Cam Newton's Success and Achievements in Timeline

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

Cam Newton, nicknamed "Super Cam", is a former NFL quarterback known for his rushing ability. He holds the NFL record for quarterback rushing touchdowns and ranks third in rushing yards. After playing college football for the Florida Gators, he transferred to Auburn, winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in 2011. The Carolina Panthers selected him first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, where he spent the majority of his 11 seasons.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1960: Touchdown Ranking

Since 1960, Cam Newton marked the 14th time in his career in week 3 of 2015 where he notched two-plus touchdown passes and at least one rushing touchdown, third-most in the NFL behind Steve Young (17) and Fran Tarkenton (16).

1971: Pat Sullivan's Touchdown Record

In 1971, Pat Sullivan set the school record for most touchdowns in a single season, which stood until Cam Newton broke it in 2010.

2003: Steve McNair Shared Award

On February 6, 2016, Newton was named NFL MVP. Newton was the second African-American quarterback to receive the honor after Steve McNair in 2003 and the first sole recipient as McNair shared his award with Peyton Manning, who Newton would go on to face in the Super Bowl.

2006: NFL Offensive Player of the Week Award

In 2015, Cam Newton was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in a seven-week span. Newton became the NFL's first player to win the award four times in a seven-week span since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.

2007: NFC Offensive Player of the Week Awards

In 2015, Cam Newton became the first player to win five NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in a nine-week span within a season, and his five awards tied for the most in a season in NFL history with Tom Brady, who achieved this in 2007.

2007: Player of the Week Feat

In 2015, Cam Newton was named NFC Offensive Player of the week for the third time in five weeks. The last time a player achieved that feat was in 2007, when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots won three player of the week awards in five weeks.

September 4, 2010: Auburn Debut

On September 4, 2010, Cam Newton started the first game of Auburn University's season, winning against Arkansas State and accounting for 186 passing yards, 171 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns, earning him SEC Offensive Player of the Week.

December 4, 2010: SEC Championship Victory

On December 4, 2010, Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to their first SEC Championship since 2004, defeating South Carolina 56–17, setting an SEC Championship Game record for most points scored and largest margin of victory, and was named the game MVP.

2010: Heisman Trophy Win

In December 2024, Cam Newton attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony for the first time since winning the award in 2010. His absence from previous ceremonies was due to a personal decision stemming from events surrounding his 2010 win.

2010: Best season by a player 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, Cam Newton led Auburn to a 22–19 victory against the Oregon Ducks in Glendale, Arizona, to win the BCS National Championship Game.

April 28, 2011: Newton selected first overall in the NFL draft

On April 28, 2011, Cam Newton was selected first overall in the 2011 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, making him the first reigning Heisman Trophy winner to go first overall since Carson Palmer in 2003. He was Auburn's fourth No. 1 selection. He was also the fifth player from Blinn College to be drafted and the first to be selected in the first round.

September 11, 2011: Newton's NFL debut

On September 11, 2011, in his NFL debut, Cam Newton passed for 422 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 28–21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He also rushed for a touchdown and set a rookie record for passing yards in his first game with a quarterback rating of 110.4.

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

On December 4, 2011, Cam Newton set the NFL rushing touchdown record for quarterbacks, rushing for his 13th touchdown of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught a 27-yard pass in a 38-19 win and earned his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination.

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

On December 24, 2011, Cam Newton threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown in a 48–16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He broke Peyton Manning's record of 3,739 passing yards for a rookie.

2011: Matching a Career-High

During the 2020 season, in Week 9, Newton had his third game with two rushing touchdowns, matching his career-high of three such games from his rookie season in 2011.

2011: Career-High Rushing Touchdowns

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

2011: Rushing Touchdowns Since 2011

Through the first five weeks of the 2015 season, Cam Newton recorded the 36th career rushing touchdown of his career; over that span, since 2011, only Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson recorded more rushing touchdowns.

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

On January 1, 2012, against the New Orleans Saints, Cam Newton threw for 158 yards and became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards. He finished his rookie season with 4,051 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 706 rushing yards, and 14 rushing touchdowns.

January 22, 2012: Newton named to Pro Bowl

On January 22, 2012, Cam Newton was selected for the Pro Bowl after the New York Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. He participated in the Pro Bowl due to Eli Manning's Super Bowl appearance.

February 4, 2012: Newton named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year

On February 4, 2012, Cam Newton was named both AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He received his awards at the NFL Honors award show and was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He earned the nickname Superman due to his touchdown celebration.

2012: Rushing Touchdown Record

In 2012, Cam Newton had 116 rushing yards on nine carries in a Week 14 win against Atlanta, marking one of his best performances since then.

2013: Playoff Appearance

Between 2013 and 2017, Cam Newton led the Panthers to four playoff appearances and three division titles.

2013: Touchdown Record

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

2014: Newton selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl

In 2014, Cam Newton was selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl. The week after he lost his first NFL playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. Newton was drafted third in the first annual Pro Bowl Draft, by Team Sanders. Newton was rated as the 24th best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 list.

2015: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Despite injuries and missing two games throughout the 2015 season, Cam Newton was ranked as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

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2015: NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year

In 2015, Cam Newton led NFL quarterbacks in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns and was selected as the 2015 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year by the PFWA. Newton's 45 total touchdowns during the regular season marked the most touchdowns by a single player since 2013.

2015: Named NFL MVP

In 2015, Cam Newton was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and helped Carolina obtain a franchise-best 15–1 record, leading to 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 after Steve McNair in 2003.

February 7, 2016: Super Bowl 50 Loss

On February 7, 2016, Cam Newton and the Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 against the Broncos by a score of 24–10. Newton controversially hesitated to dive on a football (later citing injury concerns) allowing the Broncos to recover the football with a first-and-goal on their eventual game-clinching touchdown.

2016: Rushing Touchdown Records

In the opening game of the 2016 season against the Denver Broncos, Cam Newton surpassed two of Steve Young's NFL records, one for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with his 44th, and the other for most games with a passing and rushing touchdown, with his 32nd.

2017: Playoff Appearance

Between 2013 and 2017, Cam Newton led the Panthers to four playoff appearances and three division titles.

2017: Ranked 44th in NFL Top 100 Players

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

2018: Performance and NFC Offensive Player of the Week Award

During the 2018 season, after a Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Newton had strong performances against the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, after being down 17-0 in the fourth quarter, Newton led the Panthers to a 21-17 victory, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2018: NFL Top 100 Ranking

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

2019: Most Underrated Quarterback and NFL Top 100 Ranking

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