Cam Newton fires back, has no regrets about Super Bowl walk-off: 'I don't have to conform'
Two days after losing Super Bowl 50, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said he didn't care if people were trashing his reputation.
After Sunday's loss, Newton was in no mood to finish his postgame media session. There was some debate as to why, with some speculating that Newton may have heard Broncos cornerback Chris Harris' interview and stormed off because of that, but on Tuesday, Newton took a hard line on his choice.
"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser," he said, via ESPN. "I don't have to conform . . . I'm not that guy. This is a great league with or without me. I am my own person."
He elaborated on not taking losing well, saying: "I take pride in that. That's pretty much how I feel."
Did he have any regrets about walking off the podium after the game?
"I really don't. I didn't want to talk to the media at the time," he said. "The truth is, I still don't want talk to the media. I'm human. I never proclaimed I'm perfect."
Newton said that just because other quarterbacks or players have sat through uncomfortable interviews, it doesn't mean he has to. "Who are you to say that your way is right? I'm here to win football games," he fired back.
The Panthers (17-2) had a great season, and Newton won the MVP, accounting for 45 regular-season touchdowns. There is no doubt about his talent, and his Dabbing and celebrations and giving touchdown balls to kids were all a part of the Newton theatrics. The good with the bad, and he's fine with that.
"I have a standard I set for myself. I never once offended anybody. But at the end of the day, we had a great season. We did what a lot of people didn't expect us to do.
"For me, nothing is going to change. That's what you get."
