Former Blinn College football player and current Carolina Panther quarterback Cam Newton has been inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, announced by the National Office on Tuesday.
After spending two seasons with the University of Florida, Newton transferred to Blinn College and immediately made an impact as the Buccaneers’ quarterback. In 2009, he led the Buccaneers to their fourth national championship in program history. Completing 60.7% of his passes on the year, Newton threw for 2,833 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 655 yards and 16 touchdowns. His performance was recognized with NJCAA All-America honorable mention honors.
Out of Blinn, Newton signed with Auburn University for one season and became just the third player in major college football history to pass for 30 touchdowns and rush for 20 touchdowns in a single season. After leading the Tigers to a 13-0 record and 2011 BCS National Championship, Newton was the recipient of the 2010 Heisman Trophy. He also earned the 2010 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, and was named a first-team All-American by numerous organizations.
In the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton became the first former NJCAA student-athlete to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick when he was drafted by the Panthers. He would go on to be named NFL Rookie of the Year after setting new single-game (432) and single-season (4,051) rookie passing yards records.
Newton has spent the last nine seasons with the Panthers, where he has broken several NFL and franchise records and has made three Pro Bowl appearances following the 2011, 2013, and 2015 seasons.
In 2013, he led the Panthers to a 12-4 record and went to the playoffs for the first time in his NFL career. In 2014, Newton led the Carolina Panthers to the first back-to-back division titles in the NFC South since the formation of the division and their first playoff win in nine years. Newton racked up more accolades in 2015 after taking the Panthers to Super Bowl 50. He was named the 2015 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player, a first-team All-Pro, and earned the Bert Bell Award.
He holds the Panthers franchise records in career pass completions (2,370), passing yards (29,032), and passing touchdowns (182).
Newton is the founder of the Cam Newton Foundation, a charitable organization committed to enhancing the lives of youth by addressing their educational, physical, and social needs.
