Let me take you back to the 2016 Super Bowl…

Carolina Panthers VS. Denver Broncos

The Broncos won 24-10 but I want to focus on the mentality of the quarterback of each team.

Cam Newton (Panthers)

  • Wears #1 jersey, number 1 draft pick
  • nicknamed “superman”
  • the only player in the modern era to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and become the first overall pick in an NFL draft within a one-year span
  • He became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 yards in his first game, shattering Peyton Manning’s first-game record by 120 yards.
  • He broke Otto Graham’s 61-year-old record for passing yards by any quarterback in an NFL debut
  • Newton would go on to become the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season, as well as the first rookie quarterback to rush for 700 yards. He also ran for 14 touchdowns, more in a single season than any quarterback in NFL history, breaking Steve Grogan’s 35-year-old record.
  • In 2015, Newton became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30 touchdowns and rush for 10 in the same season (35 passing, 10 rushing). 
  • He also became the only quarterback ever to have 300 yards passing, 5 touchdown passes, and over 100 yards rushing in the same game.
  • In the final regular season game of the 2015 season Newton tied Steve Young’s record for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback—a record that Young set after 15 seasons in the NFL, compared to Newton’s five.”

Cam Newton is a phenom. More raw talent than anyone has ever seen. And let’s look at his work ethic.  During the 2011 NFL lockout, he spent up to 12 hours a day at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, FL, spending up to two hours per day doing one-on-one training with fellow Heisman Trophy winner and ex-Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke

This guy had ever thing going for him. But he lost. He lost because he was looking out for number “1”.  He was thinking about himself and not the team.

He fumbled in the 4th quarter then had the chance to recover the ball but hesitated in order to avoid injury. He had the only shot to get that ball and save the game but he didn’t take it. He was looking out for himself, for his career. Cam Newton confirmed he was afraid to get hurt during Super Bowl’s most crucial play.

 On the other hand…

When the winners were interviewed after the game, Peyton Manning spoke not one word about himself, instead he praised his teammates over and over saying it was they who had won the game. When asked how he wanted to be remembered he said, “I want to be remembered as a good teammate.”

The MVP of the game was then interviewed and likewise spoke not a word about himself but also praised his teammates and gave them credit for the win.

The cameras quickly switched to the Broncos defensive line all celebrating together while the commentators declared these were guys who had won the game. There was a shot of 3 or 4 of the winners kneeling on the field in the midst of the celebration, eyes closed, praying.

The commentators also noted that star quarterback Peyton Manning did not even play a very good game, it was the team’s defense as a unit that won.

It is so important that we have a “team” approach in all areas of our lives.  If you are only looking out for yourself you can only go so far.  This applies to work, family, relationships, sports and life in general.  Surround yourself with like minded individuals with a dream or a vision and celebrate each other’s strengths and work through all of your weaknesses together.

In our one of work, it is crucial that we act as a team.  When a client calls and asks us to provide security, it is a major responsibility that we do not take lightly.  From the minute the request comes in, everyone on our team from upper management to office staff to site supervisors to front line staff all work together to ensure that at end the event it is a championship win and out client is the MVP!

You can only go so far as an individual but Together Everyone Achieves More