Feb 7, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) and defensive end DeMarcus Ware (94) attempt to recover the fumbled ball by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Texas A&M LB Von Miller Opens Up About 'Personal' Super Bowl vs. Cam Newton

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 2:52 PM ET

Super Bowl 50 in 2016 between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers was a perfect example of a high-powered offense matching up against an elite defense, and it featured the first and second overall picks from the 2011 NFL draft, Panthers quarterback and former Auburn Tiger Cam Newton and Broncos linebacker and former Texas A&M Aggie Von Miller, in that order.

In a game where Carolina were the five-point favorites after putting up a 15-1 regular season record, Miller and the Broncos proved throughout the course of the game that defense really does win championships, and it resulted in a 24-10 win for the Broncos, who never trailed once in the contest.

And according to the Aggie linebacker, it was a game that had Miller in a mindset that went beyond just what happened between the hashes.

"I Made It Personal In My Mind With Cam"

On a recent episode of Johnny Manziel's Glory Daze podcast, Miller sat down with his fellow A&M alum to talk about the game, and what was going through his mind.

And Miller's answer even included him likening his mindset to that of one of the NBA's all-time greats as he squared off against his fellow draftmate, who had just been named NFL MVP the night before.

"I had made it personal," Miller said. "You play these games where you see (Michael) Jordan make things personal with some of the guys he was with. This was way before The Last Dance, and I had made it personal in my mind with Cam. I made it personal, he was the number one pick, I was the number two. He was the MVP coming into the game. I asked Coach (Gary) Kubiak 'hey, can I walk out with the captains for the coin flip?' and he's like 'yeah, man.' And so, I walked out and I was just staring Cam down the whole time. From the time I walked from the sideline all the way to the coin flip, and Cam didn't shake anybody's hand after the toss, he just ran off, so that just made it even more personal in my mind."

Miller also opened up on how calm he was for the game, despite it being the biggest game of the season against a team that was almost undefeated up to that point.

"It was the first game that I ever played in where I wasn't nervous before. It's the Super Bowl, we just played an entire season to get there. I just remember going into that game without any nerves," Miller said.

Miller's mindset and serenity clearly helped out the Broncos in a huge way, recording six total tackles and sacking Newton 2.5 times, including a strip sack midway through the first quarter that led to the Broncos securing the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

In a game where neither team scored a passing touchdown, Miller's stellar performance earned him MVP honors of the game and sent legendary quarterback Peyton Manning into retirement happily with his second career Super Bowl victory.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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