Newton in 2016
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No. 1 Carolina Panthers | |||||||||||||||
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Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth: | May 11, 1989 | ||||||||||||||
Place of birth: | Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Atlanta (GA) Westlake | ||||||||||||||
College: | Florida, Blinn, Auburn | ||||||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2016 | |||||||||||||||
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TD–INT: | 136–78 |
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Passing yards: | 21,772 |
Completion %: | 58.4 |
Passer rating: | 86.1 |
Rushing yards: | 3,566 |
Rushing touchdowns: | 48 |
Player stats at NFL.com |
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Auburn and was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton is the only player in the modern era to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and become the first overall pick in an NFL draft within a one-year span. He was the 2011 NFL Rookie of the Year, is a three-time Pro Bowler, and was named to the NFL All Pro First Team in 2015.
In his rookie year, Newton broke all-time NFL rookie records for passing and rushing yards. He became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 yards in his first game, shattering Peyton Manning's first-game record by 120 yards. He also broke Otto Graham's 61-year-old record for passing yards by any quarterback in an NFL debut. Newton went on to become the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He also ran for 14 touchdowns, more in a single season than any quarterback in NFL history, breaking Steve Grogan's 35-year-old record.
In 2015, Newton became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and rush for 10 in the same season (35 passing, 10 rushing). He also became the only quarterback ever to have 300 yards passing, 5 touchdown passes, and over 100 yards rushing in the same game. Newton capped off the 2015 season by capturing MVP honors and leading his Panthers to a 15–1 record and a trip to Super Bowl 50.
Newton attended Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he played for the Westlake Lions high school football team. As a 16-year-old junior, he passed for 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 638 yards and 9 touchdowns, gaining the attention of major college programs. His senior year he was rated a five-star prospect by Rivals.com, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, and the 14th quarterback and 28th player overall. He received scholarship offers from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. He committed to the University of Florida at the beginning of his senior year, becoming part of the top-rated recruiting class in the country for 2007.