At the turn of the century, five-time NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning changed the game of football as we knew it. Now, 17-and-a-half years after Manning made his NFL debut and began to redefine the quarterback position, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers has officially become this era's transcendent, game-changing star.
That was confirmed Saturday night, with the 26-year-old All-Pro becoming the youngest player to win MVP this century. And the notion that Newton is in the process of becoming a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-generation player can be further solidified in 24 hours when the newly crowned MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, as announced by the league, takes on Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.