PICK No. 1 - CAM NEWTON QB - CAROLINA PANTHERS - Ingles

CAM NEWTON

Q. How do you feel?
CAM NEWTON: How do I feel? Great. I feel great.

Q. What thoughts are going through your head right now?
CAM NEWTON: I'm ready to get this show on the road right now. I understand that this is what this process is about, and you know, it's important in my heart knowing that I'm going to an excellent city in Charlotte and an excellent organization with excellent people running the organization, Mr. Richardson, Coach Rivera, and I'm ready to do some work.

Q. What do you take from all this? What have you learned?
CAM NEWTON: I've learned a lot. I've learned that you guys have a job to do in critiquing each athlete to the core but at the same time I have embraced this process and understand that everything is under the watchful eye right now from this point on and it has been, for me. But nothing is going to change, but to progress to be great.

Q. Is it your goal to be the starting quarterback this year?
CAM NEWTON: I can't answer that question, but it's a goal for me to consistently on a consistent basis challenge myself to get better on a daily basis. I don't know when that call is going to happen. But you know, each day, I'm just going to go out and learn something about the whole offense.

Q. What do you feel you have to improve upon?
CAM NEWTON: Just consistency playing quarterback, the whole transition from the collegiate level to the NFL, I understand that preparation is going be to be key. That's part of the maturation process in this whole transformation, and you know, I'm willing to make that step and we'll see how it goes.

Q. When did you find out that the Panthers had actually decided to make that pick? And the second part of the question, can you describe how long of a day this has been for you waiting for this?
CAM NEWTON: I found out about 15 minutes ago. I put closure to it 15 minutes ago. Like I said, I didn't know. I thought you guys were going to tell me something, because I was out there for a long time. I will go to sleep with questions like where am I going and just moments ago, I just realized it and found out. But you know, as soon as Coach Rivera called me, it put a warmth in my heart knowing this deal is done and my job to some degree and my work has paid off.

Q. So you actually went to sleep today?
CAM NEWTON: Last night.

Q. Did you sleep today?
CAM NEWTON: Oh, no. I can't sleep right now. (Laughter) Man. This organization has kept me up more than anything. So I need to catch up on some sleep, but at the same time, be willing to embark on this whole process.

Q. With everything that just went on, are you happy to be the No. 1 pick overall?
CAM NEWTON: Absolutely. I'm more happy to say that with this organization, you know, I'm comfortable. And that's one thing I feared throughout this whole visit process, being a part of people that I could be coached by someone that I feel comfortable with; that I could tell them my true feelings and that was going to happen regardless. But at the same time, knowing that this particular coach or this particular general manager has my best interest. And doing the same thing I'm trying to do.

Q. How much are you looking forward to playing with Steve Smith?
CAM NEWTON: I'm very excited, Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Mr. Stewart, all those guys are, you know, I'm just waiting to meet and greet those guys, and also, just the whole team. You know, that will be something that I will be looking forward to and I have been looking forward to for a long time.
With this lockout clearing up, you know, that will be something real soon that will happen.

Q. With everything you've gone through, do you feel like you have a lot to prove in this whole process? Everybody questioned your intelligence and everything about you. Do you feel when you get to that headquarters the first day, you have a lot to study and prove?
CAM NEWTON: I'm not trying to prove nothing to no one that I'm not trying to prove to myself, and I understand that I'm my biggest critic. You know, I understand and I try to fight and I try to battle from that; from restraining myself to listen to, you know, how people critique me.
But it happens. And at the end of the day, I can't go to sleep not knowing that I didn't get better that particular day; that I didn't push myself towards where I know I want to be.

Q. With all of the turmoil that you went through this year, does tonight make all of that worthwhile?
CAM NEWTON: To some degree it does. But at the same time, when I wake up in the morning, it's another goal or a task at hand that I need to tackle. You know, it's transforming an organization that was worst and try to progress to be the first.

Q. You sound like you're more burdened ‑‑ is that the case?
CAM NEWTON: Burdened? Oh, man, I'm relieved. I apologize if I gave you that type of feeling. But man, you just don't understand how I'm feeling right now. And what I really want to do, I can't do it. I just want to scream.

Q. What do you think about kids playing football?
CAM NEWTON: What do I think about it? Man, that's a passion of mine, just seeing a little kid play football is something in itself that puts a joy in my heart because it's authentic at a young age.
And as you grow more and more, people have agendas, but as a kid, you realize that they are just playing just because they like to play football. And no matter if they did good or bad, they are just out there having fun.

Q. With the labor dispute still unsettled, what are you using as a watermark when you're looking at a salary cap; and how are the deals shaping up as far as endorsements?
CAM NEWTON: I'm really not focused on endorsements and money. That's something that's going to take care of itself. The one thing I'm focused on, my No. 1 priority, is getting in this organization and make steps as far as me becoming a better player.

Q. Do you have a message for your critics?
CAM NEWTON: I really don't. I understand that they have a job to do, and I have a job to do, as well. And I understand just that everybody is not just going to stop and say, "All right. That's Cam, the No. 1 pick, and we can leave him alone." If anything, the floodgates have opened officially. That's one thing I can't control. I can only control what I do.

Q. Do you feel vindicated or do you have anything more to prove right now?
CAM NEWTON: I wouldn't say I have more to prove to people; I have more to prove to myself. It's a lot of goals and aspirations that I have where Mr. Goodell said my name as the No. 1 pick. It's a lot of things that's been given to me, it's a lot of risk and at the same time I'm willing to tackle all of that.

Q. What message do you have for the Carolina fans?
CAM NEWTON: What message? I can't wait. I can't wait.

Q. How do you feel about comparisons to Vince Young that people have said about you?
CAM NEWTON: That's another critique that I feel that I'm my own man, and I'm my own athlete. I feel like I shouldn't be compared to anybody because, you know, the attributes that I bring to this game is something that I haven't really worked out. That's what I work out, and what I work to be, my own category. I try to pick something from each quarterback that I try to model my game after. If I don't do that, I won't have a model to look at.