The stadium lights shined brightly down onto the football field, illuminating a quarterback preparing for the biggest game of his life. He had taken his game to the next level: bigger crowds, bigger fans and bigger players. He carried the burden of a name familiar to football enthusiasts around the world. This name had brought his family fame, fortune and a permanent place in the history of football. With a name like Newton, expectations are high, and possibilities are endless. This was not, however, a Newton most sports fans know.
Caylin Newton, a freshman at Grady and the brother of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, ran onto the field with his own unique swagger and an unmistakable style. He came out with confidence as he got his first experience playing in a high school game as the backup quarterback for the Grady Knights varsity football team.
“I was a little nervous, but I was comfortable,” Newton said. “ It felt great. I have good senior leaders that I’m learning from. Hopefully I can create my own legacy here.”
A Newton creating a legacy of his own is far from unusual, as every male in the family has played or is currently playing in the National Football League. Newton’s father, Cecil Newton Sr., played for some time with the 1983 Dallas Cowboys and 1984 Buffalo Bills. Caylin’s two older brothers followed in their father’s footsteps on their road to the NFL. Cecil Newton Jr., the oldest of the three, played with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens while Cam Newton, the most well-known Newton, was the Panthers’ first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft after completing an undefeated national championship season at Auburn.
“They have all been good role models for me,” Newton said. “They never really forced it on me. They gave me a choice to play football, and I chose to play because I love it. I want to be better than them, but they make me want to be better.”
As he walks through the halls of Grady High School, he is not approached as if he is a celebrity or different from anyone else, which he says is a benefit of the school.
“My experience here has been excellent so far,” Newton said. “The teachers, the students and the atmosphere are all comforting. Everyone treats me like a normal person, and that’s what I like most. I just want to be accepted for who I am, not for who my brother is, and that’s what I have gotten here so far.”
Newton’s friends agree that he is a calm, collected individual, striving to achieve his own goals. “He knows what he’s doing, that’s for sure,” said Isiah Jenkins, starting quarterback for the Grady varsity football team. “He has great potential for the future.”
Newton has already placed himself in the record books at Grady, as he threw his first touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a scrimmage against Mays High School. Newton, however, has plans to do much, much more.
“I’m setting a lot of goals to improve myself,” Newton said. “I want to be the best in the nation, and I want to win a state championship with my team.”
