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Steve Smith Sr. calls out Cam Newton for critical comments on Panthers drafting him

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•02/11/25•

NickGeddesNews

Cam Newton
Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Former Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith Sr. took exception to Cam Newton saying he went into a “locker room full of losers” when Carolina selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Newton’s comments came during an appearance on Travis Hunter‘s podcast last week, where he talked about the possibility of the Colorado receiver/cornerback going No. 1 overall in April’s Draft.

“You’re the top pick because that was the worst team in the NFL the year before. For me I wanted to be the No. 1 pick. You could potentially be the first pick, but, bro, you have no way of impacting the game the way a quarterback does,” Newton said. “You can lock down the No. 1 receiver. You can make impact plays on offense all you want but it’s still not like a quarterback.”

But then, Newton shifted the conversation to 14 years ago. The Panthers went 2-14 in 2010, giving them the opportunity to land Newton who had just led Auburn to a National Championship.

Here’s the part where Smith had a problem:

“My issue was when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room of losers. Guys didn’t know how to win, guys didn’t know how to prepare, it was a culture shock for me,” Newton said. “The games don’t mean a lot to a lot of people in the league like you would expect. It’s just money. Not everybody has the ability to be impact players, they’re just players.”

Smith quote tweeted the video on X, making it known he wasn’t happy.

Steve Smith Sr. takes aim at Cam Newton for ‘disrespectful’ comments

Smith, a teammate of Newton’s for three seasons, followed up with another tweet in which he said he was “very disappointed” with the remarks.

“I’ve watched & listened from a far as U @CameronNewton talk about @Panthers! None of us are perfect,” Smith wrote. “Yes We were 2-14 before you blessed us w ur presence. The way you have talked about @panthers lately I’m very disappointed. I wish u nothing but the very best. I’m done !!!”

Smith added: “I’ve never backed down from my words. However calling the men in the lockeroom losers isn’t slander it’s disrespectful! I disliked a lot of things that happened w my time there. But calling men losers naw.”

Now, while the Panthers struggled before Newton, they weren’t without some veterans who had experienced success in the NFL. Top of that list was Smith, a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year who is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 12,197 yards.

But when Newton arrived, things changed. By 2013, they were NFC South champions. Two years later, Newton had the Panthers playing for a Super Bowl after an MVP campaign.