Former Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith Sr. Come defense of his former teammates on Tuesday after Cam Newton described the players as “losers” before Quarterback got there.
Panthers chose Smith in the third round of the 2001 draft. Ten years later, Panthers found their franchise -quarterback in Newton with the total election # 1. Carolina had been in the playoffs three times, including getting a Super Bowl performance before Newton was selected.
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Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, share a laugh during the first half of a NFL football match in the NFL against Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, August 29, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)
Carolina was 2-14 in 2010, which landed the team # 1 overall election. Newton came in and eventually helped improve the team to the division winners. They made the Super Bowl 50 – only to lose to Denver Broncos. Smith left the team after the 2013 season.
Newton’s remark about “losers” came during an “overtime” podcast interview when asked what type of pressure heisman trophy -winner Travis Hunter can face by entering the league.
“You can potentially be the first choice, but bro, you have no way to influence the game as a quarterback does,” Newton said. “You can lock # 1 recipient. You can do influence games on offense all you want, but it’s still not like a quarterback. My problem is that when I was the first choice I went into a closet room with losers .
“The guys didn’t know how to win; guys didn’t know how to prepare. They didn’t seriously realize that we were 2-14. There were a lot of 2-14 in the mentality of these guys . ”
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Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, #89, and Cam Newton, #1, celebrate Smith’s Touchdown -Catch against Oakland Raiders during the first half of a NFL football match in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sunday 23 December 2012. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File)
The remark did not sit well with Smith.
“I have seen and listened from a long as u @cameronnewton talk about @panthers! Recently I ‘m very disappointed.
A fan pointed out that Smith had been critical of Panthers in the past.
“I’ve never backed myself from my words,” he said in response. “But calling the men in the closet losers is not slander, it’s disrespectful! I didn’t like a lot of things that happened to my time there. But calling men losing naw.”
Squabbling over the past is far from what the Panthers organization needs to hear from its most famous alumni.
Carolina has not had a winning season since 2017. It was also the last time they played playoffs. Since then, the team has had five head coach with three temporary head coach.
Carolina Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton, No. 1, on the sidelines in the second quarter against New Orleans Saints at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans on January 2, 2022. (Chuck Cook -usa Today Sports)
Panthers were 5-12 in 2024, an improvement from their 2-15 season in 2023.
