Cam Newton Shines in Pro Debut

Cam Newton had to answer a lot of questions about himself leading up to being drafted number 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers. Even after the draft he was plagued by pundits and fans alike wondering if he could be the kind of quarterback in the NFL that he was while leading Auburn to a BCS Championship last year. Sunday he answered questions about his ability by breaking the previous record for rookie quarterbacks.

Last season the Panthers were last in the league in total offense, passing yards and scoring. On Sunday Newton threw for 422 yards and was a single yard short of the franchise record set by fellow Heisman winner Chris Weinke. Steve Smith, another question mark to start the year, caught two touchdown passes of 77 yards and 26 yards while Newton ran in another touchdown by himself.

For his part Newton said all the right things after the game. He said he would have to go back over the game film to see what he did wrong and how he can improve in the coming weeks. For now Newton has answered the critics that said he couldn't lead an NFL team and thought he wouldn't have the character to stand behind in the NFL. Whether or not these questions are asked in the future is up to Cam.