Cam Newton squashes double standard against Malachi Moore by making Tom Brady comparison

The conduct of Alabama captain Malachi Moore at the end of the Crimson Tide's shock 40-35 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 6 of college football action almost overshadowed the result of the game. Moore slammed Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia's head on the turf and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the ball after being spotted and refused to be substituted.

The discourse around Moore's actions raged on well into the week. During an episode of the "4th and 1" podcast released on Thursday, former NFL star Cam Newton weighed in on the issue. Newton defended the Bama captain while drawing a comparison to Tom Brady to highlight a double standard in judging 'greatness.'

"Okay, Malachi Moore. Very familiar with him personally, played against him in 7-on-7 from Birmingham. I'm not mad at this. As a teammate, as a competitor, as a coach. Now, as a fan, sportsmanship is at the top tier. What I'm seeing here is no different than how we should judge and how we have judged greatness," Newton said.

"Judging Cam Newton soaking under a towel and Tom Brady going crazy or spazzing out on the sideline has always been subjective. 'Oh man, that's passion. Ah, he's a crybaby, oh man that's what winners should do, hold their teammates accountable.'"

Malachi Moore gets support from Alabama community

The Malachi Moore issue was addressed by Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, who stood behind his captain, citing his importance in the dressing room and previous conduct.

Fellow Bama captain Tyler Booker spoke for the players revealing that they had moved on from the issue after which Moore posted an apology as well.

During an episode of the "Pat McAfee Show," retired coach Nick Saban, who has a personal relationship with Malachi Moore gave his thoughts on his meltdown. (Start at 1:40:57)

"Malachi Moore is a great young man," Saban said. "He's gonna be very successful in life. This was totally uncharacteristic for him. But I think this is an example of when you get frustrated, and you get emotional, you make bad choices and decisions and do things that you normally wouldn't do from a character standpoint. I think that was obviously what happened.

"I know he's very sorry for the way he represented himself, his family, his team, the university and all that. But the thing about it is, you can't take those things back."

During his weekly news conference, Kalen DeBoer came to the defense of his captain and revealed that the matter would be dealt with internally and Moore will not be suspended for the Crimson Tide's clash against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 7.