Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been in the headlines lately not for his play on the field but for his conduct off it.
In October, Newton came under fire and lost endorsement deals when he bizarrely told a reporter from the Charlotte Observer that it was “funny to hear a female talk about routes,” after she asked a question at a press conference.
Newton later apologized for his “extremely degrading and disrespectful” comments, saying he had “learned a valuable lesson from this” and encouraged his young fans to “learn something from this as well.”
“Don’t be like me,” he said in a video message, “be better than me.”
Perhaps in an effort to show his followers just how far he has come, Newton posted the mugshot from his November 2008 arrest on social media earlier this week along with a heartfelt message about overcoming obstacles and the power of God’s mercy.
“I contemplated posting this and even reluctant about it,” Newton wrote on Instagram. “But as I think about my life and the many things I’m thankful for, I want to be an open book so people can hear my testimony and learn from the flaws and mistakes I made.”
As the Charlotte Observer reported, Tuesday marked the nine-year anniversary of his arrest for stealing a laptop while he was the backup quarterback at the University of Florida. Newton was charged with felony counts of burglary, larceny, and obstructing justice on November 21, 2008. A police report said he threw the laptop, valued at $1,700, out of his dorm room window, and he was suspended from the team while being held in jail.
Though the charges were ultimately dropped, Newton admitted in the post that he thought his life and career were over in that moment, but he promised himself that he would emerge a stronger, better man.
“The moral of the story is this… on this date I thought my life and my career was over and vowed to myself on this day (9 years ago) that ‘I will be better from this situation,’” he shared. “What you must learn from this story is this: if you live you life listening to what other people are saying you should do and not your own, shame on you!”
Fans and pundits alike were quick to praise the QB for so boldly opening up about his transgressions. Many agreed that posts like this have “ripple effects” that “make the difference” in someone else’s life.
“I respect you for doing this,” wrote T. Tyson.
“This is going to help some young man,” posted another fan.
Newton concluded his post by thanking God for the grace and forgiveness that has allowed him to triumph despite feeling like “no one gave [him] a chance to succeed.”
“I’m extremely thankful for God’s mercy, grace, and favor over my life,” he said. “So if I can do it with my circumstances, surely you can do it and be whatever you want to be with hard work and persistence.”
(H/T: Daily Mail)