CAM NEWTON GAME Worn HS Football & Basketball Jersey Lot of 3 David Miedema LOA

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US, Item: 176277810537 CAM NEWTON GAME Worn HS Football & Basketball Jersey Lot of 3 David Miedema LOA . Cam Newton Game Worn HS Football & Basketball Jersey Lot of 3 David Miedema LOA.   2 football and 1 basketball jersey. They come with David Miedema signed authentication letter and hand written letter from the person who purchase them from Westlake Lions High School auction. Please read the COA of the football jerseys being worn and the basketball being attributed since there are no photos of him wearing it. If there is then Dave can authenticate that one as well as being definitely worn. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Cameron Jerrell Newton[1] (born May 11, 1989)[2] is an American football quarterback who has played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Super Cam",[3] he is the NFL leader in career quarterback rushing touchdowns and second in career quarterback rushing yards. Following a stint with University of Florida, Newton played college football at Auburn University, where he won the Heisman Trophy and 2011 BCS National Championship Game as a junior. He was selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton made an impact in his first season when he set the rookie records for passing and rushing yards by a quarterback, earning him Offensive Rookie of the Year. The league's first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season[4] and the first to throw for 400 yards in his NFL debut,[5] he also set the single-season record for quarterback rushing touchdowns.[6] Between 2013 and 2017, Newton led the Panthers to four playoff appearances and three division titles. His most successful season came in 2015 when he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) and helped Carolina obtain a franchise-best 15–1 record en route to a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 50. He is one of four African-American quarterbacks to win NFL MVP and was the first to solely receive it.[7] Following his MVP campaign, Newton struggled with injuries and the Panthers reached the playoffs only once over the next four years. Released ahead of his 10th season, he played for the New England Patriots in 2020. Newton was released by the Patriots the following year and returned to the Panthers midway through the 2021 season, but was not re-signed afterwards. Early life and education Newton was born in Atlanta on May 11, 1989. He is the son of Jackie and Cecil Newton Sr., who was a safety for the 1983 Dallas Cowboys and 1984 Buffalo Bills,[8][9] and the younger brother of Cecil Newton, a center who played in the NFL.[10] His youngest brother, Caylin, was the quarterback for the Howard Bison in the mid-2010s.[11] Newton was a talented baseball and basketball player as a youth, but developed a fear of being hit by a pitch in baseball and could not avoid foul trouble on the basketball court. He stopped playing baseball at 14 years old and quit basketball shortly into his high school career.[12] In 2015, Newton graduated from Auburn University with a degree in sociology.[13] High school career Newton attended Westlake High School in Atlanta, playing for their high school football team.[14] As a 16-year-old junior, he passed for 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 638 yards and nine touchdowns, gaining the attention of major college programs. In his senior year, Newton was rated a five-star prospect by Rivals.com, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, and the 14th quarterback and 28th player overall. He received scholarship offers from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech.[15] He committed to the University of Florida at the beginning of his senior year, becoming part of the top-rated recruiting class in the country for 2007.[15] US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date Cameron Newton QB Atlanta, GA Westlake HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 4.51 Sep 7, 2006  Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN grade: 81 Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 14 (QB)   Rivals: 2 (Dual-threat QB)  247Sports: 3 (Dual-threat QB)  ESPN: 9 (QB) Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Florida Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013. "2007 Florida Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013. "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013. College career University of Florida Newton, far left, with Dan Mullen, John Brantley, Tim Tebow, and Bryan Waggener during his freshman season at Florida Newton initially attended the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Florida Gators football team in 2007 and 2008 under head coach Urban Meyer.[16][17] As a freshman in 2007, Newton beat out fellow freshman quarterback John Brantley as the back-up for eventual Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. He played in five games, passing for 40 yards on 5-of-10 and rushing 16 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns.[18][19] In 2008, during his sophomore season, Newton played in the season opener against Hawaii but sustained an ankle injury and took a medical redshirt season.[20][21] On November 21, 2008, Newton was arrested on felony charges of burglary, larceny, and obstruction of justice on an accusation that he stole a laptop computer from another University of Florida student. He was subsequently suspended from the team.[22] Campus police "tracked the stolen laptop to the athlete...Newton tossed the computer out his dorm window in a humorously ill-advised attempt to hide it from cops."[23] All charges against Newton were dropped after he completed a court-approved pre-trial diversion program. "I believe that a person should not be thought of as a bad person because of some senseless mistake that they made," said Newton in 2010. "I think every person should have a second chance. If they blow that second chance, so be it for them."[24] Newton announced his intention to transfer from Florida three days before the Gators' national championship win over Oklahoma. In November 2010, Thayer Evans of Fox Sports reported that Newton faced potential expulsion from the University of Florida for three instances of academic dishonesty, prior to transferring.[25][26] Blinn College In January 2009, Newton transferred to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, to play for head coach Brad Franchione, son of Dennis Franchione.[27] That fall, he led his team to the 2009 NJCAA National Football Championship,[28] throwing for 2,833 yards with 22 touchdowns and rushing for 655 yards.[29] He was named a Juco All-America honorable mention and was the most recruited Juco quarterback in the country.[29] Newton was ranked as the number one quarterback from either high school or junior college by Rivals.com and was the only five-star recruit.[30][31] During Newton's recruitment, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and Auburn were his three finalists. He eventually signed with the Auburn Tigers.[32] Auburn University In the offseason, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Gus Malzahn knew Newton was going to be special, and Newton quickly won the starting job. Malzahn worked to refine his throwing mechanics to become a true dual threat and learn Malzahn's offense. Newton started the first game of Auburn University's 2010 season, a home win over Arkansas State on September 4, 2010. Newton accounted for 186 passing yards, 171 rushing yards, and five total offensive touchdowns.[33] He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the 52–26 victory.[34] Three weeks later, Newton had a second break-out game with 158 passing yards, 176 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 35–27 victory.[35] On October 2, Newton led Auburn to a 52–3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. He completed three touchdown passes, one of which went for 94 yards to Emory Blake.[36] It was the longest touchdown pass and offensive play in school history.[37] On October 9, Newton led Auburn to a 37–34 victory over Kentucky. He passed for 210 yards and rushed for 198 yards including four rushing touchdowns.[38] On October 16, during the Arkansas game, Newton ran for 188 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns and threw one touchdown pass in the 65–43 victory.[39] Following these performances, media reports began to list Newton among the top five candidates to watch for the Heisman Trophy.[40][41] Newton (top) warming up prior to the 2010 Iron Bowl On October 23, Newton led Auburn to a 24–17 victory over the LSU Tigers. He rushed for a season-high 217 yards in the game, giving him 1,077 yards for the season, and set the SEC record for yards rushing in a season by a quarterback—a record previously held by Auburn quarterback Jimmy Sidle that had stood for over 40 years.[42] After this game, Newton became just the second quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in the conference's history.[43] He also broke Pat Sullivan's school record for most touchdowns in a single season, a record that had stood since 1971, with 27.[44] Both of these records were broken on the same play: a 49-yard touchdown run in which Newton escaped two tackles, corrected himself with his arm, eluded two additional tackles, and dragged a defender into the endzone for the touchdown. The play was described as Newton's "Heisman moment".[45][46][47] Auburn received its first No. 1 overall BCS ranking, and Newton was listed as the overall favorite for the Heisman.[48] In the following game against Ole Miss, Newton scored on a 20-yard receiving touchdown on a pass from Kodi Burns on a trick play.[49] By halftime of the game against rival Georgia, Newton became the first SEC player to ever throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.[50] With the 49–31 victory, Auburn extended its winning streak to 11–0 and clinched the SEC West, allowing them to play in the SEC Championship game.[51] Newton led Auburn to a 28–27 victory over Alabama in the Iron Bowl after being down 24–0. The 24-point come-from-behind victory was the largest in the program's 117-year history.[52] He passed for 216 yards with three passing touchdowns and ran for another.[53] Newton led Auburn back from a 24-point deficit to defeat rival Alabama. On December 4, 2010, Newton led the Tigers to an SEC Championship, their first since 2004, by defeating South Carolina 56–17, setting an SEC Championship Game record for most points scored and largest margin of victory.[54] Newton was named the game MVP after passing for a season-high 335 yards and scoring a career-best six total touchdowns, which were four passing and two rushing.[55] With his performance, Newton also became the third player in NCAA FBS history to throw and run for 20-plus touchdowns in a single season joining former Florida teammate Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick, who reached the milestone earlier the same day.[56] Newton was named the 2010 SEC Offensive Player of the Year as well as the 2010 AP Player of the Year.[57] He was one of four finalists for the 2010 Heisman Trophy, which he won in a landslide victory.[58][59] Newton was the third Auburn player to win the Heisman Trophy (along with Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson).[60] Following the victory in the SEC Championship, Auburn was invited to participate in the school's first BCS National Championship Game. The game took place on January 10, 2011, in Glendale, Arizona, with Auburn playing against the Oregon Ducks.[61] In a game that Steve Spurrier predicted to score as high as 60–55,[62] Auburn beat Oregon just 22–19 to win the BCS National Championship. Newton threw for 262 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He rushed 22 times for 65 yards, though he lost a fumble that later allowed Oregon to tie the game with limited time remaining.[63] Once Auburn received the ball, Newton drove the Tigers down the field to win the game on Wes Byrum's last-second field goal. Media outlets wrote Newton was upstaged by teammate Michael Dyer, the game's Offensive MVP, and Auburn's defense, which held the high-powered Oregon ground game to just 75 yards[64] On January 13, three days after winning the BCS National Championship, Newton declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, forgoing his senior season.[65] Some sportswriters have argued that Newton's 2010 season is the best single season by a player in NCAA history due to his dominance with relatively little talent around him.[66][67][68] 2010 Heisman Trophy Finalist Voting[69] Finalist First place votes (3 pts. each) Second place votes (2 pts. each) Third place votes (1 pt. each) Total points Cam Newton 729 24 28 2,263 Andrew Luck 78 309 227 1,079 LaMichael James 22 313 224 916 Eligibility controversy Newton receiving a snap in 2010 against the LSU Tigers Newton spent much of the second half of the 2010 football season embroiled in a controversy regarding allegations that his father, Cecil Newton, had sought substantial sums of money in return for his son playing for a major college football team, in violation of National Collegiate Athletic Association rules.[70] In early November 2010, several Mississippi State University athletic boosters reported to the media that, during their recruitment of his son out of Blinn College nearly a year earlier, Cecil Newton said that it would take "more than just a scholarship" to secure his son's services. This demand was communicated by booster and former Mississippi State football player Kenny Rogers to fellow boosters and former teammates Bill Bell and John Bond. Rogers said in a Dallas radio interview that Cecil Newton said it would take "anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000" to get his son to transfer to Mississippi State.[71] Auburn maintained throughout the investigation, which had begun several months before the public was made aware of it,[72] that they were not involved in any pay-for-play scheme and that Cam Newton was fully eligible to play. On November 30, Auburn declared Cam Newton ineligible after the NCAA found evidence that Cecil Newton solicited Mississippi State $120,000 to $180,000 in exchange for Cam Newton's athletic service, a violation of amateurism.[72] Auburn immediately filed to have him reinstated on the basis that Kenny Rogers could not be considered an agent and that Cam Newton was not aware of his father's illegal activity.[72] The NCAA almost immediately sided with Auburn and reinstated Newton the next day on December 1, declaring him eligible for the 2010 SEC Championship Game three days later, stating that there was not sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn had any knowledge of Cecil Newton's actions.[73] Auburn subsequently limited the access Cecil Newton had to the program as a result of the NCAA findings. Also, due to increased pressure by the media and the NCAA investigation, Cecil Newton announced he would not attend the Heisman Trophy Ceremony.[74] The NCAA reinstatement did not clear Cecil Newton of any wrongdoing; it did, however, establish Cam Newton's eligibility as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, which he won in a landslide victory with 2,263 points and 729 first-place votes.[75] In October 2011, the NCAA officially closed its 13-month investigation into the recruitment of Cam Newton, unable to substantiate any allegation or speculation of illicit recruiting by Auburn,[76][77] and concluded that Cecil Newton only solicited a cash payment from Mississippi State and no other institution attempting to recruit his son.