Winning Doesn't Make You a Winner
And the same can be said for losing - Losing doesn't make you a loser either.
Dear Cam Newton (and every other player who aspires to be great)-
Let me preface this letter with the acknowledgement that I am a life long Broncos fan. I was born and raised that way here in beautiful Colorado. However, I am a true fan of the game of football. I do not let let my allegiance to the Broncos cloud my appreciation of other great players from other teams, even the Raiders and the Patriots.
With that said, as a mother of 5, the youngest of which is a 7 year old boy who LOVES to watch football, I enjoy watching his face light up as he watches touchdowns, long runs, and sacks. Of course, we raise him to love the Broncos, but we also raise him to appreciate the great players of the game. On any given Sunday, he cheers on different teams as we watch the Redzone channel. Over the course of the season, he cheered for you often. We have talked about how talented you are and he has watched you give footballs to kids in the stands. For a 7 year old boy, that is the coolest thing!
As a 7 year old boy with high functioning autism, he has a keen eye when he watches you play. He can find Peyton Manning anywhere he appears and he finds you and other players the minute you appear on the TV. Autism is cool like that. It provides an uncanny ability to hone in on the details. My son, Zack, takes his cues in life from the details. Because of this, I am more aware than most how closely he watches the attitudes and behaviors of those around him and those he idolizes.
Up until the last two weeks, I had grown to appreciate the hurdles you have overcome. Your troubles in college seemed like a distant memory. Although, I must admit, the bad taste I had in my mouth had much more to do with your father than you. But as time has gone on, you stood tall on your own, in my mind. I thought to myself, this kid gets it. He appreciates what hard work can give you. He is so talented. He is going to be one of the greats as time goes on.
While I still feel that way for the most part, your attitude these last two weeks and especially last night after the loss tells me you still don't quite get it. Yes, you're good. Yes, you should be you and never change who you are for anyone. But with that talent, with the spotlight, you MUST hold yourself to a higher standard. There are thousands and thousands of kids watching your every move. Who cares what the adults think, these kids are looking to you and might just model their own behavior to match yours. It's not much different from pretending you are Brett Favre or John Elway when you're in the backyard throwing the ball. These kids look to you for an example of how to be a great football player - ON AND OFF the field.
So, please Cam, as you go into this off season, think about what you want these kids to see in you. If you want them to see greatness, to see that dreams do come true, then you MUST show them greatness. I know that losing last night was devastating. If it wasn't, then you shouldn't be playing in the NFL. You are supposed to care. But you need to learn how to handle the tough times as well as the good times. I would encourage you to learn from those who have come before you. Watch how John Elway handled himself when he lost not one, but three Super Bowls in four years. And he didn't just lose, he got slaughtered. Watch Jim Kelly as he lost four Super Bowls in a row. Four in a row!!! Can you even imagine? Watch Tom Brady as he lost Super Bowls. These men, these great quarterbacks, can show you what it means to lose with dignity. Because ultimately, you have a RESPONSIBILITY to my son and the other kids out there who watch you play to learn how to be great.
I don't know if you'll ever read this, but if you do, I hope you can take what I am saying to heart. Be you, have fun, dance, dab, and love what you do. But please remember, it is how you handle yourself that will determine whether you are a winner or a loser, not the score at the end of the game.
Sincerely,
Lisa
