CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The 2011 NFL draft was less than 48 hours away, and the Carolina Panthers were huddled in a room at Bank of America Stadium. Tension was palpable as first-year head coach Ron Rivera and his staff debated whether Auburn quarterback Cam Newton checked all of the boxes to be the first overall pick.
It was, as one person described it, “very volatile.’’
Despite months of homework, private workouts, meetings only a select few knew about and a scout dedicated to talking to Newton almost daily, there were those who questioned whether the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner was the right fit because of issues that followed his career.