Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton was involved in a scuffle during a 7-on-7 football game in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. The event, hosted by apparel and sports media company We Ball Sports, brought together his under-15 and under-18 youth teams from Georgia and Alabama for a competitive tournament. Ta. Newton is the founder of his C1N, a program he participated in.
In a video clip posted on social media, officials from Top Shelf Performance, the wide receiver training facility in Atlanta whose youth teams were participating in the event, watched Newton at the top of the stairs under the Wee Ball Sports tent Sunday afternoon. approached. Newton was grabbed and a scuffle ensued. Sources familiar with Elite 7-on-7 football say the two men seen competing with Newton are both top-shelf performance coaches and former quarterbacks coaches. The video shows Newton grabbing one of the combatants and pulling him to his side, where a scuffle continues. Police and security personnel broke up the altercation.
We Ball Sports co-founder and former Vanderbilt football player Nehemiah Mitchell said everyone involved in the altercation, including Newton, was removed from the event.
“It's just an unfortunate situation,” Mitchell said.
In the joint statement, The AthleticTop Shelf Performance trainers/coaches Stephon and TJ Brown said, “We are deeply concerned by the recent incident involving Cam Newton, and our thoughts are with all parties affected.'' There is no place for violence in our community and we strongly condemn all forms of aggression.”
They added that the company is “actively addressing this issue internally.”
A representative for Mr. Newton did not immediately respond to a message Sunday night. Atlanta police declined to provide information about the situation when contacted for comment.
Mitchell said Top Shelf defeated C1N on Saturday in a “heated game” that featured a lot of trash talk between the U-18 teams. Tensions boiled over Sunday.
There were 16 teams in each division, with the top under-18 team receiving $5,000 and the top under-15 team receiving $1,500. More than 1,500 people attended the event.
Newton, 34, was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by Auburn. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, split between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots. A three-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro selection, Newton's best season came in 2015, when he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl and won NFL MVP.
(Photo of Cam Newton during Super Bowl week: Ian Maule/Getty Images)
