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, most notably for the Carolina Panthers. He holds the NFL record for quarterback rushing touchdowns and ranks third in rushing yards. Newton achieved significant success in college, winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship with Auburn. Drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2011, he set franchise records in passing yards, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.
1960: Touchdown Ranking
By week three of 2015, Newton achieved the third-most games with two-plus touchdown passes and at least one rushing touchdown in the NFL since 1960.
1971: Pat Sullivan's Record
In 1971, Pat Sullivan set a school record for most touchdowns in a single season, which stood until Cam Newton broke it in 2010.
1976: Steve Grogan's rushing touchdown record
In 1976, Steve Grogan set the NFL record of 12 rushing touchdowns for quarterbacks, which was broken by Cam Newton in 2011.
1995: Kerry Collins PFWA All-Rookie Team
In 1995, Kerry Collins was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, one of the Panthers quarterback to claim this award, following Cam Newton in 2012.
2000: Kurt Warner's NFL Record
In the 2000 season, Kurt Warner set the NFL record with 827 passing yards through the first two games, which Cam Newton broke during the 2011 season.
2001: Chris Weinke PFWA All-Rookie Team
In 2001, Chris Weinke was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, one of the Panthers quarterback to claim this award, following Cam Newton in 2012.
2002: Julius Peppers AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
In 2002, Julius Peppers was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, the second Panthers rookie of the year, following Cam Newton in 2012.
2003: Team Start
Newton helped lead the Panthers to a 3-0 start in 2015, the first time they had done so since the 2003 NFL season, and a 4-0 record for the first time since 2003.
2004: Last SEC Championship Win
In 2004, Auburn last won the SEC Championship, prior to Cam Newton leading them to victory in 2010.
2007: Offensive Player of the Week Award
In 2015, Newton tied Tom Brady's 2007 record for most Offensive Player of the Week awards in a season, with five.
December 4, 2010: SEC Championship Victory
On December 4, 2010, Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to an SEC Championship victory over South Carolina, earning MVP honors after passing for 335 yards and scoring six total touchdowns.
2010: Considered Best Single Season
Cam Newton's 2010 season is considered by some sportswriters as the best single season by a player in NCAA history.
January 10, 2011: BCS National Championship Win
On January 10, 2011, Cam Newton led Auburn to a 22–19 victory over Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
April 28, 2011: Cam Newton drafted #1 overall by Carolina Panthers
On April 28, 2011, Cam Newton was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, making him the first Heisman Trophy winner since Carson Palmer in 2003 to be drafted first overall, in addition to being the first player to win the Heisman, a national championship, and be the top pick in consecution.
September 11, 2011: Newton's NFL Debut: Sets Rookie Passing Record
On September 11, 2011, in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals, Cam Newton passed for 422 yards, setting a rookie record for most passing yards on opening day and becoming the first rookie to throw for at least 400 yards in his first career game.
December 4, 2011: 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 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught a 27-yard pass, becoming a triple threat in the game.
December 24, 2011: Newton breaks Peyton Manning's rookie passing record
On December 24, 2011, Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning's record for most passing yards by a rookie in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown.
January 1, 2012: Newton becomes first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards
On January 1, 2012, Cam Newton became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a game against the New Orleans Saints.
January 22, 2012: 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.
February 4, 2012: 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.
2012: Rushing Touchdown Record
In Week 14 of 2012, Newton had a notable performance against Atlanta, rushing for 116 yards on nine carries.
2013: Newton rated 46th best player by peers
In 2013, Cam Newton was rated as the 46th best player by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players list, after his performance during the 2012 season.
2013: Panthers 8-game winning streak
In 2013, the Panthers went on an eight-game winning streak starting in Week 5 with Newton leading.
2013: Total Touchdowns
In 2015, Newton's 45 total touchdowns during the regular season marked the most touchdowns by a single player since 2013.
2014: Newton selected for 2014 Pro Bowl
In 2014, Cam Newton was selected for the Pro Bowl, after the 2013 season.
2015: NFL Top 100 Players of 2015
Despite injuries during the 2015 season, Newton was ranked as the 73rd best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
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 en route to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.
2015: NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year
In 2015, Newton was selected as the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year by the PFWA.
February 6, 2016: NFL MVP Award
On February 6, 2016, Newton was named NFL MVP, becoming the second African-American quarterback to receive the honor and the first sole recipient.
February 7, 2016: Super Bowl 50
On February 7, 2016, Newton and the Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos by a score of 24–10. Newton was sacked six times and fumbled twice during the game.
2016: NFL Records
During the opening game of the 2016 season, Newton broke two of Steve Young's NFL records, one for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and the other for most games with a passing and rushing touchdown.
2017: NFL Top 100 Players of 2017
Despite a down 2016 season, Newton was still ranked 44th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
December 2024: Heisman Trophy Ceremony
In December 2024, Cam Newton attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony for the first time since 2010, to support Travis Hunter.
