CAM NEWTON — QB THROWS DURING AUBURN PRO DAY,
After not playing at all during the 2022 season, Cam Newton got to show what he can still do.
Newton threw in front of scouts at a pro day event on Tuesday at Auburn, where he won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the 2010 season.
The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player was invited to throw at Auburn by his younger brother, Caylin — a former quarterback at Howard who finished his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Auburn and William & Mary.
“This was him showing love to me,” Caylin Newton said of his older brother. “He doesn’t owe anybody anything. He has had an amazing journey, an amazing career in the NFL. He has nothing to prove to anybody. … He came to show his ability, show he still has it.
“I think, for him, this was a selfless act. But it was also to show and prove to everybody he’s not sitting around. He’s still got it. Whatever organization wants to get a winning quarterback, his number’s still open and available.”
Cam Newton declined to speak to reporters in Auburn on Tuesday. During the workout, Newton threw more than 30 passes to several NFL hopefuls from Auburn, including wide receiver Shedrick Jackson.
“That was fun,” Jackson said. “That was probably my most favorite part, just learning his lingo, seeing his cadence. He’s got good touch on the ball. … I think he’s still got it.”
In perhaps the biggest highlight of the workout, Newton showcased his trademark scrambling ability in the pocket before throwing a 50-yard pass downfield to his younger brother.
Newton, who has played 11 seasons as a pro, hasn’t attempted a pass in an NFL game since Dec. 26, 2021. He rejoined the Carolina Panthers midway through the 2021 season and went 0-5 as a starting quarterback.
Newton’s last full season in the league came in 2020, when he was a member of the New England Patriots. Newton was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in his first stint with the Panthers, where he won both AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and MVP honors while also leading the team to Super Bowl 50.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft made headlines Monday evening when he announced on social media that he would throw at Auburn’s pro day.
“Tell me how these randoms keep getting jobs?” Newton said in a video posted to Twitter. “Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna show you. I can’t wait to show you.”
■ PATRIOTS: Dont’a Hightower is making a quiet exit to a memorable career with the New England Patriots.
The veteran linebacker, who did not play last season, announced his retirement Tuesday in an essay posted on the Players’ Tribune website.
It ends a decade-long run in New England that began with the Patriots selecting him 25th overall in the 2012 draft. It included three Super Bowl rings (2014, 2016, 2018) and a pair of Pro Bowl selections (2016, 2019). He also was named a second-team All-Pro in 2016.
Hightower called his decision “a happy day.”
“People always ask what makes the Patriots culture so different. Easy answer: it was about professionalism, period. You knew that you had to show up every single day — not just physically but more so mentally,” he wrote. “We had a saying, ‘If you do it right, you do it light.’ Being good was expected. Being great might even get you a thumbs up from (coach) Bill (Belichick). Luckily, I knew a thing or two about that from my time at Alabama under Coach (Nick) Saban.
“For nine seasons, I lived that mentality 24/7. Today, I’m totally at peace knowing that I gave this franchise every ounce of sweat I had left.”
Hightower appeared in 117 games in his NFL career, amassing 27 sacks and 353 tackles.