John Elway says Cam Newton has the ability to be a great QB
Cam Newton has had naysayers before he was on the football map. He was kicked out of Florida. Even when he was at Auburn winning a National Championship, many weren’t sure what to make of his talents. Then he was a No. 1 overall selection and, still, NFL personnel and analysts were unsure. Was he a one hit wonder? Nah, he’s Superman.
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Newton has built upon his performances each year — starting with a record shattering rookie season. In doing so, he has caught the eye and admiration of one of the quarterback greats, John Elway.
“I think he’s a tremendous athlete,” Elway said via ESPN.com. “He just continues to get better and better. And you look at what he did last year and the strides that he’s made, he’s going to make another big jump this year.
“Just as a quarterback having been there, the things that you see from your first to second to third year are always big jumps, so he’s going to continue to get better. He’s got all the ability to being a great one.”
As ESPN.com writer David Newton points out, statistically, Newton has surpassed Elway through three years. He has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 11,299 yards. Elway completed 53.3 percent of his passes for 8,152 yards. Newton has 64 touchdown passes and 42 interceptions. Elway was at 47 and 54.
It’s hard to look at those stats and say that Newton is further along than Elway was. It was a different time, different league, different team. Aside from the Panthers 6-10 record his rookie year, Cam Newton has down everything for his team, and he still receives criticism for putting a towel over his head when he gets hot — of all things. Elway recognizes Newton’s bright future.
“There’s no question,” Elway said. “He’s a threat. Whenever somebody plays Carolina you have to worry about Cam Newton. He’s got the ability to be that guy.”