The physical altercation of the week, unfortunately, went down at a youth football camp event sponsored by Cam Newton, and now the NFL quarterback is personally addressing the incident on his YouTube show, 4th & 1 with Cam Newton.
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“I am so disappointed in myself because you should never see that side,” Newton said. “We got to be better and it starts with me.”
A viral video released on Sunday (Feb. 25) showed the 6’5″ free agent staving off the punches of attackers, who are now identified as TopShelf Performance coaches Steph Brown and TJ Brown, contrary to earlier reports of Newton being jumped by children attending the Atlanta camp. The one-sided fist fight was eventually broken up by the camp’s staff and security.
TopShelf Performance issued an apology via Instagram.
“On behalf of TopShelf Performance, we would like to completely apologize for our actions earlier and getting beyond our character. We are deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Cam Newton, and our thoughts are with all parties affected. Violence has no place in our community, and we strongly condemn any form of aggression.”
The organization also assured that this “will never happen again.”
After four days of debriefing and speaking to the closest ones to him, Newton assessed the demoralizing situation and actively took accountability for his part.
“To every single high school player, to every single person I’ve influenced, to every single athlete, use my situation as a way to understand that in one moment, in one decision, your life can change,” Newton said. “I let my emotions get the best of me, and it should not have been called for, simple. With that, I apologize to anyone effected.”
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Newton founded C1N in 2011 to help younger generation athletes hone their skills by competing in high-level 7v7 tournaments, clinics, training camps, and mentoring services. The award-winning sports organization has been a labor of love for Newton, who finds fulfillment in giving back to the youth. Over the years, Newton has been on the receiving end of taunting at the camps, but he is adamant that his presence at the camps are necessary to impact the community in his own special way.
Newton continued, “I have to use my story to empower the next generation, and that’s all I want to do.”
Watch The Apology In The Video Below:
>> Check Out A Longer Clip Of Cam Newton’s “Addressing The Fight”
