New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton isn’t looking back.
The 2015 MVP said during a press conference Friday that the only person he has to prove anything to is himself.
“I don’t have to prove nothing, because at the end of the day, especially not to nobody,” he said, according to NFL.com. “Now I have to prove it to myself, that’s a daily challenge and I don’t think nobody’s expectations will ever surpass my expectations for myself. I’m just looking forward to the challenge, and knowing and picking up this whole system, not only the philosophical way of the offense, but also how things are ran.”
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton led the Carolina Panthers to three straight NFC South titles from 2013-15, and a Super Bowl appearance during the 2015 season when he was awarded the league MVP. He also earned three Pro Bowls in nine seasons.
In March, he was released by the Panthers following a number of injuries that caused him to miss 16 regular-season games over the last two years. He was subsequently signed by the Patriots late into the offseason.
“It’s just a breath of fresh air to be honest with you,” Newton said of his new team. “It’s a challenge that I have to expect each and every day. But no challenge is ever gonna be greater than the challenge, a personal challenge, that I challenge myself personally. We all know what that was and what that is and it needs no mention.”
Does it sound like Newton has a little resentment toward his former team?
“I wake up mad,” Newton said, according to the NFL Network’s Michael Giardi, before adding, the “past is the past.”
