Cam Newton details how Tim Tebow hype prepared him to become a star

Cam Newton learned a lot from Tim Tebow while the two were teammates at Florida and Newton relayed a story where he had an epiphany. Tebow handled stardom and the spotlight better than anyone else, per Newton anyway.

Tebow didn’t let it affect his performance on the field nor his off the field life. Newton used those lessons and examples when he eventually landed at Auburn and became a household name.

At his apex, everyone wanted a piece of Tebow. To this day, he’s considered one of the best college football players of the century and one of the biggest stars in the history of the game.

“He managed stardom better than I’ve ever seen, especially at that time,” Newton told Johnny Manziel. “I graduated early. We played LSU my freshman year, his sophomore season, that was the game where his number got leaked. And all night (his phone was buzzing), like all night. I said, bro, just cut your phone off. But he used that as fuel. When he scored, he did the little (phone up to his ear celebration) … And to see him perform, and for him to come back and still practice, it’s like, yo. I didn’t, I didn’t appreciate it then. 

“But as I look back and as I’m that guy, now, you start to appreciate like, yo, he never cowered, he never grimaced. And I learned from that, and I needed that to be a part of my journey to what was going to be me, and I’m grateful for it.”

That LSU game referred to by Newton was a 28-24 win by the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Tebow’s cell number was leaked leading up to the game and he eventually changed his number right after the game, after listening to each message.

Coming off a national championship, Newton saw the hype surrounding Tebow and Florida. Although the 2007 team finished 9-4, Tebow and the Gators came back with a vengeance in 2008, winning the BCS National Championship. Newton was one of Tebow’s backups that season as well.

“Not a lot of people hit that tip of the spear,” Newton said. “Like, bro, you literally, not only the stadium, but you literally have the whole college football world or the football world in your palms. Everything you do is tweeted, everything, every highlight is just like, boom, it’s on repeat, and the hardest thing to do is to keep (your head) small. Can’t do no wrong.”