Panthers great Cam Newton: ‘I’m not a football player no more, I’m a YouTuber’
Cam Newton is not likely to play another down of professional football in his life, and he’s at peace with that. In fact, he’s more than just at peace with that—he’s leaning into it.
The Carolina Panthers legend recently sat down with Boardroom to talk shop about his new shop, YouTube. Once the most dynamic player in the game—and oh yeah, a National Football League Most Valuable Player—the 34-year-old expressed his desire to become the biggest YouTuber in sports.
“I’m not a football player no more,” he said. “I’m a YouTuber.”
Newton, along with his production company Iconic Saga, is rising to stardom on the video sharing platform. In 2023, his channel—which currently sits at around 1.24 million followers—racked up over 156 million views.
Whether he’s laying down his football knowledge, classifying quarterbacks or even talking about the state of his former employer, Newton has been making quite a bit of noise lately. And he told Boardroom that he wants to see more athletes get into the space with their own unique viewpoints.
“I would challenge and encourage other athletes to take control of their narrative,” Newton said, per Vinciane Ngomsi. “When I want to hear about football, I want to hear it from a football player. If I want to hear about basketball, I want to hear about that from a basketball player. Media is at a very interesting space right now because you have people who are gaining more validation by being able to speak on certain topics, as opposed to the days where somebody can just voice their opinion and say, ‘Okay, boom. That’s the show.’ Well, in this day and age, it is being able to be authentic to what you’re talking about and how you’re talking about it. And we’re seeing more and more creatives or creators create stories, storylines, and content that’s true to them.”
Well, if one thing about Newton is for sure, it’s that he’s always been true to himself.
