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 capabilities, he holds the NFL record for quarterback rushing touchdowns and ranks third in rushing yards. Newton won the Heisman Trophy and the BCS National Championship with Auburn before being drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2011. He holds numerous franchise records for Carolina, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1960: Newton ranks third in NFL

In week three against the New Orleans Saints, it marked the 14th time in his career where Newton notched two-plus touchdown passes and at least one rushing touchdown, third-most in the NFL since 1960, behind only Steve Young (17) and Fran Tarkenton (16).

1971: Pat Sullivan's Touchdown Record

Since 1971, Pat Sullivan's school record stood at most touchdowns in a single season. Cam Newton broke this record later in his career.

1976: Steve Grogan's Rushing Touchdown Record

In 1976, Steve Grogan set a rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks which Cam Newton broke in 2011.

1995: Kerry Collins wins PFWA All-Rookie Team

In 1995, Kerry Collins won the PFWA All-Rookie Team award.

2000: Kurt Warner sets NFL record

In the 2000 season, Kurt Warner set an NFL record of 827 passing yards in the first two games of the season, which Cam Newton broke in 2011.

2001: Chris Weinke wins PFWA All-Rookie Team

In 2001, Chris Weinke won the PFWA All-Rookie Team award.

2002: Julius Peppers wins AP Defensive Rookie of the Year

In 2002, Julius Peppers won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first Panthers rookie of the year.

2003: Steve McNair Named NFL MVP

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

2004: Auburn's previous SEC Championship

In 2004, Auburn won the SEC Championship. Cam Newton led the Tigers to win the SEC Championship again in 2010, their first since 2004.

2004: Lowest Completion Percentage Since 2004

In a Week 12 game, Newton had a 23.8 completion percentage, the lowest for a quarterback with at least 20 attempts since Joey Harrington in 2004.

2006: LaDainian Tomlinson Player of the Week Awards

In 2006, LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego achieved the feat before Newton of winning the NFL's player of the week award four times in a seven-week span

2007: Tom Brady Player of the Week Awards

In 2007, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots won three player of the week awards in five weeks while quarterbacking the Patriots during an undefeated regular season. This happened before Newton replicated the feat.

2007: Tom Brady Most in a Season

In 2007, Tom Brady won five awards tied for the most in a season in NFL history

December 4, 2010: Led Tigers to SEC Championship

On December 4, 2010, Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to their first SEC Championship since 2004 by defeating South Carolina. He was named the game MVP.

2010: Won Heisman Trophy

Newton's return to the December 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony was the first time since winning the award in 2010.

2010: Considered Best Single 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.

January 10, 2011: Won BCS National Championship Game

On January 10, 2011, Cam Newton led Auburn to a 22-19 victory against the Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Championship Game.

April 28, 2011: Cam Newton drafted first overall by Carolina Panthers

On April 28, 2011, Cam Newton was selected as the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, marking him as the first Heisman Trophy winner to achieve this since Carson Palmer in 2003. He was also the fourth player from Auburn to be a No. 1 selection.

September 11, 2011: Cam Newton makes NFL debut

On September 11, 2011, Cam Newton made his NFL debut. He passed for 422 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for another in a loss against the Arizona Cardinals. Newton set a rookie record for most passing yards on opening day.

December 4, 2011: Cam Newton sets NFL rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks

On December 4, 2011, Cam Newton set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 13th touchdown of the season in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught a 27-yard pass, contributing to a 38-19 win.

December 24, 2011: Cam Newton breaks Peyton Manning's rookie passing record

On December 24, 2011, Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's record for rookie passing yards during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown in the 48-16 victory.

2011: Selected First Overall in NFL Draft

In 2011, Cam Newton was selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the NFL draft. He holds franchise records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.

2011: Second-Highest Quarterback Rushing Touchdowns

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

2011: Matched career-high of three such games in rookie season

In Week 9 of 2020, the performance marked the third time in the 2020 season that Newton had rushed for two touchdowns in one game, matching his career-high of three such games in his rookie season in 2011.

2011: Rushing Touchdowns

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

January 1, 2012: Cam Newton becomes first rookie quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards

On January 1, 2012, Cam Newton became the first rookie quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, during a game against the New Orleans Saints. He finished his rookie season with 4,051 passing yards.

January 22, 2012: Cam Newton named to Pro Bowl

On January 22, 2012, Cam Newton was named to the Pro Bowl after the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. He replaced Eli Manning, who was headed to the Super Bowl.

February 4, 2012: Cam Newton wins AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

On February 4, 2012, Cam Newton was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He received 47 of 50 AP votes for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

2013: Cam Newton Rated 46th Best Player

In 2013, Cam Newton was rated as the 46th best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list, reflecting his performance in the 2012 season.

2013: Most touchdowns by a single player

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

2014: Cam Newton selected for 2014 Pro Bowl

Cam Newton was selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl following the 2013 season. He lost his first NFL playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

2015: NFL Top 100 Players of 2015

Despite injuries during the 2015 season, Newton was rated as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

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2015: Named NFL MVP and Super Bowl 50 Appearance

In 2015, Cam Newton had his most successful season, being named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and leading the Carolina Panthers to a franchise-best 15–1 record, resulting in an appearance in Super Bowl 50. He was the first Black quarterback to outright win NFL MVP.

2015: 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year

In 2015, Cam Newton was selected as the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year by the PFWA.

February 6, 2016: Named NFL MVP

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

February 7, 2016: Super Bowl 50

On February 7, 2016, the Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos by a score of 24–10. Newton hesitated to dive on a fumble late in the fourth quarter.

2016: Surpassed Steve Young's NFL records

In the opening game of the 2016 season against the Denver Broncos, Newton surpassed two of Steve Young's NFL records.

2017: Ranked 44th on NFL Top 100 Players of 2017

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

2018: Ranked 25th on NFL Top 100 Players of 2018

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

2018: Performances in Weeks 1, 2 and 7

In Week 1 of the 2018 season, Newton went 32 of 45 passing, 335 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception to go along with 42 rushing yards in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 2, he passed for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Newton led a comeback in the fourth quarter, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2019: Voted Most Underrated Quarterback and Ranked 87th on NFL Top 100 Players

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