As you might imagine, Cam Newton is still a pretty big deal on campus at Auburn.
So much so, that he’s passing on his graduation so he doesn’t take away from others on their big day.
Via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review, the Panthers quarterback told the school newspaper there that he was skipping the ceremony after finishing his degree this semester.
“Number one, I don’t think walking really solidifies anything for me,” Newton said. “I have pretty much conquered the main reason why I’m here, and all I really need is a degree. Plus, I don’t want to take away anything from the people already graduating. After seeing the response coming from class, I wouldn’t want to take anything away from another person’s [graduation day].“
Twitter photos of Newton are common as he walks through campus, so the graduation selfies would have probably been out of control. But for Newton, the achievement is still as significant as anything he’s done on the football field.
“When I do get my diploma, I’m going to put it right above my mom’s door, so she knows her words were not in vain,” Newton said. “All my awards that mean the world to me are implanted [in her house], and this is no different. If anything, it’s going right along next to the Heisman.”
Newton also said he hopes to put his degree in sociology to good use when he’s through playing, with hopes of opening a day care center.
“As I get more educated about sociology, and education as a whole, shame on me if I don’t use my influence in a positive way,” Newton said. “Someone may look at my situation and say, ‘He may be financially set, but yet he’s bettering himself.’ Maybe I can encourage somebody else who is in my situation or is down and out [to] always strive for a better you and that’s what this was pretty much all about: making myself better.”
And as he does so, he’s letting the rest of the graduates enjoy their moment in the spotlight as well.
