it on here

Bless Up

Dabbin’ on Leadership: The Growth of Cam Newton

Growing up as a fan of the Carolina Panthers, it has been a blessing to see Cam Newton grow up and mature into one of the leading figures in the NFL. His leadership not only influences the locker room, but has diffused from Uptown Charlotte to all corners of this nation as his fame and popularity has grown. He has risen above high expectations and negative feelings toward him and is now having an MVP-caliber season and is leading his 15-1 Carolina Panthers closer and closer to the Super Bowl. However, he wasn’t always considered such a positively influential leader.

Coming out of high school as a five-star recruit, Cam enrolled at the University of Florida as a student athlete. After playing sparingly as a freshman, Cam ran into trouble with the law his sophomore year, allegedly stealing a laptop and disposing of it while trying to stay out of trouble. He was subsequently dismissed from the University and played at a community college for a year before coming back to a big time program, this time at Auburn University. I personally watched his tigers dismantle my South Carolina Gamecocks twice that season, once in a comeback fourth quarter win, and again in a blowout victory in the SEC championship. Although I couldn’t stand him at the time, I couldn’t help but marvel at the raw athleticism and his composure as he played the game he loved. While at Auburn, suspicions arose as to whether or not Cam accepted money to play there. Nothing was ever proven, but it threw a shadow over his bright future as an NFL quarterback.

On April 28th, 2011, I watched the Carolina Panthers select Cameron Newton first overall. I had mixed feelings about this, because even though I knew that he was a raw athlete with plenty of talent, I doubted whether or not he had the character and leadership capabilities to carry my team to the super bowl. Many people considered him too immature to be a legitimate locker room leader. At first, he struggled to be the leader people wanted him to be. He turned the ball over too many times and could be seen on the sideline sulking under his Gatorade towel. His leadership ability was placed under heavy criticism in his second season especially. There was unrest in the locker room, and several reports came out about players and coaches doubting his ability to lead. One even went so far to say that if Cam’s mental makeup didn’t change, that there was a possibility of the Carolina Panthers and Cam parting ways. Not long after that, a difference in his behavior was easily noticed.

In 2013, Cam led the Panthers to only their second twelve win season in franchise history. It’s funny how success can change people’s opinions about you. His touchdown dances, once viewed as arrogant, were now seen as a man trying to electrify the crowd and keep his team’s morale and swagger high. This is especially easy to see this year, while the Panthers enjoy raging success behind Cam’s arm, legs, and leadership. Superman Cam has grown up in a big way for the Panthers. Every teammate looks up to him in tight situations and the best part about it is that he is just having fun. That’s what people don’t understand, oftentimes calling him arrogant, but in reality he is just out there having fun playing a game that he loves. The people who don’t like him have probably never felt the energy at Bank of America Stadium as Cam takes the field, never seen him run around the stadium after a touchdown. They’ve probably never seen him lead a comeback victory in person, and seen the calm and poise that he displays as he cooly marches the ball down the field for the winning score. Nobody has ever seen anything like Cam, and that causes them discomfort. The truth is, the traditional quarterback isn’t know for loud and energetic touchdown dances, depicting a real life superman on the football field, or his vibrant and over the top style of leadership. But that’s alright, Cam isn’t worried about whether he’s traditional or not, he’s just trying to make it to the super bowl.

As big as his impact is on the field, it is even bigger in the community. Kids across the Carolinas adore Cam, and it’s no secret that he likes kids too. On Thanksgiving, he led a campaign to feed 600 families and worked endlessly until his goal was reached. He befriended a twelve year old boy with stage four cancer and visits him in the hospital, gives him sideline passes, and has even gone up with him to hammer the keep pounding drum before a home game. Cam has even said in an interview that he likes kids even more than adults, and in a way is just a big kid on the field playing a game he’s dominated since the age of 6. Most recently, Cam was involved in a major car crash in Charlotte in December 2014, and his truck flipped three times. Although he only fractured a bone in his back, the lesson he learned from it has transformed his message. He paid for a stoplight to be put at the intersection where he crashed, and has given an important message about this event: "Life is too short for you to not appreciate it to the fullest; through the good and the bad." He travels around the country during the offseason as a motivational speaker, teaching this lesson to kids everywhere. This shows the influence Cam has on the community in Charlotte, as well as the entire nation.

Traditional leadership can be effective, that’s an accepted fact. But sometimes unorthodox leadership can get the job done too. Energy, passion, and a slight touch of cockiness can inspire players, the crowd, and people across America like nothing ever seen. Even I, who was skeptical of him at first, have grown to love and respect Cam, enough so to write this essay. Cam is a new breed of leader, the kind that does it for the love of the game, that does it to show that stereotypes can be broken, and shattering every record on the way. He embodies the "Keep Pounding" slogan of the Carolina Panthers, as he has risen above his past immaturity and uses it to his advantage as he becomes one of the most iconic men in America today. Thank you for all you do Cam, and Keep Pounding!

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