Cam Newton on college football environment in Alabama: ‘It’s just a little different’

Just ask former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton about college football in Alabama.

He may be the most outspoken former athlete in the media, having earned the Heisman Trophy and national title with the Tigers in 2010.

The Auburn icon discussed the significance of college football in the state in a recent episode of his podcast, 4th&1 with Cam Newton. One comment from former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik aptly encapsulated his idea.

“The Auburn head coach is one of the four most important people in the state of Alabama,” he remarked. It’s Alabama’s head coach. The quarterback is the starting quarterback for both Auburn and the University of Alabama. Newton claimed that Chizik informed him that he was one of those four.

Even though Newton only spent one season on the Plains, his Heisman-winning campaign in 2010, he was still able to gauge the fervor that college football fans in the state have for the game.

According to Newton, professional sports are not nonexistent in the State of Alabama. On Thanksgiving, anybody from Alabama—whether from Dothan, Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, or Bessemer—asked the same question: what color are you wearing?

After Auburn rallied from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Newton defeated Alabama 28-27 to win the lone Iron Bowl he played in. The game was known as The Camback.

Listen, man—call them insane. I refer to them as gorgeous, boisterous individuals. Newton described the fans as belligerent. Not every fan reaches this stage.

Newton also made a daring claim when he likened the thrill of an SEC game to a major Big 10 game.

According to Newton, an 8-2 or 7-3 SEC-SEC game is far superior to a 6-0, 6-0 Big 10 game. Bro, it’s just different.

For AL.com, Peter Rauterkus writes about Auburn athletics. You may email him at prauterkus@al.com or follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus.

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