ATLANTA — Former New England Patriots Quarterback Cam Newton sat down with his father to discuss his release from the team in a YouTube video posted Friday.
The video, titled ‘My Side of the Story’ was shot from the football field at Newton’s high school.
“Did it catch me by surprise being released? Absolutely,” he said.
Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, Sr., said he was proud of his son and the decision to release Cam from the team “floored the NFL world.”
“Questions are still arising from the locker room to, now they’re trying to patch up, some people are, trying to patch up the reasons as to why the Patriots had to make that necessary decision,” he said.
Cam Newton said he started seeing signs of change.
“Do I think this would have happened without me being away from the team for five days? Honestly? Yes,” Cam Newton said.
He said he believed that helped ease the decision to cut him from the team.
“They’re going to win football games with Mac Jones,” Cam Newton said. “I don’t want the audience to kind of think like, ‘Oh he’s only saying that just because he’s not there anymore.’ No. Mac is good enough.”
Later in the video, Cam addressed the reason as to why he thinks he was released from the team.
“The reason why they released me is because indirectly, I was going to be a distraction without being the starter,” he said. “Just my aura. And I told you this off camera. That’s my gift and my curse. When you bring Cam Newton into your facility, when you bring Cam Newton to your franchise. People are interested. ‘Who is he? Why does he wear his hair? Why does he talk? Why does he act? Why does he perform?’ All these questions. Let me be honest with you. If they would have asked me would I play behind, if they said ‘Cam we’re going to give the team to Mac. You’re going to be the second stringer. We expect you to be everything and some to guide him throughout this tenure.’ I would have said, ‘Absolutely.’ The truth of the matter is this. He would have been uncomfortable.”
To watch his full video, click here.
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