Although Hulu’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez focuses primarily on its titular athlete, the show also chronicles certain exploits of other real-life figures, but it doesn’t always make historical accuracy a priority. Cam Newton, played by Warren Egypt Franklin, is one of many real NFL players and coaches represented in American Sports Story. While the overall story is based on actual events, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez episode 2 changes the details surrounding what happened to Newton near the end of his time at the University of Florida.

Aaron Hernandez’s football career only overlapped very slightly with that of Cam Newton’s. Although they were both Florida Gators, their respective playing positions and places on the depth chart meant they didn’t really compete together all that much. The story about Newton being dismissed for theft in American Sports Story is based on an element of truth, but the show has twisted certain details for dramatic effect.

Cam Newton Did Steal A Laptop, But Florida Didn’t Kick Him Out

Newton wasn’t kicked out of college following his arrest

American Sports Story doesn’t ignore Newton’s run-ins with the law, nor those of his fellow Gators. This era of the team’s history did indeed result in certain players being arrested for various crimes, including Newton’s connection to a stolen laptop. However, the quarterback’s crime isn’t what resulted in him getting dismissed from the University of Florida and ending his Gators career.

American Sports Story shows Tony Yazbeck’s Urban Meyer folding to his superiors’ demands to cut one of the guilty student athletes to make an example of them. The intent of cutting Cam Newton from the team within the world of the show was to make it clear that further law-breaking wouldn’t be tolerated. While Newton was still a highly-rated dual-threat quarterback, he was still ultimately a backup player. So, Yazbeck’s Coach Meyer made the decision to minimize the impact on his stacked roster. In reality, this isn’t why Newton left the University of Florida.

Cam Newton Chose To Leave The University Of Florida Because Of Tim Tebow

Tebow’s talents kept Newton off the field

Newton’s first season as a Gator came in 2007 – the same year as Aaron Hernandez’s freshman year. Although teammate Tim Tebow had been the backup for the 2006 season, his contributions from the bench earned him the starting job over Newton. As a result, Newton sat for two straight years behind his fellow quarterback, but ultimately never got the chance to play. Tebow continued to go from strength to strength, winning the Heisman Trophy after his first full year as a starter and also becoming a finalist for the award in his second and third years.

“When Tebow announced that, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m coming back [for my senior year],’ I said, ‘I gotta leave now. I wasn’t playing when you were here.’ And then for Urban’s sake, you couldn’t even identify who the backup was between me and John Brantly. We fighting for scraps, y’all can have this.” – Cam Newton (via
SportSkeeda
).

Newton knew after the success Tebow enjoyed during the 2007 season that he’d have to leave Florida if he were to ever become a starter and try to eventually make an NFL roster. This stance was compounded when Tebow revealed he wouldn’t turn pro after his junior year and wanted to continue playing for the Gators for another season. It was a smart decision by Newton to move on, as Tebow continued to dazzle scouts and Gator fans alike with his arm and his legs, so Newton would have been incredibly unlikely to get any playing time at all.

Cam Newton’s College & NFL Career After Leaving Florida Explained

Newton played for 2 more colleges before moving onto his professional era

According to ESPN, Newton’s transfer to Texas’ Blinn College could also have been due to the quarterback facing the possibility of expulsion from the University of Florida due to academic cheating. Nevertheless, Newton was named the starter for Blinn, and NJCAA reports he threw and ran for a combined 38 touchdowns while throwing just 5 interceptions. The following season, Newton transferred again. This time, he became an Auburn Tiger. The NCAA has Newston’s Auburn stats as a combined 50 passing/rushing touchdowns as well as taking a reception to the endzone. He also won the Heisman and a national championship.

Despite the immense success of former teammate Tim Tebow at the college level, his erratic playing style meant Tebow struggled to hold down a career in the NFL. While his talents shone after being named the Denver Broncos’ starter in 2011, he then floated around the league for years before transitioning into a career as a college football analyst. By contrast, Newton went to the Carolina Panthers as the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

Newton remained with the Panthers through the 2019 season, playing in Super Bowl 50 against Peyton Manning’s Broncos and being crowned NFL MVP once during that time. After failing to be re-signed following his lone New England Patriots season in 2020, Newton did step in to help the Panthers midway through the 2021 season before ultimately being released again after the last game. However, because American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez isn’t about Newton, and the main character played only until 2013, Newton’s impressive post-Florida career isn’t particularly relevant to the show.

Sources: SportSkeeda, ESPN, NJCAA, NCAA