Cam Newton, at long last, wears the "C."
Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera announced before Thursday's practice that the quarterback is one of six captains for the 2013 season, as voted on by teammates.
Newton joins a group that includes linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, wide receiver Steve Smith, left tackle Jordan Gross and center Ryan Kalil.
A starting quarterback being named captain isn't typically newsworthy. It happens all the time. But Newton had been passed over in each of his first two seasons, leading to speculation that he hadn't earned the respect of the locker room.
Being a captain meant enough to Newton that he spoke out about the issue back in May. We covered this breathlessly, because, well, this is the type of stuff NFL bloggers write about during the NBA playoffs.
"I recognize -- and everyone knows around the league -- when you're a team captain, that's not just a patch on the jersey," Newton said. "You're holding yourself to a higher standard with being accountable. I'm going about it each and every day and trying to make that happen."
Newton made it happen. It's all smooth sailing and super accountability from here.
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