Cam Newton Reveals What Makes Alabama Great

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Brendan Howe | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 10:07 PM ET

No one will ever buy Cam Newton drinks in Tuscaloosa. He was a godsend as the Auburn Tigers' quarterback in 2010, collecting a bevy of honors — including the Heisman Trophy — on the way to a BCS national title. His road there included a comeback from down 24-0 against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the programs' contentious annual matchup.

Though not a fan of Alabama's, Newton can acknowledge what makes the Crimson Tide such a steadily successful bunch.

"The money behind an Alabama," Newton said last week on his podcast, "4th&1 with Cam Newton." "It was already a legacy before Saban, you see what I'm saying? Bear Bryant was a coach that set the tone way before any of us was even thought of, and they was winning national championships."

Newton kept Nick Saban and his team from having the chance to capture another one in 2010, erasing the Tigers' deficit in a game now known as "The Camback."

"I'll tell you one thing, though, this game really was the epitome or — I've been a part of a lot of rivalry games — this one, by far, take the cake," Newton said last year on the same show. "Coach (Gene) Chizik, at the time, Auburn head coach, had so many people to tell us about what it's playing in the Iron Bowl. But, there's nothing that you can do to be prepared, other than playing in a game of this magnitude."

As Tim Tebow's backup at Florida, Newton had experienced the Gators' conflicts with Georgia, Florida State, and Miami.

"I thought I knew what a rivalry game was — until I played in the Iron Bowl," Newton said. "And it was so much passion, so much riding on this game, and it was a lot. It was so much that I didn't even know if I was prepared for it. ... When the dust settled, it was just something that, you know, you just gotta be ready for."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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