Johnny Manziel can be an easy target sometimes. But even Cam Newton admitted that Carolina Panthers fans took it too far Sunday.
Manziel left the Browns’ game against the Panthers in the first half with a hamstring injury, and according to Newton, some Carolina fans at Bank of America Stadium cheered as the Cleveland quarterback was taken off the field. Newton wasn’t too happy about that.
“The only thing I can say is it was sad to see the crowd’s response when he was getting hurt, man,” Newton said after the game, via ESPN.com. “I just think it was classless at that time. Any time a person is hurt, you don’t celebrate. I’ve had that done in my career. It takes the integrity out of the game.”
Newton had a similar experience just two weeks earlier, when fans at the Louisiana Superdome cheered when it looked like he was hurt in a 41-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers quarterback was injured in a car crash a few days after that game, but he returned Sunday to lead his team to a 17-13 win.
“For the crowd to respond in that type of way, we’re better than that,” Newton said. “That’s not who we are.”
Newton also might have a soft spot for the Browns rookie, as both are former Heisman Trophy winners (Newton in 2010, Manziel in 2012) who entered the NFLÂ with considerable hype. The veteran had a chance to talk to the young gun after the game and offered him his vote of confidence.
“I’m a fan of his, just like a lot of people are,” Newton added. “But (there’s) a lot of things he has to learn. It’s a learning curve … I told him I was pulling for him. Hopefully, during the offseason we will link up.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
