Rookie WR prospect Jaylen Royals reveals loose connection to Cam Newton

The primes of Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals and former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton are in different eras. Newton's was in the mid-2010s while Royals' could be as late as the 2030s. However, to get to his prime, he first needs to find his way onto an NFL roster.

The vast majority of his case has been made. From his formative years until now, Royals has done everything he could to raise his draft stock so an NFL team would select him. One place he worked on his game was Newton's 7-on-7 event. Speaking to Sportskeeda, Royals revealed that he played in the tournament and he was asked whether he participated in any player's camps before.

"I'm not sure, but I did play for Cam Newton's seven-on-seven team so if you count that," Royals said.

Yes, that counts. Newton's 7-on-7 team C1N has been running since 2011, offering an opportunity for teams of 12 to 18-year-olds to play football in a competitive setting outside of school. The team has played in tournaments sponsored by different companies.

"We aim to inspire and empower the next generation of athletes to reach their full potential," C1N's mission statement reads.

The tournament's website also claims that George Pickens, Deshaun Watson, Justin Fields, Bo Nix and Travis Hunter have participated.

Jalen Royals joins that list.

Cam Newton's viral fight at seven-on-seven tournament turns one year old

Cam Newton at NFL Draft Red Carpet - Source: Imagn

The former Carolina Panthers quarterback played his final NFL snap in 2021. However, he has kept a toe in the world of football through his C1N program which has taken part in tournaments put together by different companies. One example was his participation in a tournament by We Ball Sports.

While the event seemingly provided an outlet for Newton to stay around the game, it also put him in a position to go viral for other reasons.

That's what happened in February 2024. According to USA Today, coaches at the event claimed that Newton started an altercation that took place after a playoff game between Newton's team and Top Shelf Performance. A video exists of the altercation, where Newton was pushed into a guardrail in a chaotic scene.

The controversy is nearing its first anniversary. Based on the timelines, Royals was most likely deep into his college career when the fight took place. With the youth event focused on 12 to 18-year-olds, Royals would have been too old to have participated at the time of the incident.