Cam Newton is responding to critics not only of his Super Bowl performance but also of his post-Super Bowl interview.
Newton, who caught a lot of flak for abruptly exiting his interviews after overhearing the opponent sitting next to him, stated on Tuesday that he’s human.
“I’m human. I never once said I was perfect. I never proclaimed that I was perfect,” Newton stated. “At the end of the day, people pick and they do things of that sort, and the truth of the matter is, who are you to say that your way is right? That’s what I don’t understand. We got all of these people … condemning, saying [I] should have done this, that and the third. But what makes your way right? I’ve been on record to say that I’m a sore loser. Who likes to lose? You show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser. … It’s not a popularity contest; I’m here to win football games.”
On locker-cleanout day, the Carolina Panthers quarterback was surrounded by his teammates, who said words of encouragement to him during his interview.
“I’ve got no more tears to cry,’’ Newton said. “I’ve obviously had a lot of time to think about it. I’ve seen so much blown out of proportion. At the end of the day, when you invest so much time and sacrifice so much and things don’t go as planned, the emotions take over. That’s what happens. As far as trying to be like this person, trying to be like that person … the truth of the matter is, I’m not trying to be this person. … This is a great league with or without me. I am my own person. I said it since day one. I am who I am. I know what I’m capable of and I know where I’m going. I don’t have to conform to anybody else’s wants for me to do. I’m not that guy.”
And there you have it. Either you like Newton or you don’t. Either way, he doesn’t plan on changing because of what people think about him. Maybe more people should be as unapologetic as he is.