From off-season ankle surgery to fracturing his lower back in a car accident near the end of the season, it seems like Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has been nursing injuries for forever, but Head Coach Ron Rivera says that Newton, who is attending summer school at Auburn, has not only used the off-season to get his college degree, but also regain his strength.
“He said for the first time in a long time he feels very, very good,” Rivera said. “His ankle, the one he had surgically repaired, he feels really good about that. The ribs don’t bother him. The back doesn’t seem to bother him.”
“Last year was a little bit of a red herring in terms of getting the surgery and then trying to come back and being ready to go. That slowed him down. But knowing that he’s feeling good about himself health-wise going forward, talking about things he wants to do, you feel very comfortable.”
“I’m very happy for the young man because last year I thought he took a very big step in the second half of the season,” Rivera said. “We did some things offensively, a little bit different than we had done earlier in the year. We felt he was healthy and strong enough to do those things, and (offensive coordinator) Mike (Shula) and the offensive staff implemented those plans and I thought they showed very well. I thought he handled the situation very nicely and he’s going to continue in his growth as we go forward.”