[72] The investigation, which consisted of over 50 interviews and the reviewing of numerous bank records, IRS documents, telephone records, and e-mail messages, resulted in no findings that would indicate Auburn participated in any pay-for-play scenario in signing Cam Newton.[78][79] The NCAA said that the allegations failed to "meet a burden of proof, which is a higher standard than rampant public speculation online and in the media" and that the allegations were not "based on credible and persuasive information".[77][79] The NCAA's Stacey Osburn said "We've done all we can do. We've done all the interviews. We've looked into everything and there's nothing there. Unless something new comes to light that's credible and we need to look at, it's concluded."[80] College honors and awards Heisman Trophy (2010)[81] Maxwell Award (2010)[82] Walter Camp Award (2010)[83] Davey O'Brien Award (2010)[84] Manning Award (2010)[85] AP College Football Player of the Year (2010)[86] Consensus first-team All-American;[87] received first-team honors from American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, The Sporting News, Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports, College Football News, ESPN, Rivals.com, Scout.com and Sports Illustrated (2010)[88] First-team All-Southeastern Conference (2010)[89] College statistics Season Team Passing Rushing Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Att Yds Avg TD 2007 Florida 5 10 50.0 40 4.0 0 0 16 103 6.4 3 2008 Florida 1 2 50.0 14 7.0 0 0 5 10 2.0 1 2009 Blinn 204 336 60.7 2,833 8.4 22 5 108 655 6.1 16 2010 Auburn 185 280 66.1 2,854 10.2 30 7 264 1,473 5.6 20 Career 395 628 62.9 5,741 9.1 52 12 393 2,241 5.7 40 Professional career Carolina Panthers In late January 2011, Newton began working out with George Whitfield Jr. in San Diego.[90] Whitfield has worked with other quarterbacks such as Ben Roethlisberger and Akili Smith. On April 28, 2011, Newton was selected with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.[91] He was the first reigning Heisman Trophy winner to go first overall since Carson Palmer in 2003.[92] He also was Auburn's fourth No. 1 selection after Tucker Frederickson (1965), Bo Jackson (1986), and Aundray Bruce (1988).[93] He became Blinn College's fifth player to get drafted and the first in school history to be selected in the first round.[94] During the 2011 NFL lockout, he worked out for up to 12 hours a day at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Florida, spending up to two hours per day doing one-on-one training with fellow Heisman Trophy winner and ex-Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke.[95] Before the draft, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson asked Newton to maintain his clean-cut appearance after Newton told Richardson he had no tattoos or piercings and was thinking about growing his hair longer.[96] This gained some controversy on Richardson's part due to the fact that other players on the team didn't meet these guidelines. Dave Zirin, reporter for TheNation.com, even accused Richardson of racism.[97] Despite this, Newton agreed to Richardson's requests and was drafted first overall. Newton would eventually start growing his hair out longer after Richardson sold the team to David Tepper. Pre-draft measurables Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 248 lb (112 kg) 33+3⁄4 in (0.86 m) 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) 4.59 s 1.58 s 2.60 s 4.18 s 6.92 s 35 in (0.89 m) 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) 21 All values from 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.[98][99] 2011 season On July 29, 2011, Newton signed a four-year contract, worth over $22 million, with the Carolina Panthers that was fully guaranteed.[100] After unsuccessfully negotiating with quarterback Jimmy Clausen for the No. 2 jersey Newton wore at Auburn, he decided to keep the No. 1 jersey that the Panthers had assigned him after the draft.[101][102] His quarterbacks coach was Mike Shula, former head football coach of his college rival Alabama. A month later on September 1, 2011, he was named the Panthers' starting quarterback, ahead of Derek Anderson and Clausen.[103] In his NFL debut game on September 11, 2011, Newton was 24–37 passing for 422 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, in a 28–21 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With a quarterback rating of 110.4, he also rushed for a touchdown, and became the first rookie to throw for at least 400 yards in his first career game. His 422 passing yards broke Peyton Manning's rookie record for most passing yards on opening day.[104] In his second career game, a 30–23 home loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, Newton broke his own record, set the weekend previously, with 432 yards passing, throwing and rushing for a touchdown.[105] Newton's 854 passing yards through the first two games of the season, the most in league history by a rookie,[106] broke the NFL record of 827 set by Kurt Warner in the 2000 season and stood as the most by any quarterback in the first two weeks of the season until New England's Tom Brady broke the mark again later in the day with 940.[106] He also became the only player to begin his career with consecutive 400-yard passing games[107] and broke the Carolina Panthers franchise record of 547 yards previously held by Steve Beuerlein.[108] After Newton's second career game, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers commented, "I think someone said in the locker room that I'm kind of glad we played him early in the season because when he figures it out fully, he's going to be even tougher to stop."[108] Newton's three additional interceptions against the Packers tied him for the most interceptions thrown in the league. His total passing yards over the first three games was 1,012 yards.[109] Newton in his rookie season The Panthers recorded their first victory of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars 16–10. Newton threw for 158 yards and one touchdown.[110] The Panthers played the Atlanta Falcons, losing 31–17 while passing for 237 yards with no passing touchdowns.[111] Newton increased his team's record to 2–5 with a Week 7 win over the Washington Redskins 33–20. He threw for 256 yards and one touchdown, completing 18 of his 23 passes. He also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown, including one run for 25 yards. This performance brought Cam a passer rating of 127.5, his highest yet.[112] With Carolina's win over the Indianapolis Colts, Newton became the fourth rookie quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards in his first season, joining Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, and Sam Bradford. Newton set the NFL rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks on December 4, 2011, rushing for his 13th touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers breaking the record of Steve Grogan set in 1976.[113] The historic performance was part of a career-high three rushing touchdowns, which were part of a 38–19 win. In that game, he also caught a 27-yard pass from wide receiver Legedu Naanee, making him a triple threat.[114] With his Week 13 performance against the Buccaneers, Newton earned his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination.[115] On December 24, 2011, in a 48–16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Newton threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown.[116] In the process, he broke Peyton Manning's record of 3,739 yards passing for a rookie. On January 1, 2012, against the New Orleans Saints, Newton threw for 158 yards and became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards.[117] He finished his rookie season with 4,051 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. In addition, he rushed 126 times for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 14 rushing touchdowns were an NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback.[118] His 706 rushing yards were a rookie record for a single season until Robert Griffin III broke the mark in the next season.[119] Over the course of the season, when Newton had a turnover, the team was 0–10; when he had no turnovers, the team went 6–0.[120] On January 22, 2012, Newton was named to be heading to the Pro Bowl after the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Because Eli Manning was one of the three quarterbacks for the NFC to be selected, and with Newton being picked as the NFC alternate later in December, Newton was able to play in the Pro Bowl with Manning headed to the Super Bowl. He finished the Pro Bowl with 186 yards along with two touchdowns and three interceptions.[121] Newton was named both AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year on February 4, 2012. He became the second straight number one pick to win the AP Rookie of the Year, after Sam Bradford won it the previous season. He was also the first Panther to win the Offensive award, but the second Panthers rookie of the year, following Julius Peppers, the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002. Cam received his Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year awards on the inaugural NFL Honors award show, with 47 of the 50 possible 50 AP votes (the other 3 going to Andy Dalton). He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the third Panthers quarterback to claim this award, joining Kerry Collins (1995) & Chris Weinke (2001). He also landed the number 5 and 2 play of the year with his 49-yard touchdown run against the Buccaneers (5), and his touchdown fumblerooski to Richie Brockel against the Houston Texans.[122] He earned the nickname Superman due to his touchdown celebration.[123] Newton was rated as the 40th best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 player list.[124] His rookie season was when he started the Carolina Panther tradition "Sunday Giveaway", where the Panthers offensive players typically give away the football that they just scored a touchdown with to kids in the stands.[125] 2012 season Newton started his second professional season with 303 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the 16–10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[126] After helping lead the team to a 35–27 victory over New Orleans in Week 2, Newton and the Panthers went on a five-game losing streak.[127][128] In the last game of the losing streak, Newton threw for a season-high 314 passing yards but had two interceptions in the 23–22 loss to the Chicago Bears.[129] The Panthers went on to lose three of their next five games to sit at 3–9. At the end of that stretch was one of Newton's more efficient games of the season. In Week 12, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he passed for 306 yards and two passing touchdowns to go along with two rushing touchdowns in the 30–22 victory to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[130][131] Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13, he had 232 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to go along with 78 rushing yards in the 27–21 loss.[132] In Week 14, a 30–20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, he had a career-high 116 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with 287 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.[133] The victory over the Falcons was the start of a four-game winning streak to end the season. However, the rough first half of the season was too much to overcome for the team.[134] He finished his second professional season with 3,869 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 741 rushing yards, and eight rushing touchdowns.[135] The Panthers finished the season at 7–9.[136] Though this season could be seen by some as a "Sophomore Slump," he did improve in many statistical categories, improved on his efficiency, and cut back on his turnovers. Cam's noticeable decline in rushing touchdowns was due partially to the Panthers signing Mike Tolbert before the season began. Tolbert, a versatile fullback, recorded seven rushing touchdowns on the season.[137] Newton led the league in Yards Per Completion (13.8) and was tied for second with Peyton Manning in Yards Per Attempt (8.0) behind Robert Griffin III.[138] Newton was rated as the 46th best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 list.[139] 2013 season: first playoff appearance Newton in 2014 Pro Bowl The 2013 season started rough for Newton and the Panthers with a 1–3 start. The Panthers went on an eight-game winning streak starting in Week 5. Newton was consistent in that stretch, passing for 216.4 yards per game, 13 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 62 carries for 324 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.[140] The Panthers' winning streak ended in a 31–13 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 14.[141][142] They won the last three games to finish with a 12–4 record and earn a first round bye in the playoffs.[143] In the regular season, he recorded 3,379 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 585 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns.[144][145] Newton was selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl.[146] The week after, he lost his first NFL playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. In the 23–10 loss, he had 267 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions to go along with 54 rushing yards.[147] Newton was drafted third in the first annual Pro Bowl Draft, by Team Sanders.[148] Newton was rated as the 24th best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 list.[149] 2014 season: injury-plagued season On March 21, 2014, Newton underwent surgery to "tighten" up his ankle ligaments, which Newton admitted he had dealt with since his college days at Auburn University.[150] The estimated recovery time was four months, which caused him to miss training camp and the first preseason game.[151] During the third preseason game against the New England Patriots, Newton sustained a hairline fracture on his ribs after a hit from Jamie Collins.[152] Newton's streak of starting 48 consecutive games was snapped during the Panthers opening game 20–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[153] Newton made his debut during Carolina Panthers home opener against the Detroit Lions in Week 2. He recorded 300 yards of offense with a touchdown, no turnovers, and a 100.2 quarterback rating en route to a 24–7 victory.[154] Newton in 2014 in Baltimore Through his first three starts in the season, Newton recorded a 110.8 quarterback rating against the blitz.[155] During the Panthers Week 5 victory against the Chicago Bears, Newton led the Panthers from a 14-point deficit and was named to the Pro Football Focus (PFF) Team of the Week for his performance.[156] Senior producer of NFL Films Greg Cosell and respected Football Outsiders columnist and Pre Snap Reads owner, Cian Fahey, both noted Newton's clear development and growth as a pocket passer.[157][158][159] During the Panthers Week 6 37–37 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals, Newton accounted for 91% of the offense, recording a career-high 29 of 46 completions for 286 yards with two touchdowns and an interception along with 17 rushing attempts for 107 yards and a rushing touchdown, the most since the 2012 Week 14 win against Atlanta, when he had 116 on nine carries.