AUBURN, Ala. – Just like in his halcyon days with the Carolina Panthers, the football came smoking off Cam Newton’s right hand.
Newton, 33, wanted to throw at his brother’s Caylin’s pro day and in front of NFL scouts from most of the 32 teams on Tuesday.
“Cam still has it,” wide receiver Caylin Newton said. “It was fun to work out with him. To train with him throughout this journey. He has rubbed off on me in so many ways with his work ethic and attention to details.”
Cam Newton, who didn’t speak to the media after the workout, said he wanted to show teams he still has it at 34. He didn’t play last season in the NFL.
There were no signs of the shoulder woes that troubled him late in his NFL career.
" Whatever one sees on the TV screen, they see his character, they see his confidence,” the younger Newton said. “They don’t see the grit. They don’t see how many hours that he puts in.”
Cam Newton’s flamboyant style often matched his game at times. He was the 2015 league MVP and guided the Panthers to Super Bowl 50.
“The media has what they say about who he is,” said Caylin Newton, a Grady High grad who started his college journey at Howard and finished it at Auburn. “I know who he is. Anywhere he’s been, they know who he is, too.”
A few months back, Caylin asked his older to throw at the pro day.
“Honestly, this was him showing love to me,” Caylin Newton said. “He doesn’t owe anybody, anything. He has had an amazing journey. An amazing career in the NFL. He has nothing to prove to anybody. This was just to show love to his little brother and share this moment with me.”
But a tweet on Cam Newton’s social media about “randoms” getting NFL jobs indicated he wanted to show he can still play.
So, was it an act of brotherly love or a workout for NFL teams?
Maybe, both.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“He came to show his ability, to show he still has it,” Caylin Newton said. “But for him this was a selfless act to show everybody that he’s not just sitting around and that he’s still got it. So, whatever organization that wants to get a winning quarterback his number is still open and available.”
After starring at Howard, Caylin Newton was a graduate transfer at Auburn. He moved to wide receiver and played on special teams for the Tigers in 2021.
“It was pretty cool to share that moment with my brother,” Caylin said. “This was an amazing opportunity for me and a great way for me to cap off my collegiate journey.”
Caylin Newton is hoping to catch on with an NFL team.
“For one, for me, I’m a what you see is what you get type of guy,” he said. “My track record shows, my resume shows that wherever I go, I make a good impact. I make guys around me better. I’m able to follow and become better as a player. I’m a special-teamer. A high-motor guy that can bring a lot of energy and effort into a program.”
Caylin Newton has some good dual-threat quarterback tape from his Howard days when he led the Bison to an upset victory over UNLV in 2017.
“My priority right now is to become an NFL professional football player and to win a Super Bowl,” Caylin Newton said. “Whatever that looks like, if it’s running down on kickoffs, if that’s catching punts, blocking punts, that’s my goal.”
Cam Newton threw passed to his brother, wide receiver Shedrick Jackson and tight end John Samuel Shenker.
Jackson, the nephew of the legendary Bo Jackson, ran the 40-yard dash in an unofficial 4.32 seconds. He also had a vertical jump of 38.5 inches.
“That was actually fun,” Jackson said of catching passes from Newton. “That was probably my favorite part. Just learning his lingo and hearing his cadence, he’s got good touch on the ball.”
Jackson was familiar with Cam Newton’s work and history at Auburn, which included winning the Heisman Trophy in 2010.
“I was paying attention,” Jackson said. “I saw the work they put in that season was crazy. It was cool to catch from him. Remember those times, that Iron Bowl comeback and all of that, too. Just catching balls from him was incredible.”
Tank goes faster: Auburn running back Tank Bigsby, who played at Callaway High, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. He ran an unofficial 4.45 seconds at the Auburn Pro Day.
“That time at the combine just did something to me,” Bigsby said. “I knew I could run faster than that. I know I move faster than that. I know I play faster than that. I couldn’t sleep at night thinking about that time. I was tossing and turning, getting up early and calling my trainer. Hey, we need to do it again.”
Bigsby said he canceled visits with teams in order to train for the 40-yard dash.
“I just wanted to show the world that I can catch the ball, I can run routes and that I can run fast,” Bigsby said. “That was my agenda.”
Pappoe rising on boards: Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe, who played at Grayson High School, had a strong combine.
“I’ve been a getting a lot of calls from teams after the combine,” said Pappoe, who’s been training with former Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith. “Traffic has been picking up a lot.”
Pappoe said he’s been in contact with more than 12 NFL teams.
“Either they like me as a (middle) or (weakside) linebacker or a green-dot guy (signal caller),” Pappoe said.
Carlson had big day: Former Auburn kicker Anders Carlson had a strong day.
He’s the younger brother of Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson.
“It went well,” Carlson said. “Kickoffs and field goals both went well. I was hitting the ball the way I wanted to. I had a great day. Next level, I’ve got some workouts to do as well. I’m staying focused on those as well. We’ll see what happens.”
Carlson finished his career with 410 points and 79 field goals.
Shenker on Newton: Shenker, who played at Colquitt County, was also impressed with Cam Newton’s passes.
“He throws it hard,” Shenker said. “Just the legacy that he left in his time here. It was really to special to do that with him. He’s also trying to get a spot, too. It was really cool and a sweet opportunity.
“Yeah, he’s still got it. There were a few overthrows, but they were zipped. It was fun to be a part of that. It was really cool to have him out there.”
Shenker believes he can help an NFL team.
“Just reliability and durability,” “Shenker said. “Somebody they can count on. Also a leader in the locker room and on the field.”
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