Because on Thursday night, when you're getting booed as you walk across the stage at Radio City Music Hall to greet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the media spotlight will have officially reached new heights.
Newton went from an unknown quarterback prospect at Auburn University to Heisman trophy winner and potential No. 1 overall pick in the span of eight months. While he captivated college football fans on the field, Newton's not-so-squeaky-clean past quickly caught up to him.
There was the alleged laptop theft while at the University of Florida.
Then the three instances of cheating that eventually led to his departure from the Gators.
And of course, the allegations that his father, Cecil Newton, was seeking six-figures from colleges in a pay-for-play scheme.
To Newton's credit, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound quarterback seemed to thrive off the controversy that surrounded him as he led the Tigers to a BCS National Championship.
Prior to the start of the 2010 college football season, Newton wasn't on the radar of NFL scouts. Despite a subpar combine in February, Newton shot up the NFL draft boards and is reportedly one of four players that the Carolina Panthers could select with the No. 1 overall pick.
While nobody can question Newton's raw talent, several analysts have openly wondered if he has the toughness and desire to make it in the NFL.
"It's just this gut feeling I have: I don't know how great he wants to be," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said on the Dan Patrick Show Monday. "He's got all the tools. Mechanically, he's way beyond where Tim Tebow and Vince Young were as college quarterbacks.... He's got everything on the physical side. "Something tells me that he'll be content to be a multimillionaire who's pretty good."
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