[160][161] Through the first six games in the season, Newton averaged 2.53 seconds to attempt a pass (2.73 in 2013) and has had the ball out in under 2.5 seconds on 51.8% of his drop-backs (40% in 2013).[162] Newton had arguably his best game of the season in a 41–10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Newton completed 21–33 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Along with that he had 83 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.[163] He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in that game and with this performance, Newton has had four games with at least 200 passing yards and 80 rushing yards with multiple touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.[164] That is the most such games in NFL history.[165] Two days following the Saints game, Newton was involved in a well-publicized car crash in which he fractured two vertebrae in his lower back. He missed only one game and returned to the field a week later in a match against the Cleveland Browns to make the final end-of-season push to win the NFC South division and once again make the playoffs.[166] Newton led the Panthers to the first back-to-back division titles in the NFC South since the formation of the division and became the first quarterback since Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with four seasons with at least 500 rushing yards.[167] During the season, Newton also tied John Elway, Otto Graham, and Y. A. Tittle for 10th all time in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 33.[168] Further, with his four victories in December, Newton ranked second in the NFL in December wins over the past four years with 14 only behind Tom Brady.[169] Newton's 33 rushing touchdowns were the most by a quarterback in his first four seasons. He is also the only player in NFL history to have 10,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his first four seasons and the fir[170] st to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons.[171] The following week, Newton led the Panthers to their first playoff win in nine years in the Wild Card Round over the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns while running for 35 yards. Newton and the Panthers were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 31–17 in the Divisional Round. Newton was 23–36 for 245 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions, and 37 rushing yards.[172] Despite missing two games and dealing with ankle, rib, throwing hand, and back injuries through the entire season, Newton was rated as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[173] 2015 season: MVP season and Super Bowl 50 appearance On June 2, 2015, the Panthers and Newton agreed to a five-year, $103.8 million contract extension.[174] Through the 2015 preseason, Newton graded as PFF's best quarterback.[175] During the season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Newton finished with 175 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception, while rushing for 35 yards. This was the first NFL opening-day victory for Newton (the Panthers won their opener in 2014 with an injured Newton on the sidelines).[176] During the Panthers' Week 2 victory over the Houston Texans, Newton finished with 195 yards passing, two passing touchdowns, and one interception, while rushing for 76 yards and one touchdown.[177] In week three against the New Orleans Saints, Newton passed for 315 yards and two passing touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown.[178] It marked the 26th game in Newton's career in which he had a passing and a rushing touchdown, ranking second all-time in NFL history behind only Steve Young (31).[179] Further, it marked the 14th time in his career where Newton notched two-plus touchdown passes and at least one rushing touchdown, third-most in the NFL since 1960, behind only Steve Young (17) and Fran Tarkenton (16).[180] Through the first three games of the season, Newton accounted for 76% of the total offensive yards and 88% of the total touchdowns the Panthers generated.[180] Newton helped lead the Panthers to a 3–0 start, the first time they had done so since the 2003 NFL Season. Several experts noted Newton's continued growth as a quarterback; Gil Brandt noted Newton's improving internal clock in the pocket, citing his career low sack percentage of 4.8% in the early season;[180] senior NFL columnist for CBSSports.com, Pete Prisco, noting Cam's improved pocket patience, mechanics, and ability to read defenses;[181] Cian Fahey noted Newton's development into a refined pocket passer with the athleticism to diversify any offense with a multidimensional run game.[182] In the following week, during a 37–23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Newton went 11 of 22 passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 51 yards to give the Panthers a 4–0 record for the first time since 2003.[183] As a rusher, through the first four weeks, Newton ranked third in the NFL in rushes for first downs.[184] Newton playing against the Saints in 2015 Following a Week 4 bye, Newton threw for 269 yards, two interceptions, and a touchdown and rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown while leading the Panthers to victory against the Seattle Seahawks. It marked just the 3rd home Seahawks loss in the Russell Wilson era.[185] It also marked the first franchise win in Seattle and Newton's ninth career fourth-quarter comeback win.[186] During the game, Newton also recorded the 36th career rushing touchdown of his career; over that span, only Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson were the only players to record more rushing touchdowns since 2011.[187] Through the first five weeks of the season, Newton recorded a career-high 67.6% of passes under pressure.[188] The following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Newton led the Panthers to a victory, earning the Panthers their first 6–0 record in franchise history; during the game, he threw three interceptions and recorded his 28th game with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown.[189] In Week 8, against the Indianapolis Colts, Newton threw for 248 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, as the Panthers moved to 7–0 with a 29–26 overtime victory;[190] with the win, Newton became the first quarterback in NFL history to earn a comeback victory with his team trailing in overtime.[191] The following week, Newton led the Panthers to their first 8–0 start in franchise history with a 37–29 victory over the Green Bay Packers; Newton went 15–30 for 297 yards passing, three touchdowns, and one interception to go along with 9 rush, 57 yards, and one touchdown.[192] Further, for the first time in his career, Newton threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a single half.[193] For his game against the Packers, Newton was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[194] The following week, during the Panthers 27–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Newton went 21 for 26 passes for 217 yards and 1 passing touchdown while recording 9 rushes for 23 yards and 1 rushing touchdown. Newton began the game with 11 straight completions, tying his career best in a single game (vs. Bucs on 11/18/12).[195] The following week, Newton led the Panthers to a 44–16 victory over the Washington Redskins. During the game, Newton threw for a career-high five touchdown passes and became the only quarterback in NFL history with 100+ passing touchdowns and 25+ rushing touchdowns in his first five seasons.[196] For his efforts, Newton was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.[197] During the Panthers 33–14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, Newton completed 16-of-27 passes for 183 yards, including going 8-of-16 on third downs, and rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown.[198] During the Panthers 41–38 victory over the Saints, Newton finished with 380 combined passing and rushing yards and five touchdown passes. He was 10 of 14 for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He led the game-winning 75-yard touchdown drive to the Panthers undefeated through their first 12 games.[199] For his performance, Newton was named NFC Offensive Player of the week for the third time in five weeks. The last time a player achieved that feat was 2007, when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots won three player of the week awards in five weeks while quarterbacking the Patriots during an undefeated regular season.[200] The following week, during the Panthers 38–0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Newton completed 15 of 21 passes for 265 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and finished with a career-high quarterback rating of 153.3.[201] The Panthers amassed 225 yards of offense in just the first quarter of the game; a franchise record. During the Panthers' thrilling 38–35 victory against the New York Giants, Newton went 25 of 45 for 340 yards and 5 passing touchdowns while adding 8 rushes for 100 yards, his third career game with at least 100 rushing yards.[202] Newton also led the Panthers on his 12th-ever game-winning drive, and his fourth of the season.[203] For his efforts, Newton was again named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Newton became the NFL's first player to win the award four times in a seven-week span since San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.[204] Through the first 15 weeks of the NFL season, Newton led the Panthers to a 14–0 record. During that span, he also threw the second-most touchdown passes and led the NFL with 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. Newton was on the field for 660 of Carolina's 923 plays in which he was either the decision-maker or ball carrier after the snap, which accounted for 72 percent of the Panthers' total snaps. Further, Newton had the second-lowest percentage of passing yards gained after the catch among NFL quarterbacks and 40 of Carolina's 49 touchdowns this season were either thrown or run by Newton.[205] Newton in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos The Panthers had their first setback in the 20–13 away loss to the Atlanta Falcons in their second divisional matchup. In the loss, Newton was 17 of 30 for 142 yards.[206] In a 38–10 win over the Buccaneers during the regular-season finale, Newton tied his season-best completion percentage (80.8), threw for almost 300 yards and added a pair of touchdowns and had his first game with two rushing touchdowns since Week 12 of the 2012 season. His passer rating of 139.3 was the second-best mark he posted all season.[207] For his efforts, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fifth time in the season.[208] Newton became the first player to win five NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in a nine-week span within a season and his five awards tied for the most in a season in NFL history (Tom Brady, 2007).[209] Cam Newton led NFL quarterbacks in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns in 2015.[210] Newton's 45 total touchdowns during the regular season marked the most touchdowns by a single player since 2013. Newton was selected as the 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year by the PFWA.[211] Newton and the Panthers finished the season with a 15–1 record, a franchise best, and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.[212][213] They defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round by a score of 31–24, despite nearly blowing a 31–0 lead, and went on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 49–15 in the NFC Championship game to face the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. In the game, Newton completed 19 of 28 passes for 335 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. In addition, he rushed 10 times for 47 yards and two touchdowns.[214] He became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for multiple touchdowns in a single NFC Championship.[215] The Panthers' 49 points were the most in the history of the NFC Championship.[216] On February 6, 2016, Newton was named NFL MVP.[217] Newton was the second African-American quarterback to receive the honor after Steve McNair in 2003 and the first sole recipient as McNair shared his award with Peyton Manning, who Newton would go on to face in the Super Bowl. Newton earned First-team All-Pro honors and his third Pro Bowl nomination.[218][219] In Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, which pitted the Panthers' top-ranked offense against the Broncos' top-ranked defense, the Panthers lost by a score of 24–10. The game was generally a one-score affair until a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. The defense of both teams performed extremely well and led to both offenses struggling terribly throughout the game. Newton was sacked six times and Manning was sacked 5 times, both quarterbacks fumbled twice, and both threw an interception.[220][221][222] Newton's two fumbles were pivotal moments as the first fumble was from a strip-sack from Von Miller and led to the Broncos' first touchdown and the second occurred late in the fourth quarter on another strip from Miller to set the Broncos up with a first-and-goal on their eventual game-clinching touchdown.[223][224] Newton was ranked as the top player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[225] For the season, Newton has sold the 7th most merchandise from March 2015 to February 2016.[226] 2016 season Newton in 2016 in Denver In the opening game of the 2016 season, in a Super Bowl 50 rematch against the Denver Broncos, Newton surpassed two of Steve Young's NFL records, one for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with his 44th, and the other for most games with a passing and rushing touchdown, with his 32nd.[227] This also tied Otto Graham's all-time professional American football mark of 44 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.[228][229] He passed for 194 yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception to go along with 11 carries for 54 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 21–20 loss.[230] In the next game, a 46–27 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, he had 353 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and one interception.[231] On October 2, in a 48–33 loss at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, Newton suffered a concussion on a two-point conversion run and missed the rest of the game.[232][233] Newton missed the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[234] On December 4, against the Seattle Seahawks, Newton was benched for the first offensive series for a dress code violation.[235] It was Newton's first professional game, other than his first career preseason game in 2011, in which he began the game as the backup.[236] For the 2016 season, Newton completed 52.9 percent of his passes, marking a career worst in that category. He threw 19 touchdown passes, 16 less than the previous year, and 14 interceptions, the second most of his career behind his rookie season.[237] The Panthers regressed from their 15–1 record from the previous year to a 6–10 record in 2016.[238] Despite a down 2016 season, Newton was still ranked 44th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[239] 2017 season On March 30, Newton had surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder.[240][241] During a press conference on October 4, Newton was asked a question by Jourdan Rodrigue, a female sportswriter for The Charlotte Observer, regarding passing routes. Newton smirked and said, "It's funny to hear a female talk about routes." Then he answered her question.