When Cam Newton gave an honest outlook on his time at Auburn: "It wasn’t a normal college experience"

When Cam Newton declared for the NFL draft in 2011, he was at the peak of the college football world. He had just won the Heisman Trophy after a phenomenal season with the Auburn Tigers. It was an easy choice as his draft stock was through the roof.

But to switch to the NFL, Newton needed to forgo his senior year at Auburn. He wasn't the first one to do it but his mother had a wish to see him complete his education. So the 2011 first-overall pick promised his mother that he would complete the degree later.

Newton went back to school a few years later and did it. He opened up about returning to Auburn and shared the experience that same year. And according to him, it wasn't easy.

When Cam Newton opened up about returning to Auburn

The year was 2015. Cam Newton had featured for the Carolina Panthers for four years and had become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. But he remembered the promise he made to his mother.

After completing his degree that year, the then-Panthers star opened up about the experience. In an interview, he revealed that it wasn't a normal college experience for him.

“I saw college in a very different way that I had not seen college before. So it wasn’t a normal college experience. But I was there for one reason – to get that degree,” Newton told the People magazine in 2015.

Carolina Panthers v New Orleans Saints: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 02: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on January 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Newton has already achieved a lot with the Tigers and wanted a step up. So after establishing himself as the QB1 for the Panthers and earning a $103 million extension, he went back to get his degree.

The star for the Auburn Tigers

Before his big switch to the NFL, Cam Newton made his name with the Auburn Tigers. 2010 was his year by all means and he took the opportunity with both hands. He had played earlier with the Florida Gators but did not get enough time to prove himself. So in 2010, Newton moved to Auburn, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Newton threw 30 touchdown passes with 2,854 passing yards and a completion percentage of 66.1%. But his real strength was his dual-threat nature that saw him score 20 additional touchdowns on foot. He brought the national championship title to Auburn that year and won the Heisman Trophy in the process.