Cam Newton Says New Team the Patriots Is a 'Match Made in Heaven for Me'
Steven Senne-Pool/Getty Cam Newton
Cam Newton feels right at home on the Patriots' roster.
On Monday morning, the NFL quarterback, 31, appeared on The Greg Hill Show, a WEEI sports radio show, when he opened up about meshing with the New England team after signing with the squad earlier this summer. Newton said he and the Pats are a "match made in heaven."
“I didn’t know what to expect, and I am just being as honest as I possibly can because I know you guys want to hear,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
“Honestly, it’s been a match made in heaven for me just knowing I am at a place where everything is pulling in the same direction and everything is geared towards winning,” added Newton. "Coming from a person that has won at all levels, I feel as if that if I do the things the right way, trusting the same people who have gotten me to this point and trust their coaching, I think this is something that when you look at an opportunity in a timely manner, it can be accomplished.”
Newton said the perceived reputation of head coach Bill Belichick that he had prior to joining the Patriots completely shifted once he got to know the respected coach.
“I think every type of stereotype that I had about Coach Belichick changed the day I talked to him,” he recalled. “You look at the lineage of players he’s had over the years — obviously the [Tom] Bradys, the Randy Mosses, the Corey Dillons, the Lawrence Taylors, and the list goes on, Tedy Bruschi — it’s no wonder why he’s sustained success over the years.”
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Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Cam Newton in August 2017
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“If he was able to accomplish those things with those players, it made a lot of sense,” Newton added. “The time when I spoke to him and obviously meeting with him face-to-face, it removed any type of doubt, if I even had any. It’s just exciting to play for a person like that.”
The former NFL MVP signed a one-year deal with the Patriots to replace Tom Brady — who left the iconic team after 20 seasons and signed on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — as quarterback.
Newton was selected as the No. 1 pick during the 2011 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. As quarterback, Newton led the team to three straight NFC South titles from 2013 to 2015, as well as Super Bowl 50 in 2016, where the team came up short against the Denver Broncos.
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At the end of the 2015 season, Newton was awarded the league MVP. Over the last two years, Newton has missed 16 regular-season games due to a foot injury that required a procedure. He has also experienced multiple shoulder injuries throughout his career. He was officially released by the Panthers in March.
In a vlog post titled "Farewell Carolina, Hello New England," from his YouTube channel, exclusively premiered by PEOPLE in June, Newton addressed his fans, saying "don't believe the hype," clearing the air by telling the camera: "I never once wanted to leave Carolina. Don't let them believe, don't let them believe anything else. It was their decision. I stuck with it and I knew that so I asked for a trade. Everything else, that's BS."
