Cam Newton wanted to be a captain for the Carolina Panthers and he earned it, sort of. Head coach Ron Rivera changed the typical structure for Panthers captaincy, which allowed the third-year quarterback to receive a patch for the first time on Thursday.
Carolina Panthers name Cam Newton team captain
The often-criticized quarterback will be asked to lead his team in 2013.
Rob Carr
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
In the past the Panthers have voted for six team captains, two from each phase of the game -- offense, defense and special teams. Rivera announced earlier this week that six players would be selected by popular vote, regardless of position. This allowed Newton to gain a spot without needing to directly compete with longstanding veterans Steve Smith and Jordan Gross.
More on Newton at Cat Scratch Reader
Joining Newton as team captains are the aforementioned Smith and Gross, along with linebacker phenom Luke Kuechly, center Ryan Kalil and outside linebacker Thomas Davis.
Changing the captaincy structure was a wise move by the Panthers that allows their quarterback to begin the season without controversy. Much has been made about Newton’s sideline demeanor, where he’s often criticized for pouting during losing games.
Carolina’s quarterback has been vocal about his maturation since arriving in the league and the journey he’s taken to better handle adversity. Now it’s time for these improvements to be echoed on the field.
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