[242] His remarks were viewed as sexist by Rodrigue as well as many in the media.[242][243][244] It later surfaced that Rodrigue had previously mocked Newton using a Twitter account with which she had also posted racist comments, causing the publication BlackSportsOnline.com to label her a hypocrite.[245] The following day, yogurt company Dannon dropped Newton as a sponsor.[246][247] Newton uploaded a video to Twitter later that day in which he apologized for his remarks.[248] During Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, Newton threw for 254 yards and rushed for 95 yards with four total touchdowns. The Panthers combined for 294 rushing yards and 548 total yards of offense as the Panthers won 45–21.[249][250] His performance in Week 10 earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[251] He finished the regular season with 3,302 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a career-high 754 rushing yards to go along with six rushing touchdowns.[252] The Panthers made the playoffs as the #5-seed.[253] In the Wild Card Round against the New Orleans Saints, he was 24 of 40 for 349 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers lost by a score of 31–26. Newton was able to engineer a drive to get to the Saints' 21-yard line on their last stand in the fourth quarter but turned the ball over on downs.[254] Newton was ranked 25th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[255] 2018–19: Injury-shortened seasons After a 16–8 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2018 season, Newton went 32 of 45 passing, 335 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception to go along with 42 rushing yards in the 31–24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.[256] The next week, he passed for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the 31–21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.[257] In Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, after being down 17–0 in the fourth quarter, Newton completed 16 of 22 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter as the Panthers defeated the Eagles 21–17, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[258] Newton and the Panthers began struggling in the month of November. After the Panthers lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15, which was their sixth straight loss after starting 6–2, Newton acknowledged a nagging shoulder injury that had been hampering his play during the losing streak, and hinted that the team would deactivate him for the final two games of the season in order to heal.[259][260][261] On January 24, 2019, Newton officially underwent right shoulder surgery.[262] Newton against the Washington Redskins in 2018 In a poll orchestrated by writers from The Athletic, Newton was voted the most underrated quarterback in the league by 85 defensive players from 25 teams.[263] He was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[264] Newton made his return from injury in Week 1 of the following season against the Los Angeles Rams. In the game, Newton passed for 239 yards and one interception as the Panthers lost 30–27.[265] In Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, Newton completed 25 passes out of 51 attempts for 333 yards as the Panthers lost 20–14. After the game, Newton said "All fingers are pointed back to the offense and me specifically."[266] Newton was held out of the week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals due to injury, and it was later revealed that he had a Lisfranc fracture, which he later confirmed in a YouTube vlog.[267][268] On November 5, the Panthers placed Newton on injured reserve as the injury was healing slower than expected.[269] On March 17, 2020, the Panthers announced they had given Newton permission to seek a trade.[270] However, on March 24, after failing to find a trade partner, the team announced they had officially released Newton.[271] New England Patriots After nearly three months in free agency, Newton signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots on July 8, 2020.[272] The contract included a base salary of $1.05 million, the minimum salary for a player with his amount of experience, and a maximum value of $7.5 million, including incentives and playing time bonuses.[273][274][275] Newton was considered by the media as a potential successor to 20-year veteran Tom Brady, who left New England in free agency.[276][277][278] He was named starting quarterback and team captain of the Patriots on September 3, beating out veteran Brian Hoyer and second-year Jarrett Stidham, which made him the team's first new primary starter since 2002.[279] In his first career start with the Patriots, a Week 1 game at home against the Miami Dolphins, Newton led the team to a 21–11 victory, completing 15 of 19 passes for 155 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while carrying the ball 15 times for 75 yards and two rushing touchdowns. After the game ended, Newton was involved in a scuffle with Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins and nose tackle Raekwon Davis, the latter of which attempted to remove a chain from Newton's neck.[280] During Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, Newton finished with 397 passing yards, 47 rushing yards, one passing touchdown, an interception, and two rushing touchdowns. At the end of the game, with the Patriots trailing 35–30, Newton attempted to run into the end zone from the one-yard line, but was stopped short, resulting in a Patriots loss.[281] On October 3, 2020, a day before the team's Week 4 matchup against the Chiefs, Newton tested positive for COVID-19 and the team placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which ultimately postponed the game by one day. He was activated from the list on October 14.[282][283] In Week 9, in a 30–27 victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, Newton passed for 274 yards and had two rushing touchdowns.[284] The performance marked the third time in the 2020 season that Newton had rushed for two touchdowns in one game, matching his career-high of three such games in his rookie season in 2011. In Week 11 against the Houston Texans, Newton threw for 365 yards and a touchdown during the 27–20 loss.[285] In Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, Newton threw for a season low 84 yards and two interceptions during the 20–17 win.[286] In Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Newton only threw for 69 yards and a touchdown, but rushed for 48 yards and two more touchdowns during the 45–0 win.[287] In Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, Newton threw for 34 yards and rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown before being benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham in the third quarter during the 38–9 loss.[288] In Week 17, against the New York Jets, he had 242 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with his first career touchdown reception on a trick play where Jakobi Meyers threw to him during the 28–14 win.[289] Newton finished the season with a league-high 12 quarterback rushing touchdowns, the second-highest in a season behind his 14 in 2011.[290] However, Newton threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns, which were the lowest outside of his injury-shortened 2019 campaign.[291] On March 12, 2021, the Patriots re-signed Newton to a one-year deal worth up to $13.6 million.[292][293] In training camp, he competed with rookie first-round draft pick Mac Jones. On August 21, he traveled to an appointment outside of the New England area. Despite multiple negative tests for COVID-19, he was required to stay away from the team facility for five days. This caused him to miss four days of practice prior to their preseason game. He did, however, participate virtually in the practices.[294] Newton was able to return to the team in time for their final preseason game, which he did play in.[295] On August 31, Newton was released from the Patriots during final roster cuts.[296] Carolina Panthers (second stint) A young Panthers fan holding a handwritten sign during Newton's first game back at Bank of America Stadium On November 11, 2021, Newton signed a one-year deal worth up to $10 million to return to the Carolina Panthers, following an injury to starting quarterback Sam Darnold. The deal includes $4.5 million that is fully guaranteed and a $1.5 million roster bonus.[297] In his first game after re-signing, Newton received limited playing action as the backup to P. J. Walker in the Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals but made an immediate impact, scoring touchdowns on his first two plays of the game.[298] The first-quarter touchdowns came by way of a two-yard run and a two-yard pass to Robby Anderson, respectively, and helped the Panthers to a 34–10 win.[299] In his return to Carolina the following week, he was named the starter and scored two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a 27–21 loss to the Washington Football Team.[300] Newton remained the starter for the Week 12 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but was benched in the fourth quarter for Walker after completing 5 of 21 passes for 92 yards, two interceptions, and a 5.8 passer rating. His 23.8 completion percentage was the lowest for a quarterback with at least 20 attempts since Joey Harrington in 2004.[301] In a Week 14 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Newton was again named the starter, but split significant playing time with P.J. Walker, ending the game with a team-leading 47 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown, but also having thrown an interception in a 29–21 loss.[302] Newton finished the season with 684 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 230 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns in eight games. He also lost all five games he started in.[303] NFL career statistics Legend AP NFL MVP & OPOTY NFL record (for quarterback) Bold Career high Regular season Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Lng Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost 2011 CAR 16 16 6−10 310 517 60.0 4,051 7.8 21 17 91 84.5 126 706 5.6 59T 14 35 260 5 2 2012 CAR 16 16 7−9 280 485 57.7 3,869 8.0 19 12 82 86.2 127 741 5.8 72T 8 36 244 10 3 2013 CAR 16 16 12−4 292 473 61.7 3,379 7.1 24 13 79 88.8 111 585 5.3 56 6 43 336 3 1 2014 CAR 14 14 5−8−1 262 448 58.5 3,127 7.0 18 12 51 82.1 103 539 5.2 22 5 38 300 9 5 2015 CAR 16 16 15−1 296 495 59.8 3,837 7.8 35 10 74 99.4 132 636 4.8 47 10 33 284 5 4 2016 CAR 15 14 6−8 270 510 52.9 3,509 6.9 19 14 88 75.8 90 359 4.0 28 5 36 277 3 2 2017 CAR 16 16 11−5 291 492 59.1 3,302 6.7 22 16 64 80.7 139 754 5.4 69 6 35 342 9 1 2018 CAR 14 14 6−8 320 471 67.5 3,395 7.2 24 13 82 94.2 101 488 4.8 29 4 29 213 6 0 2019 CAR 2 2 0−2 50 89 56.2 572 6.4 0 1 44 71.0 5 −2 −0.4 3 0 6 43 2 2 2020 NE 15 15 7−8 242 368 65.8 2,657 7.2 8 10 50 82.9 137 592 4.3 49 12 31 195 6 1 2021 CAR 8 5 0−5 69 126 54.8 684 5.4 4 5 27 64.4 47 230 4.9 33 5 10 83 4 1 Career 148 144 75−68−1 2,682 4,474 59.9 32,382 7.2 194 123 91 85.2 1,118 5,628 5.0 72T 75 332 2,477 62 22 Postseason Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Lng Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost 2013 CAR 1 1 0−1 16 25 64.0 267 10.7 1 2 59 79.9 10 54 5.4 11 0 5 35 0 0 2014 CAR 2 2 1−1 41 68 60.3 444 6.5 4 3 39 80.8 18 72 4.0 13 0 3 16 3 2 2015 CAR 3 3 2−1 53 91 58.2 761 8.4 3 2 86 87.3 27 95 3.5 14 2 8 85 2 2 2017 CAR 1 1 0−1 24 40 60.0 349 8.7 2 0 56 105.1 8 37 4.6 10 0 4 43 0 0 Career 7 7 3−4 130 224 59.8 1,821 8.6 10 7 86 83.9 63 258 4.0 14 2 20 179 5 4 Accomplishments and records Awards NFL MVP (2015)[217] NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2015)[304] Best NFL Player ESPY Award (2016)[305] PFWA MVP (2015)[306] PFWA All-NFL Team (2015)[307] PFWA All-NFC Team (2015)[307] Bert Bell Award (2015)[308] PFWA All-Rookie Team (2011)[309] All-Iron Award (2015)[310] NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (September 2011)[180] 3× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (Weeks 4, 15, 16 2011)[180] 10× NFC Offensive Player of the Week[200] PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (2011)[311] Sporting News Rookie of the Year (2011)[312] Heisman Trophy winner (2010)[313] Consensus All-American (2010)[314] First-team All-SEC (2010)[315] Sporting News College Player of the Year (2010)[316] Rookie records and achievements Most combined touchdowns for a rookie in NFL history (35)[317] Most combined yards for a rookie in NFL history (4,784)[318] First rookie to pass for at least 4,000 yards[319][320] First and only rookie to pass for more than 4,000 yards and rush for more than 700 yards[321] First rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in back to back games, September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers[322] Records and achievements Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history (75)[323] Most passing yards by a quarterback in his first two games (854), September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers[324] Most games in NFL history with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown (32)[325] Most player of the week awards in a single season (5) tied with Tom Brady[326] First player in NFL history and most games with at least 250 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown in a single game (2)[327] Most games in single season with at least one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown (8)[328] Only player in NFL history with at least 30 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in same season: 2015[329] Most rushing touchdowns in single season by a quarterback (14), achieved on December 4, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers[330] Most combined yards in a player's first five seasons (21,560)[331] First quarterback and fifth player in NFL history with at least 500 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, and 4.8 yards a carry in 5 consecutive NFL seasons[332] First quarterback in NFL history to win both NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP at some point in his career.[citation needed] Most passing yards by a quarterback in debut game (422), September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals[333] First quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first two career starts, September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers[322] Fastest player to throw for 1,000 yards (at Arizona Cardinals, vs. Green Bay Packers, and vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)[334] Sixth quarterback to throw for 400+ yards in back to back games[333] First player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns in his first five games[335] Twenty-fifth NFL player (and first quarterback) to have 20 rushing touchdowns in first two seasons[336] First player to have 30 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in first two seasons[337] First player in NFL history with 50 passing touchdowns and 25 rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons[338] First player in NFL history with 4,000+ passing yards and 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season[339] First player in NFL history with 4,000+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards in a season[340] First quarterback in NFL history with 100+ pass touchdowns and 25+ rush touchdowns in first five seasons[341] First quarterback in NFL history with multiple seasons of 20+ passing touchdowns and 10+ rushing touchdowns in a season[342] First player in NFL history with 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first three seasons[343] First player in NFL history with 10,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his first four seasons[344] First player in NFL history to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in five consecutive seasons[345] First quarterback in NFL history to rush for 100+ yards and pass for 300+ yards with 5 touchdowns in a single game (December 20, 2015).