Early Monday, NFL Quarterback Cam Newton got into an altercation with a high school football player at a seven vs. seven camp. The student-athlete was seen disrespecting Newton and making fun of Newton’s free agency status. Yes, this is the same Cam Newton who won the 2010 Heisman, is a National Champion, and an NFL MVP. Many would think that kids who go to these camps would look at it as a way to learn from the best and hopefully receive good advice to help them achieve their goals. Still, we see more and more these days of kids disrespecting older people who give their time and energy to the community.

It is well known that professional athletes get a ton of criticism from the media and coaches. This builds their character and teaches them how to keep their cool. In the video, Cam Newton takes the high road and keeps his composure towards the heckling kid. He later responded on Instagram explaining his point of view and why he asked to speak with the young man’s father. He also emphasized the number of hate athletes constantly get and that people often forget they are real people.

“We are real Dads, real friends, real brothers, real sons, real human beings, etc.,” Newton said in his Instagram post. 

Although Newton handled it well and even said afterward that he had a one-on-one conversation with the young man, this is a reminder for all young athletes: The professionals do not have to go out of their way to help. They often choose to do it because they care about future generations and love teaching the game that they play. This is why many NFL players had Newton’s back because they understand the scrutiny they are under even when they try to help. 

All young people should take this as an example of what not to do when in the presence of someone teaching you. That’s not the time to try to make your friends laugh or be disrespectful. This applies to teenagers outside of sports, too. Most of the time adults give back to you what they learned and what made them successful. Cam Newton is an example of one of those people, and he showed his true character with how he handled himself.