Marshall Newhouse is one of the few NFL players with experience working with Bill Belichick and Cam Newton. Newhouse, a former New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers player, shared a story about the quarterback’s work ethic. It sounds like Newton is a lot like Tom Brady, who established a reputation for endless work ethic in New England before leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.
Surely, that’s a part of the appeal for Belichick, who signed Newton to a one-year, incentive-laden deal. He’s likely to serve as the team’s starter in 2020. Newhouse spoke to Sirius XM NFL’s “Late Hits” program about Newton and the Patriots, as transcribed by ESPN:
“Some people who are just uncomfortable with a guy as strong in personality as Cam might see that as something that could cause friction, but people who are secure and understand what it takes to play in the NFL — both Bill Belichick and [offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels as a staff and Cam Newton as a guy who has matured and competed and grown so much over the years — to those guys, none of this matters.”
“When I was in Carolina, I was new, getting traded in the middle of the season, and my mornings started early, cramming the playbook. Lo and behold, Cam was there, hours before me, walking on the treadmill, studying his playbook. Same in the afternoon, with Luke Kuechly, studying, getting extra film work. So the work part is not a question. You can call it flamboyance, but he’s just got a strong personality. He’s a leader.
“But when has Bill Belichick ever shied away from that? We just assume they don’t mesh with that kind of thing, but in reality, there are strong personalities all over the locker room. Everybody just knows their role. I think Cam will get there, and they’ll kind of help him define what his role is, and he’ll adapt to that. Them not being able to get along is just a fallacy, in my opinion.”
It sounds like it won’t take Newton long to win over the Patriots, who will likely adapt their offense to fit the quarterback’s unique skill set.
