Quarterback is the most important position in today's NFL, and Cam Newton, the signal-caller for the Carolina Panthers, plays under one of the biggest spotlights in the league. In preparation for the 2013 season, following a 13-19 record in his first two years, Newton has dropped 15 pounds and now weighs in at 243 pounds.
When asked about his weight loss, Newton said, "It was just a personal goal that I set for myself. I'm not going to go into what it really meant because looking at my body from afar you really couldn't tell," Newton said. "Being that I lost the weight, nobody really could tell, either. It's just me challenging myself to have an edge going into the season."
Newton could be trying to look the part of a veteran leader. Entering his third season after being taken with the first overall pick in 2011, Newton's leadership has been constantly questioned thanks to poor body language on the field when the team is not doing well. He was even criticized publicly by teammate and No.1 receiving target Steve Smith.
Now Newton, who has been a prolific passer in terms of yardage and bruising runner when he takes off, will be more fleet of foot on scrambles and designed rushes. I don't want to be the fastest quarterback, I just want to be the guy that can't be caught in the open field," he said. "Because if you get caught in the open field, that means you're not doing something right, and that will be talked about in the locker room."
When Newton was asked about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick's comments about still being the fastest in the league, Newton declined to enter himself in that discussion.
The Panthers passer said, he was "taking my name off that ballot." He went on to say that the title of fastest quarterback in the league belongs to either Vick, Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins, or Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers.
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