Former Carolina Panthers star quarterback and 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton will have his No. 2 jersey retired by his alma mater Auburn University, the school announced Monday.
Newton, 36, won the 2010 Heisman Trophy while at Auburn and led the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 record en route to winning the national championship over Oregon, 22-19, that same season. He will become the fourth former Auburn football player to have his jersey retired, joining Pat Sullivan (No. 7), Bo Jackson (No. 34) and Terry Beasley (No. 88).
“Auburn will always be home to me,” Newton said in a news release from the school. “The national championship we won in 2010 was a special moment, and to have my jersey retired alongside legends like Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Terry Beasley is an incredible honor that I’ll cherish forever. War Eagle!”
Newton, who played parts of two seasons at the University of Florida before transferring to Auburn, was a unanimous All-American in his lone season for the Tigers. In addition to the national championship and Heisman Trophy, Newton also won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Manning Award, Davey O’Brien Award and was named the AP National Player of the Year for the 2010 NCAA football season.
“Cam Newton not only led Auburn to a national championship in 2010, but he produced one of the most prolific seasons ever by a college football player,” Auburn athletics director John Cohen said in the release. “Retiring Cam’s jersey number is a fitting way to celebrate his lasting impact on Auburn University and Auburn Athletics for all time.”
Following his decorated season at Auburn, Newton was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 and earned his first of three career Pro Bowl selections that season. He also was named to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2015, the latter of which was Newton’s career-best year in the NFL.
In 2015, Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 regular season record while being named the AP NFL MVP, AP Offensive Player of the Year, All-Pro First Team and earning his third Pro Bowl selection. Newton and the Panthers ended that season with a loss in Super Bowl 50 to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 24-10.
Newton is the Panthers’ all-time leader in nearly every passing statistic, including completions (2,440), attempts (4,106), yards (29,725), touchdowns (186), and longest completed pass thrown (91 yards). He also is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns scored by a quarterback with 75.
Newton last played in 2021 for the Panthers, which he played 10 of his 11 seasons for, along with one season for the New England Patriots in 2020.
“Cam’s 2010 season at Auburn is in the running for the best single season we’ve ever seen from a college quarterback,” said Dan Labbe, Cleveland Browns reporter for cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer. “He brought a rare blend of size and athleticism to the position and turned that incredible season into a very successful NFL career, that included the Panthers’ 2015 run to the Super Bowl and an MVP award.”
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