Cam Newton Gives Praise To Seattle Seahawks 'Intimidating' Legion of Boom

Cam Newton was a frequent adversary for the Seattle Seahawks during their heyday.

Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett (72) sacks Carolina QB Cam Newton | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

During the early 2010s, the Seattle Seahawks were on top of the NFL and few teams could challenge them.

The ones that could, though, ended up becoming major rivals during that time. Everyone knowws about the sheer hatred between the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, as the two NFC West foes were both at the top of their game. However, the Seahawks also formed quite the rivalry with a team across the country: the Carolina Panthers.

From 2012 to 2016, Seattle and Carolina met a whopping seven times, including twice in the playoffs. With the Panthers' dynamic offense led by quarterback Cam Newton facing off against the Seahawks' stifling "Legion of Boom" defense, these matchups were always a sight to behold.

Dec 4, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) is pressured by the Seattle Seahawks | Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Long after the rivalry has faded, Newton still has great respect for the Seahawks' stars of the time. In an interview with Shannon Sharpe, the 2015 NFL MVP described the intensity of his many matchups against the Legion of Boom.

"You would've thought, with how many times the Carolina Panthers played the Seattle Seahawks, they was a divisional game," Newton said. "And it was some battles, right? So I knew the impact of the Legion of Doom, Legion of Boom, however you wanna look at it. The 12th Man with Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Bruce Irvin. Like these guys, they were intimidating, bro."

Cam Newton talks about what it was like playing Seattle in the LOB era#Seahawks pic.twitter.com/Rvpm7sheqW

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Throughout his career, Newton played against the Seahawks nine times (including two postseason meetings) and went 2-7 in those games.

Even those two wins didn't come easy. During the Panthers' magical 2015 season, they jumped out to a 31-0 lead over the Seahawks in a Divisional Round matchup but just barely held on for a 31-24 victory.

The Seattle-Carolina rivalry has faded in recent years, but the two teams have met in each of the last two seasons. If they were to rise to the top of the NFC once again, perhaps that rivalry could come alive once more.