At a time when the concept of the “Tiger Mom” has attracted enough attention to land on the cover of Time magazine, the dad of a former Tiger continues to hover over his son’s football career like a jump jet.
According to Bruce Feldman of ESPN The Magazine, Cecil Newton has arranged for Cam Newton to conduct a workout for the media on February 10 in San Diego.
Cam Newton has been working out with quarterback coach George Whitfield. Currently unaffiliated with any team, Whitfield tutored Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during his four-game suspension.
Jason LaCanfora of NFL Network recently reported that some teams are concerned about Cecil Newton’s involvement in his son’s career. Apart from the allegations that Cecil Newton sought payment in exchange for Cam’s selection of a Division I school, NFL teams generally don’t look favorably on, for example, a player’s dad calling up the coach and complaining that his son’s not getting enough game reps.
NFL teams try to avoid such problems before they occur by, for example, not drafting players whose fathers may be inclined to be too involved in their pro careers.
We’ve got not problem with a father loving and supporting and guiding his son. There’s a line, however, that applies once the son has become a man, especially when that son will be relied upon to quickly become the leader of 53 other grown men.
Teams don’t necessarily have to determine the contours of that line; they only need to know when the father is occupying territory on the wrong side of it. In the aftermath of the scandal that could still rob Auburn of its recently-minted national title, Cecil Newton by all appearances continues to receive his mail there.