[346] First player in NFL history with 100+ rush yards and 5 pass touchdowns in a single game[345] First player with 3,500 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season (2011, 2015)[332] First quarterback in NFL history with 10+ rushing touchdowns in multiple NFL seasons (2011, 2015)[347] Fourth quarterback to win 17+ straight regular-season starts in the Super Bowl era[345] Most games in NFL history with at least 200 passing yards and 80 rushing yards with multiple touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown (4 games)[348] Third quarterback in NFL history with 2+ passing touchdowns and 1+ rushing touchdown[349] Second quarterback in NFL history with 3+ passing touchdowns and 1+ rushing touchdown[350] Most touchdown passes from a player from Auburn[351] First starting quarterback to win the NFC South in consecutive seasons (2013–2015)[352] Second player in NFL history with 7,500+ pass yards and 40+ pass touchdowns in first two seasons, joining Peyton Manning ('99)[353] First quarterback in NFL history to earn a comeback victory when trailing in overtime[191] Third quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 3,000 yards in his first five seasons[354] Second most 5+ touchdown games in a single season (3)[355] Second quarterback with 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a single game[356] First player in Super Bowl era to pass for 300 yards and rush for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game[357] Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first four seasons (33)[358] Panthers franchise records Note: As of 2019 off-season[359][360][361] Pass completions, career (2,371), rookie season (310)[360][362] Pass attempts, career (3,980), playoff game (41, February 7, 2016, against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50)[363] Passing yards, career (29,041), game (432, September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers), playoff game (335, January 24, 2016, against the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship), rookie season (4,051), rookie game (432, September 18, 2011, against the Green Bay Packers)[364][365] Passing touchdowns, career (182), game (5, thrice, shared with Steve Beuerlein),[366] rookie season (21),[367] rookie game (3, October 30, 2011, against the Minnesota Vikings and December 24, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shared with Kerry Collins)[368] Interceptions, rookie game (4, November 20, 2011, against the Detroit Lions; shared with Kerry Collins (twice) and Chris Weinke)[369] Passer Rating, season (99.4 in 2015), game (153.3, December 13, 2015, against the Atlanta Falcons), playoff career (83.9), rookie season (84.5), rookie game (142.4, December 24, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Times sacked, career (291), game (9, November 10, 2014, against the Philadelphia Eagles; shared with Frank Reich), playoffs (16; shared with Jake Delhomme), playoff season (8 in 2015; shared with Jake Delhomme), playoff game (6, February 7, 2016, against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50), rookie season (35) Yards per pass attempt, game (12.65, September 16, 2012, against the New Orleans Saints), playoff season (10.68 in 2013), playoff game (11.96, January 24, 2016, against the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship), rookie season (7.84), and rookie game (11.41, September 11, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals) Passing yards per game, career (232.3), playoffs (245.3), playoff season (267 in 2013), and rookie season (253.2) 300+ yard passing games, career (20) and rookie season (3)[370] 4,000+ yard passing seasons: 1 (shared with Steve Beuerlein)[371] Rushing touchdowns, career (58), rookie season (14),[372] rookie game (3, December 4, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; shared with Fred Lane)[373] Yards per carry, career (5.18), season (5.83 in 2012), rookie season (5.60) Rush/Rec Touchdowns, playoff game (2; shared with 3 players), rookie season (14), rookie game (3, December 4, 2011, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; shared with Fred Lane) Most combined yards in franchise history[374] Most NFC Offensive Player of the Week Awards in a single season (5)[375] Completions in a row (15) (December 6, 2015, against the New Orleans Saints)[376] First quarterback in franchise history to throw four touchdown passes in the first half of a game (November 22, 2015, against the Washington Redskins)[377] Patriots franchise records Longest run by a quarterback (49 yards) (against the New York Jets on January 3, 2021)[378] Most rushing yards by a quarterback, season (592)[379] Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, season (12, tied with Steve Grogan) Personal life Newton in 2011 Relationships and children Newton has four children with former girlfriend, Kia Proctor.[380][381][382][383][384] In mid-2019, Newton fathered a son with an Instagram model months before his fourth child with Proctor was born. Newton and Proctor split later that year as a result of the affair.[385][386] Diet and lifestyle Newton was a self-proclaimed pescetarian.[387] As of March 2019, he has become a vegan.[388][389] A few dietitians have claimed that the change in diet may have delayed his injury recovery the following season, especially if not done properly.[390] Newton is a Christian. He spoke about his faith after winning the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, saying: "It's just a God thing. I thank God every single day. I'm just His instrument and He's using me on a consistent basis daily."[391] On December 9, 2014, Newton was involved in a car crash in Charlotte where his vehicle flipped, and he suffered two back fractures.[392] Newton's daily routine during the season involves waking up at 4:20 a.m., leaving the house at 4:30 a.m., and sleeping at 11:30 p.m.[393][394] Business ventures In 2013, Newton partnered with Southern department store chain Belk on his own clothing line, MADE by Cam Newton.[395] In May 2019, Newton's cigar bar and restaurant named Fellaship formally opened at Olympic Park Drive Dr. near Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.[396] In addition to his commitment to football, Newton participates in motivational speaking,[397] and has a namesake foundation dedicated to "enhancing the lives of youth by addressing their educational, physical and social needs".[398] See also List of Auburn Tigers starting quarterbacks List of Auburn Tigers football statistical leaders 2010 College Football All-America Team List of first overall National Football League draft picks List of Heisman Trophy winners List of National Football League career passer rating leaders List of National Football League career passing completions leaders List of National Football League career passing touchdowns leaders List of National Football League career passing yards leaders List of National Football League career quarterback wins leaders List of National Football League records (individual) No offers for an NFL return next season have been immediately forthcoming where Cam Newton is concerned following the 2023 NFL Draft. The quarterback recently stated to Josina Anderson on her Undefined podcast that he'd spoken to teams, but they were unwilling to commit until cards had been laid on the table regarding potential acquisitions from the college ranks. The draft is almost a month old now, so it seems as if teams are once again looking the other way. Something that potentially puts Newton's plans of making an NFL comeback after missing the entire 2022 campaign in tatters. Newton clearly feels like he can still play and there aren't 32 quarterbacks better. While that's a subject for debate, the NFL is a cutthroat business and it looks for all the smart money as if front-office figures around the league have closed the page on the one-time NFL MVP's phenomenal career. Antonio Brown offers Cam Newton a National Arena League opportunity However, all hope is not lost for Newton. And if he's willing, there could be an unlikely avenue to resurrect his professional career in the not-too-distant future. After controversial wide receiver and Albany Empire owner Antonio Brown announced via NewsChannel 13’s Rodger Wyland that he was planning to play for the National Arena League team, attention reached levels not seen in some time. But the seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection also revealed that he has been in contact with Newton about joining the organization in some capacity. Whether this is from a playing standpoint or not wasn't disclosed. Perhaps it was Brown presenting Newton with an investment opportunity rather than turning out on the field, which represents conceding defeat in terms of his remaining NFL aspirations, one suspects. This is all just speculation and nothing's been confirmed by Newton's side of things. But if this was something that interested the No. 1 overall selection in 2011, it would undoubtedly be the biggest thing to ever occur in the NAL. Brown certainly has the clout and connections to pull this off. Even if his reputation has been completely obliterated in recent years thanks to some extremely bizarre incidents on and off the field since departing the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. This would be a bombshell of epic proportions - one that Newton might feel is beneath him if the veteran genuinely believes that he still has what it takes to become an NFL starting quarterback. In 2016, National Football League (NFL) quarterback Colin Kaepernick exemplified how men’s professional sport in the United States has the rhetorical power to both challenge and contribute to dominant racial and gender ideologies that maintain whiteness (Collins, 2004; Griffin & Calafell, 2011; hooks, 2004). In many cases, professional sport, including the two most popular sport leagues in the United States, the NFL and the National Basketball Association (NBA), has historically been a site in which racial and gender surveillance and dominance by White masculinity1 are played out in ways that marginalizes individuals who do not occupy whiteness, including those who occupy Black masculine positionality,2 despite claims of sport facilitating a “color-blind” or “postracial” space (De B’b eri, & Hogarth, 2009; Enck-Wanzer, 2009; Flores, Ashcraft, & Marafiote, 2013; Grano, 2010, 2014; Griffin & Calafell, 2011; Oates, 2007; Oates & Durham, 2004). Within these leagues, individuals who resist such control are worthy of The author wishes to express a sincere thank you to the anonymous reviewers who provided meaningful and constructive feedback that enriched this article. Present affiliation: Department of Communication, Media, & Culture, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article. public and scholarly attention, as they de-center whiteness and bring forth civil approaches to contesting White racial control and advancing towards social justice. Although the strategies of Kaepernick are remarkable and worthy of public and scholarly attention, this article examines the civil and symbolic strategies of two other athletes with arguably more rhetorical power due to their popularity: NFL North Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton and NBA Oklahoma City Thunder’s point guard Russell Westbrook. Through my analyses and critique of U.S. news media and popular sports media, I argue that Newton and Westbrook rhetorically perform an alternative Black masculinity that symbolically contests whiteness’s surveillance (hooks, 2004) via their performance of cool pose (Majors & Billson, 1992). For this specific study, I argue it is essential to interrogate rhetorical texts and performances that resist whiteness’s racial and gender control over Black masculinity, as such rhetorics provide meaningful alternatives and hope for marginalized individuals (Phillips & Griffin, 2014) and contribute to the positive social reconstitution and redefinition of Black masculinity (Jackson, 2006). I aim to extend critical projects that specifically name and interrogate whiteness’s rhetorical power and its intersection with masculinity within U.S. men’s professional sport (e.g., Enck-Wanzer, 2009; Flores, Ashcraft, & Marafiote, 2013; Grano, 2007, 2010; Griffin, 2012; Griffin & Phillips, 2014; Oates, 2007; Oates & Durham, 2004; Mocarksi & Billings, 2014), by analyzing the ways in which NFL and NBA players rhetorically resist such White masculine control. This is especially significant considering the current political and cultural climate of the United States that vigorously defends postracial claims in favor of White masculinity at the detriment of Black masculinity. Because this project aims to identify and dismantle rhetorical practices that maintain whiteness and White masculinity, which extend beyond sport into political and social policies and practices, it aims to contribute to projects within critical intercultural communication, critical whiteness studies, and critical rhetorical analysis (McKerrow, 1989; Nakayama & Halualani, 2013; Nakayama & Krizek, 1995). Using a critical rhetorical approach, and informed by Black Feminist Thought (BFT) and critical whiteness studies, in the following, I argue that Newton and Westbrook’s liberating performances offer an alternative expression of Black masculinity, a form of contestation to whiteness and White masculinity’s control, through their corporeal expression of cool pose (Majors & Billson, 1992). Cool pose is a performance of individuality integral in Black culture, which is often expressed in sport through celebrating, dunking, dancing, spiking, and even trash talk (Simmons, 2003). Cool pose, therefore, functions as a strategy for men and women who occupy Black positionality to both cope with White domination and White patriarchy and resist it concurrently (Majors & Billson, 1992). In reaction to this, my analyses further reveal that by controlling common interpretations of Newton and Westbrook’s resistance, whiteness rhetorics of the NFL and NBA, as well as sports media and fans, continue to inscribe controlling images of Black masculinity on Black male athletes to strategically further whiteness’s racial power. To come to this conclusion, I first explain BFT as a critical frame for this analysis within the context of men’s U.S. professional sport. I then describe the NFL and NBA’s policies and practices that surveil. Next, I argue that Newton and Westbrook offer an alternative Black masculinity as a form of contestation. Finally, I examine how 58 L. M. CRAMER the NBA, NFL, and news and sports media and sports fans reconstitute Newton and Westbrook’s expressions through a White lens, allowing for whiteness’s racial power to be practiced and ultimately ideologically inscribed onto Black male bodies. My analyses close with a discussion of implications for Westbrook and Newton’s resistance strategies. Black Feminist Thought Although BFT focuses particularly on how race, gender, and often socioeconomic status intersect to influence representations and oppressions of Black femininity, BFT also provides an illuminating framework for the analysis