'No surprise' Auburn football legend Cam Newton gave C.J. Stroud credit for showing vs Georgia in CFP
Auburn football legend Cam Newton wasn't going to let taking a chance to point out another quarterback having a big showing against Georgia go to waste when he had C.J. Stroud on his "4th & 1" podcast given the former AU Heisman winner's roots.
"Newton complimented Stroud on showing out against the Georgia Bulldogs and SEC competition a year earlier in the College Football Playoff, which was no surprise considering how Newton played for the Auburn Tigers," Texans Wire's John Crumpler prefaced before saying, "He credited Stroud for carrying that momentum into turning around the Texans franchise and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year."
Newton had high praise for Stroud, who he clearly feels isn't in the Brock Purdy/Tua Tagovailoa/Dak Prescott/Jared Goff "game-manager" group.
Auburn football legend Cam Newton showered C.J. Stroud with praise during podcast appearance
Newton told Stroud that the ex-Ohio State gunslinger's rookie season with the Houston Texans was more impressive than his own Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign with the Carolina Panthers in 2011.
“I don’t know nobody that really had a better rookie campaign than you.” Newton said. “We didn’t make it to the playoffs, we didn’t win. You won and you made it look sexy, you were standing on business. It wasn’t even your performance as much as you defying the odds. You did it with so much class, so much grace.”
Newton's seal of approval is tough to come by, especially as a quarterback. But what Stroud has done so far in his career is undeniable. The Texans were a direction-less franchise with Davis Mills under center the year prior, but DeMeco Ryans taking over the defense and Stroud instantly becoming one of the league's most dynamic QBs changed the narrative in Houston instantly.
Couple that with being one of the few teams to look like they can beat Georgia during their undefeated run, and Stroud already has a quite the legacy as a 22-year-old.