Former NFL MVP Cam Newton was removed from a 7-on-7 youth football tournament on Sunday for his part in an physical altercation with two coaches at the event.
Video surfaced online of Newton being shoved by three people near the top of a set of steps before the pushing, shoving and grabbing moves toward a nearby fence line. The altercation lasted for around 30 seconds before it was broken up by a police and event security.
According to The Guardian, Newton, who is from Atlanta, runs the C1N, an organization founded in 2021 which focuses on developing young athletes’ skills in football by providing opportunities to compete at the highest level through 7-on-7 tournaments and other events. The C1N website states that the organization’s mission is to create an environment that fosters growth and development on and off the field, helping young athletes achieve their goals in football and life. C1N plays in tournaments across the country.
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Newton's 15-and-under team won the championship event, which was hosted by We Ball Sports, an apparel and media company. We Ball Sports' co-founder, Nehemiah Mitchell, confirmed for The Athletic that Newton was among a number of people removed from the event after the confrontation.
The Athletic reported that Newton was confronted by two coaches from TopShelf Performance, which runs youth programs and is involved in training youth, college and professional wide receivers.
Newton, the No 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, does not appear to throw any punches in the video and appears to be fending off three other men. There is one punch thrown in Newton’s direction, but it is unclear if the punch landed on the former quarterback. It’s also uncertain what prompted the altercation.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Cam Newton, and our thoughts are with all parties affected,” TopShelf Performance trainers/coaches Stephon and TJ Brown said in a statement to The Athletic. “Violence has no place in our community, and we strongly condemn any form of aggression.”