of Black masculine representations and oppressions, as much BFT literature discusses the plight of Black masculinity (Collins, 2004). BFT’s framework provides a rich and essentially critical framework for reaching social justice initiatives for individuals who are marginalized by whiteness and White domination due to intersections of race and gender, including individuals who occupy Black masculinity. Specifically, because of its commitment to examining historical marginalizations and exposing harmful constructions and representations of racialized “Others” in popular culture, concepts principally developed and explored within BFT, including controlling images and surveillance, provide a critical framework for examining and understanding the ways in which whiteness works to dominate, discipline, and watch Black masculinity and inscribe the Black male body with negative and harmful constructions grounded in U.S. antebellum slavery. Controlling images Collins (2009) explains that individuals who occupy Black positionality have, since chattel slavery in the United States, been dominated by whiteness through narratives, constructions, or inscriptions that she calls “controlling images” (p. 72). Whiteness is a strategic rhetoric and a cultural location of racial privilege as a result of a historical legacy of White domination (Nakayama & Krizek, 1995). Controlling images, which are part of that rhetoric, since the antebellum period, have been a communicative strategy used by whiteness and White masculinity to justify such racial and gendered domination and oppression, and continue to be used today in a variety of cultural spaces, including professional sport (Calafell, 2015). Jackson (2006) explains that the body is socially understood and treated as a discursive text that people continuously read. For men and women who occupy Black positionality, inscriptions have historically been expressed uniquely, resulting in men and women being read and treated differently (Collins, 2004). For men, the controlling image of the “Black buck” was constructed and inscribed on Black male bodies by slave owners who occupied White positionality to (inhumanely) associate men who occupied Black positionality with an animal captured from Africa who needed to be tamed (Jackson, 2006). hooks (2004) explains that men who occupy Black positionality in U.S. society today are still wrongfully seen as “animals, brutes, natural born rapists, and murderers” (p. xii), and are often constructed, again wrongfully, within a White dominated society as someone who should be feared (Calafell, 2015). These supposed HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 59 qualities associated with being animal- or even monster-like, and therefore, in need of control, while not always communicated explicitly, are now expressed in more covert ways since the civil rights movement to maintain White domination (Bonilla-Silva, 2014; Calafell, 2015; Collins, 2004; Griffin & Calafell, 2011). Jackson (2006) calls this process scripting and argues that Black corporeal inscription “is not just about stereotypes and negative images; it is about how the treatment of Black bodies as commodities has persisted for hundreds of years and continues today” (p. 12). He states, “Socially, the body facilitates the perpetuation of ascriptive devices used to assign meanings to ingroups and outgroups; it also serves to jog the personal memories of cultural interactants, to remind them visually of the constitutive discourses that provide form and structure to their social cognitions about racialized bodies” (p. 1). He then explains that these bodily inscriptions are infused with iterations of whiteness ideology personified as Black physical objects, which are complicated by the dialectic of control and desire. Therefore, in addition to these controlling images, athletes who occupy Black positionality have also been subject to a different form of control, surveillance. Surveillance Although historically marginalized individuals may no longer be excluded from certain institutions, like U.S. men’s professional sports, the terms of their inclusion, such as the rules and social contracts that regulate their participation, have grown in significance (Collins, 2009; Grano, 2014). Collins (2009) explained that surveillance occurs when groups with more power, such as those who occupy whiteness or White masculinity, have authority to watch those with less power, such as those who occupy Black masculinity. This form of surveillance manifests in ways that often appear as normal, natural, or common sense, rather than explicitly racist. In the NBA and NFL, surveillance takes on two specific forms, materializing itself in disciplinary policies constructed and enforced by the leagues, as well as expressing itself in fan responses and news and sports media coverage and representations of the athletes. In the NFL, such disciplinary policies include those outlined in the NFL Rule Book (National Football League, 2016). NFL surveillance Scholars like Cunningham (2009) argue that the NFL has adopted strict guidelines to suppress individual athlete engagement. Specifically, the NFL has enforced rules for appearance and sportsmanship, which although pertinent to all NFL athletes, are targeted toward athletes who occupy Black masculine positionality considering that 68.7% of athletes in the NFL (who are all men) identify as African American (Lapchick & Robinson, 2015). The targeting is evident in that these guidelines endeavor to counter many of the aspects athletes who occupy Black masculine positionality have brought to sports, including those of individual expression in appearance and celebration. These NFL rhetorical practices, such as the NFL Rule Book, 3 as well as the strategic positioning and silencing of players during TV broadcasted games aim to “tame” Black masculinity for the consumption of an audience that predominantly occupies White masculine positionality. This works for the NFL to market and “sell” its star athletes to fans and 60 L. M. CRAMER consumers in a “safe” way, a “Whiter” way. In addition to practices that do not allow for individual players’ faces or voices to be seen or heard during media broadcasted games, players cannot engage in “excessive” celebratory practices, as they are considered taunting (Rule 12 Article 3). According to the Rule Book, such behaviors include (but are not limited to), “Using baiting or taunting acts or words that engender ill will between teams” and “prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations” (National Football League, 2016). These practices and policies that limit fans’ ability to see players’ faces, hear their voices, or see their individual bodily expressions of emotion, I argue, allow for NFL players’ humanity, which is expressed in their facial expressions, words, celebrations, or even uniqueness of shoes, to be omitted during televised games. Such omissions work as a tactic of surveillance to visually and audibly elide the humanity of players who occupy Black masculine positionality from an audience that predominantly occupies White masculine positionality. For the NBA, the NBA Dress Code (NBA Media Ventures, LLC, 2005), developed in 2006, similarly expresses such control over Black masculinity. NBA surveillance Similar to the NFL’s Rule Book and media coverage of televised NFL games, various scholars have found that the 2006 NBA Dress Code functions as a materialization of whiteness to practice surveillance of NBA players, thereby inscribing controlling images of Black masculinity onto Black male athletes (Cunningham, 2009; Griffin, 2012; Griffin & Calafell, 2011). This is noteworthy considering that 74.4% of players identify as Black (Lapchick & Guiao, 2015). The code, which was enforced in 2006 by former NBA Commissioner David Stern, was a strategic effort by the NBA to “clean up” its “bad boy” and “thug” image constructed in news and sports media after the “Malice at the Palace” brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans in November of 2004 (Cunningham, 2009; Grano, 2007; Griffin & Calafell. 2011). Still in its initial form, the code states that players are “required to wear Business Casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business” (NBA Media Ventures, LLC, 2005, para. 1). Business casual refers to “long or short sleeved shirt (collared or turtleneck), and/or a sweater. Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans. Appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or workboots)” (para. 1). The code also states that players are prohibited from wearing headgear of any kind, chains, pendants, or medallions over their clothes, sunglasses while indoors, or headphones. In total, the code functions as a form of surveillance of Black masculinity as it functions to, like the NFL’s policies, ensure fans a “toned-down” and “safer” version of Black masculinity, one that has been Whitened, and therefore, more easily commodified by the NBA and “consumed” by an audience that predominantly occupies whiteness (Cunningham, 2009; Grano, 2007; Griffin & Calafell. 2011). In light of NFL, NBA, and media surveillance, I argue that Newton and Westbrook contest whiteness’s control and surveillance by socially rewriting and reconstituting common misunderstandings of Black masculinity via expressions of cool pose. HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 61 NFL Cam Newton’s resistance Cam Newton is a record-breaking, 28-year-old quarterback who occupies Black masculine positionality. In addition to his game-time record-breaking success, he has established himself as a sport and pop culture icon due to his celebratory “dab” dance, Superman pose, and his use of the southern Black dance move called “hit dem folks,” among other game-time dance moves, that many fans have both embraced and criticized as forms of taunting. In addition, his rhetorical performances during postgame press conferences have garnered media and fan attention and criticism. Namely, his choice to wear a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head during a postgame interview after losing Super Bowl 50 in January 2016 functioned as a notable moment in Newton’s career. Through a critical reading of Newton’s game-time dances and press conference responses during the 2015-2016 season, these specific forms of expression reveal an alternative masculinity—a performance of resistance to the use of controlling images and surveillance by the NFL, its fans, and sports media. Cunningham (2009) explains, For Black athletes, sport is a form of entertainment, and the athlete the entertainer. Thus all of the theatricalities that black males bring to sport- the highlight reel dunks, the choreographed dance moves after scoring, the trash talk- are endemic of a Black sportsmanship aesthetic that emphasizes individuality and performance. (p. 49) Majors and Billson (1992) described this expression as cool pose, or a construction of unique, expressive, and conspicuous style of demeanor, speech, dress, hair, walk, stance, and handshake. Cool pose is a performance of individualism inherent in Black culture, which is often articulated in sport through dancing, celebrating, dunking, spiking, and even trash talk (Simmons, 2003). Muhammad Ali, an exemplary figure of cool pose, was, for instance, commonly understood as “flamboyant, colorful, and extroverted to the extreme” (Farred, 2003, p. 31) because of his trash talk before and even during matches, and his proclamations of “I am the greatest!”. Cool pose, then, is a strategy of coolness and style that has developed through time as a way for individuals who occupy Black positionality, like Ali, to both cope with White domination and White patriarchy and contest it simultaneously (Majors & Billson, 1992). In addition to expressiveness, part of cool pose requires a “restrained masculinity” of sorts (Majors & Billson, 1992, p. 4). This includes conforming to White masculine ideals for behavior, such as constructing the self as composed, controlled, stoic, emotionless, and unflinching (hooks, 2004; Majors & Billson, 1992; Trujillo, 1991). Such expectations for restraint worked and continue to work as survival strategies that originated during chattel slavery when slave owners occupying White positionality punished any nonverbal expression by slaves who occupied Black positionality. When individuals who occupied Black positionality and who were enslaved explicitly displayed emotion, they were often severely punished, therefore, they learned to use communicative strategies (i.e., those associated with whiteness) that would minimize or avoid punishment and harm (Majors & Billson, 1992). Majors and Billson (1992) explain, “Since the days of slavery, African-Americans have used coolness to express themselves without risking punishment. Playing it cool becomes a routinized, stylized method for expressing the aggressive masculinity that pervades black life” (p. 27). This legacy of control over emotional expression is evident today, as behaviors deemed as “civil” or even “moral,” and those 62 L. M. CRAMER most likely to assist one in professional and social advancement, are those that are represented and commonly displayed by men who occupy White positionality (Grano, 2007, 2010; Khan, 2017). These include the practice of self-restraint, and a demeanor characterized as impersonal and dispassionate (Majors & Billson, 1992). Grano (2010) argues that players who do not conform to these standards are often disciplined by sports media discourse through characterizations as morally inept and “incomplete” in character. Therefore, similar to practices during chattel slavery, performances of cool pose, which work as both contestation and conformity, can occur simultaneously and contradictorily as survival strategies. For Newton, his utilization of cool pose is found throughout his various game time and post-game time displays, which emphasize emotion, rather than restraint, and therefore, challenge expectations whiteness places upon men who occupy Black positionality. First, during the post-Super Bowl press conference in 2016, Newton’s choice to wear a hoodie with the hood over his head and partially covering his face was significant (Orr, 2016). A hoodie represents a garment and style associated with Black masculinity and hip-hop culture, making it an expression of his racial and cultural identification (Givhan, 2012). Furthermore, his emotional expression of grief, as evident in hiding his face, speaking in a low tone, and offering brief responses to media questions serve as a form of resistance to common strategies of Black masculinity that conform to White masculine standards of emotional suppression. In addition, Newton’s infamous “dab” dance, among his other dance moves like the Superman pose, which he performed to celebrate touchdowns, border on the NFL’s definition of taunting. His dance moves have been used and modified by young men who occupy Black masculinity throughout the United States as a form of expression, as evident in the various YouTube videos posted by young men using the “dab” that have received millions of views (see Aspect Zavi, 2016). As such, his performance works to resist White masculine efforts to suppress Black masculine expression that are communicated in the NFL Rule Book. Majors and Billson (1992) explain, “Dancing is a form of nonverbal expression that exudes freedom, creativity, spontaneity, and improvisation. The so-called ‘rhythmic style’ in black culture is epitomized by dancing” (p. 75). Within this definition, dancing, like the dab, is understood as a positive expression of freedom and