Carolina Panthers quarterback, blogger
As starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, I’m lucky enough to have one of the toughest offensive lines in the NFL protecting me whenever I step back into the pocket to pass. But even though my guys are the best, every now and then, a defensive lineman still manages to break through and tackle me. That’s why I’m asking for your help.
If you’re at a game, please let me know if someone is coming to tackle me by shouting, “Look out, Cam!” Thank you.
The fact is, football is a fast game. In the middle of a play, it can be tough to keep track of where the other team’s defenders are, especially when I’m focused on finding an open receiver. But if you’re up in the stands, you should have a pretty good view of the field and no immediate distractions. So, if you could do me a favor by keeping an eye out for any players who look like they might be about to tackle me, and tip me off by saying something like, “Hey, Cam, watch out!” I’d really appreciate it.
…if no one is about to tackle me, don’t say anything, because I might get confused.
Here are a few things that you can shout at me to let me know that I’m in danger:
“They’re coming after you, Cam!”
“Cam, behind you!”
“Look out, Cam N.!”
“Watch out, Mr. Newton! Someone is about to tackle you.”
The main thing is to make sure you use my name when you shout your warning, otherwise I won’t know who you’re talking to. If you just say, “Look out!” I’m thinking, “Wow, it sounds like someone needs to look out. I wonder who?” You could be talking to any of the players down on the field. But if you say, “Look out, Cam!” I hear the name “Cam,” and I know you’re telling me that I should look out. Also, make sure you speak at full volume so that I can hear you over the noise in the stadium, which can get pretty loud sometimes.
But if no one is about to tackle me, don’t say anything, because I might get confused. For example, shouting something like, “Don’t worry, Cam, the coast is clear,” or “No one’s coming to get you at the moment, Cam” is nice, but it’s just going to distract me. I appreciate the support, but what I really need to know is when someone is sneaking up on me for a tackle. That’s all.
You may be wondering why I don’t want to get tackled so bad. Well, there are a lot of reasons. For one, it hurts to get knocked down. You can easily get a bruise or even worse. I haven’t had a great time being tackled. But more importantly, it’s bad for the team. If I get tackled, it often results in a loss of yardage, which makes it harder for us to score a touchdown. All in all, being tackled is a pain, and I’d like to avoid it if at all possible.
So, please help me out by letting me know the next time it looks like I’m about to be tackled by shouting something along the lines of, “Hey, Cam, watch out!” so I can move out of the way. And don’t worry about the refs. They’re not going to get mad at you.
Thanks!
