Former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton revealed that a former teammate attempted to charge him a hefty and absurd sum in exchange for a jersey number.
In a recent interview with 2Cool2Blog, the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player revealed that he had initially intended to wear No. 2 when he was drafted as the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The 34-year-old had worn the number during his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign and successful run to the national championship at Auburn University in 2010.
However, the number was already in possession of the then-incumbent quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who placed a significant price tag of $1 million on it.
"He was like if you want it, you got to pay for it. I was like, cool, how much? He said a million. I said boy, kiss my a*s. A million dollars bro? I said bro people don't make a million dollars in a lifetime let alone I'm going to give you a million dollars just for a f****ng number," Newton hilariously recalled.
Clausen even had the audacity to revise the offer, reducing the price to $750,000. In response, Newton, taken aback by the situation, immediately contacted the Panthers' equipment manager and decided to switch to jersey number 1, affirming a personal commitment to himself.
"I made an oath to myself that that would be the last time Jimmy Clausen will ever be heard of in Carolina," Newton declared.
How did their NFL careers pan out?
Jimmy Clausen
During the 2010 season, Clausen held the position of the Panthers' starting quarterback as a rookie, leading the team to finish with the worst overall record in the NFL, at 1-9. Clausen directed an underperforming offense that scored only 16 touchdowns throughout the season.
Following the arrival of Newton in 2011, Clausen remained with the Panthers as a third-string quarterback and eventually transitioned to wearing No. 7.
However, he never had the opportunity to play in regular season games again from 2011 until his release from the team in 2013.
Clausen went on to have short and forgettable stints with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2015. He never signed for a team again after his release from Baltimore.
Cam Newton
Cam Newton is perhaps the greatest player in Carolina Panthers franchise history. He made a huge impact in his rookie season, setting records for passing and rushing yards by a quarterback.
Newton won Offensive Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie QB to throw for 4,000 yards and 400 yards in his debut season.
The quarterback led the franchise to its most tremendous success in 2015, being named the NFL MVP and guiding the team to a franchise-best 15-1 record and a Super Bowl 50 appearance. However, they came up short against the Denver Broncos, 24-10.
Newton struggled with injuries after his MVP campaign, and he left Carolina in 2020 to play for the New England Patriots following Tom Brady's departure.
He briefly returned to the Panthers for the 2021 season in a one-year deal, but the team did not re-sign him after the campaign.
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