creativity. Considering that a restrained masculinity, one that is controlled and emotionless, are elements of cool pose that conform to whiteness, and are often used as a strategy for survival, Newton’s expression of emotions, whether sadness, anger, or joy, are expressions of resistance to whiteness’s control, and ones that challenge his “survival” in the NFL, as he could potentially be fined for such behavior if deemed excessive by White masculinity. Newton’s expression of emotion, and therefore, his symbolic contestation, is reminiscent of the nonviolent resistance also expressed by Muhammad Ali. Sports media worked to reduce Ali to physical strength and athleticism without the sharp keen intelligence and critical wit that he possessed, but he consistently contradicted such constructions with repeated performances of nonviolent rhetorical resistance (Gorsevski & Butterworth, 2011; hooks, 2004). One of his methods of challenge was to counter the Black buck image as silent and unemotional by daring to speak loudly, to be bold and boisterous, and to express a range of emotions, from sadness to joy to anger to hurt HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 63 (hooks, 2004). Likewise, Newton’s position in football as the quarterback, a position usually associated with White masculinity, as it is the most “intelligent” position in the game (Hartmann, 2007; Mercurio & Filak, 2010), works in combination with his emotional expressions to forge an alternative Black masculinity and reinscribe positive understandings of Black masculinity on his own body. His insistence on expressing intelligence, athleticism, and emotion, whether through his celebratory game-time dances and use of the “dab,” his insistence on wearing a hoodie over his head, or his grief expressed during press conferences, contradict the expectations that whiteness and the NFL Rule Book place upon Black masculinity to be unthinking and unfeeling, to set aside associations with hip-hop culture or blackness, and to only perform athletically as a corporeal object (hooks, 2004). As a result, his rhetorical performance of an alternative Black masculinity via the utilization and contradiction to cool pose challenges whiteness’s expectations placed upon him. Whiteness’s reframing of Cam Newton’s resistance Although Newton’s performance of a rescripted Black masculinity works as form of resistance to the NFL Rule Book, fans, and sports media’s insistence on suppression of thought and individuality, his rhetorical performance is arguably appropriated and redefined by fans and sports media to serve the interests of whiteness. Such performances of cool pose, those that inscribe men’s athletic bodies with blackness, are contradictorily embraced by professional sport as forms of hip-hop entertainment and young Black culture, and ultimately a marketable commodity for a fan base that predominantly occupies White positionality, and also feared as dangerous and violent (Mocarski & Billings, 2014; Watts & Orbe, 2002). This exemplifies a desire vs. hate dialectic, as Jackson (2006) describes, which traces its beginnings to Antebellum south preoccupations with lynching Black bodies as both punishment and (White) public entertainment. Likewise, cool pose is embraced for its expression of hip-hop culture and authentic blackness as a form of entertainment. It is concurrently, and problematically, vilified, and ultimately, disciplined, controlled, marketed, and sold by whiteness and White masculinity, thereby maintaining the legacy of the antebellum south in modern-day U.S. professional sport. Subsequently, in addition to the previously described NFL rules, rhetorical strategies of control that subject Black masculinity to White masculine control were evident during the discourses surrounding Newton’s touchdown celebrations and press conference responses. Through a critical reading of online U.S. news and sport media responses in the 2015-2016 season to Newton’s game-time dances and his Super Bowl 50 press conference appearance, I argue that Newton’s rhetorical performance was scripted by whiteness ideals as arrogant and cowardice. Performances of cool pose are often perceived as threatening to the racial and social expectations of men’s professional sport and are routinely represented as selfish and arrogant (Grainger, Newman, & Andrews, 2006; hooks, 2004). In the case of Newton, his dab dance and Superman pose, among other moves, have elicited mixed responses from fans and media (Fowler, 2015; Jones, 2015; Siner, 2015a, 2015b). Most, however, have labeled his actions as a form of taunting and have described him as elaborate, inappropriate, showy, and arrogant (Siner, 2015a). In November 2015, after attending a 64 L. M. CRAMER Carolina Panthers game with her 9-year-old daughter, a Tennessee Titans fan, Rosemary Plorin, sent Newton a personal letter, which she then sent to the Charlotte Observer, the local newspaper in the city that Newton plays for, and posted it onto her Facebook page. In her letter, she stated: Because of where we sat, we had a close up view of your [Newton’s] conduct in the fourth quarter. The chest puffs. The pelvic thrusts. The arrogant struts and the “in your face” taunting of both the Titans’ players and fans … My daughter … started asking questions. Won’t he get in trouble for doing that? Is he trying to make people mad? Do you think he knows he looks like a spoiled brat? I didn’t have great answers for her, and honestly, in an effort to minimize your negative impact and what was otherwise a really fun day, I redirected her attention to the cheerleaders and mascot. I could tell she was still thinking about it as we boarded a shuttle back to our car. “I guess he doesn’t have kids or a Mom at home watching the game” she added. (Siner, 2015a, para. 4–9) Such constructions reinforce common controlling images of Black masculinity, and particularly athletes who occupy Black masculine positionality, and inscribe their bodies as inherently selfish and arrogant (Grainger et al., 2006). As previously mentioned, White masculine standards call for a Black masculinity characterized as controlled, emotionless, and stoic, resembling the behaviors enforced by White masculinity upon slaves who occupied Black positionality during the antebellum period. Newton contradicts these controlling practices of expression through his dances as well as his choice to wear a hoodie during a press conference immediately after losing Super Bowl 50. For this, however, his expression of cool pose as well as his choice to not remain “cool” by expressing emotion, was found to be misunderstood, as he garnered more media criticism. Namely, media and fan responses sought to chastise him as child-like and disrespectful, a practice common for sports media depictions of NFL players occupying Black positionality (Grano, 2010). For instance, a Sporting News online article stated: Look, I’m a big Newton fan … But if you’re going to be the new face of the NFL, you have to handle losing the Big Game with more dignity and professionalism than that. The video of the sullen Newton will only give more ammo to critics who say the 26-year old QB is a cocky diva who dabs when he’s winning—but runs and hides when he’s losing. (McCarthy, 2016, para. 4–6) The article then goes on to compare Newton to other NFL stars who have lost in a Super Bowl, both those who occupy Black positionality and White positionality, stating, “They were all devastated and angry. But they handled it” (para. 7). These claims worked to situate Newton within the Black buck image, a man who needed to be disciplined and forced to conform to whiteness’s standards, thereby furthering White domination over Newton and Black masculinity (Collins, 2004). In response to the previously mentioned letter that Plorin submitted to the Charlotte Observer, she received several criticisms from fans and media alike, many of who defended Newton as a role model because of his numerous charitable efforts in the Charlotte area (Siner, 2015a, 2015b). When asked about the letter in a press conference, Newton responded, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion … If she feels offended, I apologize to her, but at the end of the day, I am who I am. It is what it is” (Siner, 2015b, para. 6). After Newton’s apology, Plorin, satisfied with Newton’s response to her criticisms, then stated: HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 65 I watched the video of Cam Newton responding to media questions about my letter to him earlier this week. I really appreciate his comments and his respect for my thoughts, and I was impressed with the sensitivity and graciousness with which he spoke. I am sorry I didn’t understand him better until this week. It is clear from his remarks that he recognizes his leadership role, both on and off the field, and that he truly cares about the kids watching him. I respect his comments just as much as he did mine, and I wish him nothing but continued success on the field and in life. (Siner, 2015b, para. 7–8) Plorin’s satisfaction with Newton further expresses White control. By Newton acknowledging his leadership role, which Plorin takes credit for bringing his attention to (as if he did not already know), as well as his respectful and civil response to her unsolicited opinions, furthered her supposed authority to watch and control Newton’s game-time actions, and therefore his blackness, and force an apology from him for expressing elements of Black culture, even though he had done nothing to her or her daughter. In total, Newton’s performance of cool pose, elicited, and continues to elicit, responses from fans and media that fail to understand Newton’s expressions as a form of individuality and resistance to a legacy of racial control and surveillance in the United States. Rather than seeking understanding of Black masculine positionality or why Newton and so many other players choose to engage in expressions of emotion through dance or even their choice of clothes, fans and media who occupy whiteness perpetuate whiteness by engaging in knee-jerk reactions of distaste and disapproval, inhumanely reinscribing Black male bodies as mere physical vessels for athletic performance and White entertainment and nothing else. They do so through an expressed form of rhetorical surveillance and discipline, and ultimately, distaste, thereby perpetuating whiteness as the normative standard by which all players are measured and judged. Furthermore, such responses function as whiteness’s justification for rhetorically situating White positionality as the “rightful” disciplinarian of behavior, resulting in the degradation of Black masculinity and Black culture. NBA Russell Westbrook’s resistance Russell Westbrook, a 29-year-old NBA point guard who occupies Black masculine positionality, is a five time NBA all-star who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is often considered one of the most athletic players in NBA history and is widely recognized as one of the best all-around players currently playing in the NBA (Kalra, 2016). His popularity as both an athlete and a distinguished public figure is evident in that he was honored in 2015 by Ebony Magazine as one of the heroes of the Black community by selecting him to its 2015 Ebony Power 100, a group that the magazine describes as those who lead and inspire within the Black community (Ebony, 2015). In addition, his complex performance of resistance to NBA control is noteworthy and deserving of a close reading. Like Newton, Westbrook is known for his distinctive pregame and game-time dances, as well as his unique handshakes, many of which are choreographed with his teammates (see NBA Life, 2016). In addition to these expressions of cool pose, through a critical reading of Westbrook’s fashion choices for gameday arrivals and postgame press conferences during the 2015-2016 season, I argue that Westbrook also offers an alternative 66 L. M. CRAMER Black masculinity. This is particularly accomplished through his fashion and style, which violate restrictions placed upon expressions of Black culture through the NBA Dress Code. Westbrook has become the NBA’s most prominent fashion icon since Dennis Rodman. He has appeared in magazines like Vogue, ESPN the Magazine, GQ, and the New York Times solely for his fashion choices. In August 2016, Westbrook was awarded the “Best Dressed” award for the 2016 season by the National Basketball Players Association Players Voice Award (Tsuji, 2016). He even launched his own fashion line in 2016 with the brand True Religion. Juxtaposed against his remarkable athleticism and athletic physique (six feet and three inches tall, and 200 pounds to be specific), Westbrook adorns himself with high fashion that contradicts the required garments listed in the NBA Dress Code. He is known for his expression of “nerd chic,” which includes thick rimmed glasses, bow ties, suspenders, and other “geeky” clothes, which challenge the NBA’s definition of professional attire (Moore, 2016). Most recently, he has worn chains, sunglasses while indoors, ripped jeans, cut-offs, t-shirts, sweatpants, sneakers, boots, and hats, all of which are listed within the policy as banned garments (NBA Media Ventures, LLC, 2005). For instance, during Game 4 of the NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks in 2016, he arrived to the game wearing a white cut-off t-shirt and sweatpants with Christian Louboutin Gray Louis men’s flat sneakers. He later arrived to Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs wearing a Ramones (rock band) t-shirt and acid-washed Saint Laurent blue jeans. To Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs, he wore a faded blue-jean coat with white ripped jeans and white sneakers (Medworth, 2016). His style is far from “business casual,” as required by the code, but he has yet to be fined or reprimanded for his fashion choices. The result is a defiant expression of an ambiguous amalgamation of masculine and feminine style, contradicting the White masculine expectations for Westbrook, and all other NBA players, to conform to the White masculine standards for dress outlined in the NBA Dress Code. His expression continues a legacy of athletes like Muhammad Ali, who in addition to exclaiming, “I am the greatest!”, also exclaimed, “I am the prettiest!” (Farred, 2003). Ali embraced Black aesthetics, took pride in his trimmed, manicured afro, and called his opponents “too ugly,” challenging masculine norms for expressions of style (Farred, 2003). Today, Westbrook’s use of style and high fashion has set the standard for similar expressions of Black culture, and therefore resistance to the NBA Dress Code, as numerous NBA players have followed his lead by combining hip-hop and high fashion for their pre- and postgame apparel, allowing for a group cohesion and unified form of contestation and rescripting of Black masculinity from hypermasculine or violent, to artistic and even expressively feminine. As a group, they take the pleasurable and make it political, a function of the vernacular (Farred, 2003). By rewriting a unique Black masculine script, Westbrook exemplifies how the “popular is the social conjuncture that marks the complicated nexus between pleasure and resistance” (Farred, 2003, p. 1). Similar to the ways in which slaves who occupied Black positionality resisted White domination during antebellum slavery through expressing “cool” with subtle nonverbal expressions, such as mannerisms, facial expressions, and body postures, Westbrooks rhetorical performance of cool has developed and been expressed under the watchful HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 67 eye of the NBAs surveillance (Majors & Billson, 1992). hooks (2004) explains that “Negative stereotypes about the nature of black masculinity continue to over determine the identities black males are allowed to fashion for themselves” (p. xii). Although news and sports media continue subject NBA players like Lebron James and NFL players like Richard Sherman to negative stereotypes and controlling images, including violent, animalistic, and beast-like (e.g., Dickerson, 2016; Page, Duffy, Frisby, & Perreault, 2016), given players’ celebrity platform, through media appearances and social media, they can work to construct (or co-construct) their own identities (e.g., Mocarski & Billings, 2014) as a form of resistance to controlling practices of the NBA as well as common media representations within mainstream sports media. During pregame, postgame, and both NBA and non-NBA public appearances, Westbrook has aimed to, through fashion, craft a softer, feminized version of Black masculinity, which contradicts these historical controlling images that have been inscribed upon him. Commonly framed as violent, animalistic, and even monster-like, expressions of femininity through the adornment of clothes that are commonly associated with women, like tight pants, shirts that look like dresses, or wearing the color pink, allows for a softer masculinity to surface within the NBA. Majors and Billson (1992) explain that “style includes attitudes, assumptions, and feelings about self and others, as they are expressed in language, dress, and nonverbal behavior” (p. 72). Being cool requires a distinctive style. This style is highly personalized and articulated through variations of talk, walk, choice of clothes or shoes, tattoos, and hairstyles (Majors & Billson, 1992). Westbrook’s styling, then, is an answer to the silencing, marginalization, dehumanization, and control that Black masculinity has historically experienced, as it is a proactive way that he communicates individual thought and value. Westbrook, through fashion, and therefore style, has reconstituted rather mundane events in the NBA, such as arriving to a game and speaking to the press after a game, into spectacles of individual expression. This has resulted in Westbrook being rhetorically positioned as simultaneously the embodiment of celebrity and alternative Black masculinity. Majors and Billson (1992) explain, “Cool pose brings a dynamic vitality into the black male’s everyday encounters, transforming the mundane into the sublime and making the routine spectacular” (p. 2). Furthermore, expressions of style work as an evolving and dynamic art form characterized by new aesthetics. This historically has been seen in rap music or dance, in which expressions, such as break dancing proclaim, as Majors and Billson (1992) put it, “White man, this is my turf. You can’t outdo me here” (p. 70). Therefore, Westbrook’s expression of style, and particularly through the use of high fashion and even a more feminine fashion, is part of a legacy within Black culture to express individuality, value, and even resistance to White domination in a unique way that challenges whiteness to outdo him. Whiteness’s reframing of Russell Westbrook’s resistance In response to Westbrook’s rhetorical performance, however, the NBA and sports media have worked to redefine his symbolic action in a way that serves whiteness and undermines Black masculinity. Namely, this is achieved through constructing Westbrook as a racial spectacle as well as attributing Westbrook and other players’ financial and social 68 L. M. CRAMER successes to the NBA Dress Code and Stern, thereby maintaining White racial control over Black masculinity. Jackson (2006) states, “the interpretations of mass-mediated inscriptions of the body reveal the hidden contours of psychic and institutional investitures that drive, indeed motivate, the producers of inscriptions” (p. 1). In the following, I detail how whiteness’s interpretations of Westbrook allow for insight into the producers of such inscriptions. The very presence of media responses to Westbrook’s fashion choices speaks rhetorically. Throughout the 2015–2016 season, as previously mentioned, Westbrook was featured in a variety of mainstream magazines and newspapers like GQ, Ebony, The New York Times, and USA Today not for his basketball success, but to highlight his fashion choices. Within these articles and many others, Westbrook was constructed as a racial and gendered spectacle through a focus on his expensive and elaborate style as well as through constructing him as a side-show, a strange fashion display to laugh at. For instance, one article stated, “Russell Westbrook showed up to Oklahoma City’s season opener on Wednesday night looking like Waldo getting lost at Fraggle Rock” (Chase, 2015, para. 1). Another article reproduced a Tweet by 120 Sports, which compared an image of Westbrook in a silver outfit wearing glasses to an image of Steve Urkel dressed up like a robot asking “Who wore it better? Russell Westbrook or Steve Urkel?” (Chase, 2015). Such mockery invites the audience to laugh at Westbrook, rather than consider and appreciate the symbolic expressions of artistry and individuality found within his fashion choices. This sort of mockery is a legacy of post-slavery minstrelsy, such as the Sambo character (in the years 1769 to about 1927), who was played by a man occupying White positionality in Blackface dressed in rags. Sambo was reflection of the White majority’s perceptions of Black positionality, as he was characterized as inadequate, nonintellectual, and incompetent (Jackson, 2006). Still today, Jackson (2006) explains, men who occupy Black positionality are recovering from these disparaging comedic images, as they were of the most “wicked, scornful, and psychically injurious representations” (p. 21). The treatment of Westbrook represents this legacy of scorn and the corporeal inscription of Black masculinity as ridiculous, abnormal, and worthy of mockery. In addition to mocking Westbrook’s fashion expressions, many articles discussed and estimated what his clothes cost, whether he pays for them or not, and how much he makes per year (Chase, 2015). In a SBNation article, Medworth (2016) broke down each outfit that Westbrook wore to the 2016 NBA playoffs, focusing on the brand, how much each garment cost, and where it could be purchased. Medworth stated that Westbrook wore Christian Louboutin Gray Louis men’s flat sneakers that cost $895 to Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks, Saint Laurent blue jeans that cost $750 to Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs, and a $1,595 faded blue-jean coat to Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs (Medworth, 2016). Similarly, a USA Today article calculated that it cost $300,000 per season to dress like Westbrook (Chase, 2015). The article finished by stating that even if he does not pay for all of his clothes, as some may be given to him by the brand itself, he can afford them, as he earns $16,744,218 in the 2015–2016 season, averaging out to $204,000 per game for an 82 regular game season. These articles work to create a form of shock and awe surrounding Westbrook and his fashion choices. This is especially interesting in a celebrityHOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 69 saturated media context in which celebs are repeatedly photographed wearing designer clothes, but rarely is the cost of their daily outfits or salaries regularly calculated. In addition to the continued focus on how much Westbrook’s clothes cost and his annual salary, the media rhetorically attributes the success of Westbrook, as well as others who have developed into fashion icons, to the NBA Dress Code and Stern. The recent successes of players within the fashion world are quite expansive. For instance, Steph Curry models for Express, Nick Young modeled for Forever21, Dwayne Wade developed RunWade, a fashion night in Miami, and Kyle Lowry launched the Roots  Kyle Lowry fashion collection (Markovivic, 2016; Spagnolo, 2014). Numerous players have also been recognized in mainstream media outlets as fashion icons including Iman Shumpert, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Amare Stoudemire, Lebron James, Carmello Anthony, John Wall, James Harden, Andre Drummond, and Pau Gasol (Gonzales, 2016). In response to these achievements, whiteness has worked to claim their successes as its own, thereby perpetuating a legacy of appropriation by whiteness. This is achieved, for instance, in media coverage like a Huffington Post (Marmon, 2015) article entitled “How David Stern’s Dress Code Transformed the Modern NBA Star,” which rhetorically accredits former Commissioner Stern and the NBA Dress Code with athletes' successes and stardom related to fashion. Additionally, Cheng (2016) stated in The Stanford Daily “the NBA has accomplished what it intended with the dress code—it has spruced up its public image and thereby created new business opportunities for players and the league” (Cheng, 2016, para. 6). Here, these media sources elide that Stern never stated that he intended for the code to create new business opportunities for the players. Rather, it was a reactionary policy solely developed as a public relations effort by the NBA to “clean up” its “bad boy” image in response to events like “Malice at the Palace” In addition, and most notably, such rhetorics obviate the individual creativity and ingenuity of players that have led them to symbolically protest the restrictions of the code by blatantly violating it. That means that players have achieved fashion icon status and have occupied new business ventures despite the code’s restrictions. Such rhetorics that attribute Stern and the code with player successes ignore that player violations of the code have led to their individual and collective fashion icon statuses and successes, not the restrictions and/or requirements of the code. The rhetorical strategies of whiteness found within media, however, lead audiences to believe that the player base who predominantly occupies Black masculine positionality is better off due to whiteness’s racial surveillance practiced by the NBA, as if racial surveillance practices like the NBA Dress Code, which monitor individual cultural and racial expressions, fosters, rather than suppresses, individual freedoms and opportunities. Through a critical reading, rather than attributing successes to NBA policies, as this article has argued, Westbrook and other players' unique fashion expressions work as cool pose, challenging such restrictions on individual cultural expressions and gaining popularity and success as a way of saying you can’t hold me down. Despite Westbrook’s resistance, however, dominant discourses within media, guided by whiteness, function to reframe this resistance as social and business success due to former Commissioner Stern’s policy, allowing for whiteness to remain as the authority of “right” behavior, and reinscribing Black masculinity as immature and in need of discipline and guidance. 70 L. M. CRAMER Discussion Whiteness garners much of its power through its ability to maneuver around challenges to its cultural space, and therefore maintain its invisibility and centrality (Nakayama & Krizek, 1995). In sport, as an invisible and centralized rhetorical strategy and cultural space, whiteness has established itself as normative and guiding, resulting in inscribing racial “Otherness” on the bodies of Black masculine players in the NFL and NBA. Such inscriptions of Black masculinity, as evident in the media constructions of Newton and Westbrook in 2015–2016, as in need of discipline, as a racial spectacle, and as childlike, result in problematic and harmful repercussions for men who occupy Black positionality, their families, and their communities, reaching beyond the boundaries of sport, and influencing everyday life. Ultimately, the continued strategies of whiteness within sport maintain current ideologies that dehumanize men who occupy Black positionality and support systemic inequalities evident in policing and incarceration rates that disproportionately target men who occupy Black positionality. In 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old man who occupies Black positionality, was shot and killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota during a routine traffic stop (McLaughlin, 2016). Also in 2016, Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott were shot and killed by police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina, respectively (Eversley, 2016; Karimi, Yan, & Almasy, 2016). The justification for their deaths is and was rooted in whiteness’s strategic marginalization of Black masculinity, such as those in the NFL and NBA described in this paper, which script Black bodies as lesser than human and unworthy of respect or care. Given the hypervisibility of Black masculinity within pro men’s sport, like the NFL and NBA, communication scholarship that names whiteness’s rhetorical strategies within sport is essential for critical intercultural communication work as it strives and works towards racial justice and equity. Jackson (2006) tells us that because mass media and popular culture, which includes professional sport, are littered with negative interpretations and inscriptions of Black masculinity and Black bodies, those, like Newton and Westbrook, who dare to struggle toward emancipation and rewrite social understandings of Black masculinity, despite whiteness and White masculinity’s insistent disciplining of their expressions, are imperative for crafting a culture that respects, cares for, and embraces racial difference, and in which Black masculinity and Black bodies can finally be free of the harms of White control. Although Westbrook and Newton’s resistance and use of cool pose is unique to that of Muhammad Ali or even Colin Kaepernick, their contestation and use of cool pose as an expression of Black masculinity is significant, meaningful, and effective for the larger struggle toward racial justice and equity. Notes 1. To identify individuals who contribute to and/or benefit from whiteness’s cultural space, I refer to individuals as those who “occupy White positionality” and “occupy Whiteness” or a variation of these terms rather than as “White” (Nakayama & Krizek, 1995). Consistent with American Psychological Association formatting, I capitalize “White” but not “whiteness” to identify “White” as a racial identification and to call attention to its significance. HOWARD JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATIONS 71 2. When describing individuals who identify as Black or who occupy Black positionality, I have chosen to use the label “Black,” a name that individuals who occupy Black positionality have historically claimed for themselves (Collins, 2004). This label is appropriate, rather than “African American,” because it references African heritage or ethnicity, which may not be accurate for all individuals who occupy Black positionality, as they could have a different ethnic identity or heritage. I also refer to individuals who identify as Black as individuals who “occupy Black positionality” or a variation of this phrase. In such instances, I capitalize “Black” and I only use “black” when providing a direct quote from an author. 3. The NFL Rule Book was updated for the 2017 season, after this analysis was conducted, to allow for players to 1) participate in premediated group celebrations, 2) celebrate on the ground, and 3) use the ball as a p
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