Cam Newton's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Cam Newton.

Cam Newton is a former American football quarterback who played 11 seasons in the NFL, mainly for the Carolina Panthers. Known for his dual-threat abilities, he holds the NFL record for quarterback rushing touchdowns and ranks third in rushing yards. Newton won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship at Auburn before being drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2011. He holds numerous franchise records for Carolina, including passing yards and touchdowns.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1960: Notable Stat

Since 1960, Steve Young (17) and Fran Tarkenton (16) are the only NFL players with more games with 2+ passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown, when compared to Newton's 14 such games.

1971: Pat Sullivan's Touchdown Record

In 1971, Pat Sullivan set a school record for most touchdowns in a single season. This record stood until Cam Newton broke it.

2003: McNair's MVP Award

In 2003, Steve McNair was the first African-American quarterback to receive the NFL MVP award, sharing the honor with Peyton Manning.

2003: Panthers' Start and Record

In 2003, the Panthers had their first 3-0 start to the NFL season, a feat they repeated in 2015 with Newton's help; in 2003, the Panthers also had their first 4-0 record.

2006: Comparison with LaDainian Tomlinson

In 2006, San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson won the award four times in a seven-week span. Cam Newton was the NFL's first player to win the award four times in a seven-week span since.

2007: Comparison with Tom Brady

In 2007, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots won three player of the week awards in five weeks. Cam Newton also achieved that feat.

2007: Brady's Record

In 2007, Tom Brady set a record that Cam Newton would later tie. Brady won the award five times in a single NFL season.

December 4, 2010: SEC Championship Victory

On December 4, 2010, Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to an SEC Championship victory, defeating South Carolina 56–17, setting an SEC Championship Game record for most points scored and largest margin of victory. Newton was named the game MVP.

2010: Won Heisman Trophy

In December 2024, Cam Newton attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony for the first time since winning the award in 2010.

2010: Best Season in NCAA History

Some sportswriters have argued that Cam Newton's 2010 season is the best single season by a player in NCAA history due to his dominance with relatively little talent around him.

January 10, 2011: BCS National Championship Win

On January 10, 2011, Auburn, led by Cam Newton, defeated the Oregon Ducks 22–19 to win the BCS National Championship in Glendale, Arizona.

April 28, 2011: Drafted #1 Overall by Carolina Panthers

On April 28, 2011, Cam Newton was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. This made him the first Heisman Trophy winner to be drafted first overall since Carson Palmer in 2003, and Auburn's fourth No. 1 pick.

September 11, 2011: NFL Debut

On September 11, 2011, in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals, Cam Newton passed for 422 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for another touchdown. Despite the loss, he set a rookie record for passing yards in an opening game, with a quarterback rating of 110.4.

December 4, 2011: NFL Rushing Touchdown Record

On December 4, 2011, Cam Newton set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 13 touchdowns in the season, breaking Steve Grogan's record from 1976. He also had a career-high three rushing touchdowns in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

December 24, 2011: Broke Peyton Manning's Rookie Passing Record

On December 24, 2011, in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's rookie record for passing yards, finishing with 171 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 65 rushing yards in the game.

2011: High rushing touchdowns

Cam Newton finished the 2020 season with a league-high 12 quarterback rushing touchdowns, the second-highest in a season behind his 14 in 2011.

2011: Comparison with other players

Since 2011, only Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson recorded more rushing touchdowns than Cam Newton.

January 1, 2012: 4,000 Rookie Passing Yards

On January 1, 2012, against the New Orleans Saints, Cam Newton became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season, finishing with 4,051 yards.

January 22, 2012: Pro Bowl Selection

On January 22, 2012, Cam Newton was named to the Pro Bowl after the New York Giants won the NFC Championship. He played in the Pro Bowl due to Eli Manning's Super Bowl appearance.

February 4, 2012: Rookie of the Year Awards

On February 4, 2012, Cam Newton was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He received his awards on the inaugural NFL Honors award show.

2012: Rushing Performance Against Atlanta

In 2012, specifically in Week 14 against Atlanta, Cam Newton had 116 rushing yards on nine carries, marking a significant rushing performance.

2012: Rushing Touchdowns

In Week 12 of the 2012 season, Cam Newton had his first game with two rushing touchdowns, marking a significant moment in his career.

2013: Passing Attempts

In 2013, Cam Newton averaged 2.73 seconds to attempt a pass, with the ball out in under 2.5 seconds on 40% of his drop-backs.

2013: Most Touchdowns Since

In 2015, Newton's 45 total touchdowns during the regular season marked the most touchdowns by a single player since 2013.

2014: Panthers Opener Victory

In 2014, the Panthers won their opening game with an injured Cam Newton on the sidelines.

2015: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Despite injuries throughout the 2015 season, Cam Newton was ranked as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

2015: Statistical Achievements

In 2015, Cam Newton led NFL quarterbacks in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns, and his 45 total touchdowns marked the most by a single player since 2013. He was also selected as the 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

2015: Named NFL MVP and Super Bowl Appearance

In 2015, Cam Newton was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and led the Carolina Panthers to a franchise-best 15–1 record, resulting in an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

February 6, 2016: NFL MVP Award

On February 6, 2016, Cam Newton was named NFL MVP. He was the second African-American quarterback to receive the honor and the first sole recipient.

2016: Milestones and Benchings

In the 2016 season, Newton surpassed Steve Young's NFL records for career rushing touchdowns and games with a passing and rushing touchdown; however, he also suffered a concussion, missed a game, and was benched for a dress code violation.

2017: Ranked 44th in NFL Top 100 Players

Despite a down season in 2016, Cam Newton was ranked 44th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2018: Newton's Performance in the 2018 Season

During the 2018 season, Newton had notable performances, including a victory over the Dallas Cowboys and a game-winning comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2018: Ranked 25th in NFL Top 100 Players

In 2018, Cam Newton was ranked 25th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2019: Newton voted most underrated quarterback

In 2019, Cam Newton was voted the most underrated quarterback in the league by defensive players and was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

December 2024: Attended Heisman Trophy ceremony

In December 2024, Cam Newton attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony for the first time since winning the award in 2010. He returned to support Travis Hunter, a finalist for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.