Cam Newton is an emotional type of player. The Panthers quarterback has a difficult time concealing how he feels, a trait that's led to some criticism during his impressive rookie campaign.
Developing a poker face is all part of the learning curve for Newton, who received a pep talk from offensive linemen Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil on Sunday before the Panthers' 28-13 victory over the Texans.
"They always get on me -- I have a bad tendency of showing my emotions on my face," Newton said Wednesday, according to the Charlotte Observer. "I have to change it, and I'm trying to change it. But those guys constantly stay in my ear, saying, 'You've got to be that same leader from the first quarter to the last quarter.' "
After Houston cut a 21-0 deficit to 21-13 in the fourth quarter, Newton led Carolina on a game-icing, 80-yard touchdown drive. He credited Gross and Kalil as "the real heroes" of the drive, which helped the Panthers improve to 5-9.
"And with them saying that, just that little statement that was said right before the game, it made me mindful it can be somewhat of a detrimental conduct to the team," Newton said of his sulking tendencies. "If you're mad. If you're ticked off. Not saying that everybody else is not feeling the same way you (are). But at the quarterback position, you have to stay even-keeled."
Newton, who's just 18 yards away from breaking Peyton Manning's rookie passing-yards record, was a more positive presence on the sideline against the Texans, a game in which the Panthers never trailed. A better test for Newton's behavior will come the next time the team struggles.
