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Former NFL star Cam Newton had a message for the Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman college football programs in the latest episode of his podcast after a fight between players from each team over the weekend.
The halftime melee led the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to issue suspensions to 27 players, three of whom were suspended for two games. Each program also received thousands of dollars in fines.
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Then-Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) walks onto the field during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on November 28, 2021. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
Newton said on “4th & 1” that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were “falling behind” because of the fighting that took place on the field.
“I despise these actions…I am extremely unhappy with what happened. Why? It’s because make no mistake: I have spoken at length about equal opportunity,” Newton said. “We’re sitting here trying to get more access, more visibility, to amplify the platform of HBCUs. It doesn’t matter if you’re from MEAC, SWAC, SIAC, OVC – or whatever conference you’re in – if you’re a representation of blackness and black culture, you should look at this and say, ‘This set us back.'”
Newton wondered if the fight took place on a major network broadcasting college football games and what the conversation would be around HBCU programs.
He added that overall the image has been damaged as schools try to grow in terms of name, image and likeness and seek sponsors.
Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton watches a game between the Howard Bison and the Florida A&M Rattlers in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 16, 2023. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
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The former Carolina Panthers star quarterback also took issue with Grambling State head coach Mickey Joseph’s initial comments after the fight. Joseph initially stated that the school was not going to tolerate “disrespect” and that it was “going to respond to disrespect with disrespect.”
Joseph apologized and walked back his comments, but it still didn’t sit well with Newton.
“I can forgive you for what you said, I can never forget what you said,” Newton said. “It’s almost like, why are you apologizing? Are you apologizing because someone above you said, ‘It’s not a good look and you need to apologize for it.’ Or are you apologizing because that’s how you really feel?
“Everyone in SWAC, MEAC, SIAC, CIAA, OVC, I’m pissed because it set us back, man. It set us back.”
The SWAC reprimanded the schools and players who took part in the fight.
“We are extremely disappointed by the events that occurred during halftime of the Bethune-Cookman football game at Grambling State,” SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland said in a statement. “Acts of this nature have no place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and intercollegiate athletics.
Detailed view of a penalty flag during a football game on November 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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“The Conference Office has and will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for all acts deemed unsportsmanlike and contrary to the high standards of sportsmanship we expect of all individuals associated with our league’s athletics programs.”
