Panthers great Cam Newton says he was drafted onto a team of 'losers'

Cam Newton dropped some harsh realities on being a number one overall pick on Travis Hunter's podcast.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK-April 28: The Carolina Panthers selected Auburn QB Cam Newton with the #1 selection in the draft on April 28 2011 in New York, N.Y. / (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

For young athletes getting drafted into the NFL represents a lifetime goal realized. However, some of them are in for a rude awakening as they prepare to play the game at its highest level, with many of them having only experienced success up until that point. It's particularly true for number one overall picks, who are by definition going to the worst team in the league.

The likely number one overall pick in this year's draft class is expected to be Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter, who says he wants to continue playing wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL. Unless a winning team trades up to number one overall (not happening), Hunter will be either going to the Tennessee Titans or another team that finished near the bottom this season.

Earlier this week Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton was a guest on Hunter's podcast and shared some harsh realities about being the first overall pick. For his part, Newton says he was drafted into a locker room of "losers" who did not know how to win or prepare. Watch.

Cam Newton on being #1 draft pick

Cam Newton hopped on Travis Hunters’ show and dropped a GEM about being the #1 pick 💎@TravisHunterJr @CameronNewton pic.twitter.com/oJPsXALOEx

— Overtime (@overtime) February 7, 2025

While the Panthers were undeniably the worst team in the league in 2010, there were at least a few solid pieces on the roster when Cam was drafted. Steve Smith was there, as was Greg Olsen, DeAngelo Williams, Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil. On the other side of the ball they had Charles Johnson, Chris Gamble and not much else.

What that team needed as much as a star quarterback was a culture change, which they got in rookie head coach Ron Rivera, who helped turn the ship around. Meanwhile, Newton hit the ground running as a rookie and by his third year they were a playoff team.

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