We’ll have to wait until next Sunday to see what Cam Newton looks like in a real NFL game. But Bo Jackson has seen enough of Newton to say the Panthers will be a frighteningly good team with Newton at the helm -- and to compare Newton to a bunch of Hall of Famers.
Jackson, the former Raiders running back who, like Newton, was a Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn, said on the Jim Rome show that Newton’s physical gifts are unlike those of any player in football, and the Panthers have the right offense to take advantage of Newton’s gifts.
“There isn’t another quarterback in the NFL that has all of those tangibles,” Jackson said. “And when you put all of those tangibles together with the quality of receivers and linemen that he’s got blocking for him, and the running backs that he can get the pill to, this guy is scary. The Panthers are scary.”
Jackson also says Newton compares favorably to some of the all-time great NFL players.
“When you speak of Cam Newton, I’ll put it to you just like this: He has the arm strength and power of Dan Marino and John Elway combined,” Jackson said. “He is quicker than Michael Vick, faster than Michael Vick. And he will run over you with the power of a Jerome Bettis, Bo Jackson, Earl Campbell. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
I think Jackson left out Superman, but other than that, he’s pretty well covered every great player he could possibly compare to Newton. And Jackson seems to think Newton is going to be better than any of them. Maybe we should just put Cam in Canton right now.
