Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton was in Baltimore last week ahead of his team’s preseason game against the Ravens.
After having dinner with his teammates, the former Auburn star was spotted by a pair of witnesses delivering a full meal to a homeless man sitting at a bus stop with a sign that read, “Homeless Please help hungry — food.”
One of the witnesses, Candace Gregory, told ESPN that she felt the need to share the moment:
“People talk about him dabbing and all the stuff that in my mind ultimately should be irrelevant, because that doesn’t get to the heart of who he is,” Candace said of Newton.
“I once saw him give something to a disabled child at a practice and people were like, ‘Oh, it’s a photo opportunity.’ But this was when nobody was looking. That’s why we shared it, because character is what you do when nobody is looking.”
Carolina backup QB Joe Webb said this wasn’t the first time Newton has gone out of his way to help someone less fortunate:
“It’s like second nature for him,” said Webb, who sometimes accompanies Newton on such outings. “It’s no surprise that he did it. A lot of people say, ‘What are you doing when people aren’t looking?’ It speaks volumes that he’s a great person.”
Gregory added that Newton didn’t make a big deal of the gesture, which added to the moment’s authenticity:
“They were walking in a group and he slid over, gave the guy the bag and kept moving,” Candace said. “It was a quick, smooth motion, like he was handing the ball off to a running back.
“He didn’t linger. He didn’t talk to the guy. You could tell he was trying to be discreet about it.”
Never change, Cam.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
