Today, we need more game changers. Are you one?
The CBS Dream Team presents Game Changers every Saturday morning. Just recently, Cam Newton was highlighted as a Game Changer. He is one of the most electrifying quarterbacks of his time. However, off the field he makes every effort to make a positive impact in his community.
Sometimes he is called “Superman,” because he is faster than a speeding bullet. When the reporter asked him about being a super hero, he replied, “We all have a super hero ability in us. You can be a great fire fighter, a great teacher, a great lawyer and simply be outstanding in your career. You don’t just have to limit a super hero to a football player and his football record book statistics.”
Although Cam has received many achievements and accolades, including winning a Heisman Trophy and a national championship at Auburn and being the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, he is still very humble. He said he appreciated every opportunity he is given in life, and he appreciates every person around him.
“I like smiling and giving the football away to a kid,” said Cam.
In 2012 the CAM Foundation was established. He said he wanted to be remembered as a person who changed the lives of others.
“Nothing is promised to you in life,” Newton said. “You should do good and positively impact the children of the community.”
Every Thanksgiving, the CAM Newton Foundation sponsors the CAM’s JAM. Families from different races, creeds and colors come together for laughter and fun. More than 1,900 kids gather in Charlotte for the annual event.
Cam said, “Giving back is what is most important. Warm meals and big smiles are a huge part of the event. People loving on each other is what the day is all about. The appreciation is reciprocated.”
Cam said he did not care so much about how he ranked as a football player but what a shame it would be if he didn’t change the world around him.
At the time of the Game Changers Program, Cam and his Carolina Panthers had not yet won the NFC Championship Game. I watched that game to witness him leading his team with so much gusto and stamina. When being interviewed at the end of the game, he called Carolina’s 49-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals “a team effort” and said he wasn’t even thinking about who the Panthers would be facing in the Super Bowl; instead, he was focused on enjoying the evening.
With Super Bowl 50 approaching, many of us will be glued to the TV screen and screaming for our favorite team. To tell the truth, I really like both quarterbacks. A few years ago, I wore a Colts T-shirt and yelled for Peyton Manning. That year he and his teammates won the Super Bowl and received rings. Peyton and his brother Eli have made a big difference to better the world. I often think about how the Manning brothers came to the rescue of the Katrina flood victims in Louisiana.
I plan to go to the sporting goods store this week and buy me a football jersey to wear on Super Bowl Sunday. I have a few days to make certain which jersey to choose. What I do know is these two quarterbacks are both outstanding, and the game will be very exciting.
