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Cameron Newton became the first former Auburn Tiger to win the NFL MVP award tonight at the NFL's annual pre-Super Bowl awards Ceremony. The League has awarded their MVP trophy every season since 1957.
The NFL MVP is a regular season award, so his playoff stats don't matter. In the regular season, Newton threw for 3,847 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has more seasons with 300 passing yards and 500 rushing yards than any other quarterback in NFL history. He has more games with both a rushing and passing touchdown than any other quarterback in NFL history. He owns those records and he's only been playing professional football for five years.
He's playing at the top of his game right now, and playing it with pure joy. He definitely deserved this honor, tonight, and hopefully he adds a Vince Lombardi Trophy to his resume, tomorrow. If he does, he'll be truly elite in the sport of football by possessing a Heisman Trophy, College National Championship, NFL MVP, and Super Bowl trophy. He will also have won the top player honors and league championship trophies in the same season in both cases.
Not bad for a guy so many thought would never succeed at the highest level, right?
Newton was also part of another small bit of history, tonight. Never in the history of the NFL or Major League Baseball has any school ever had alumni win the MVP in both leagues in the same season. Cam Newton won the NFL MVP, and former Auburn baseball star Josh Donaldson recently won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in MLB.
War Cam Eagle. War Dab Eagle. War Damn Eagle. Always.