Cam Newton apologizes for role in youth football scuffle

Cam Newton apologized for his role in a scuffle at a 7-on-7 youth football tournament over the weekend, saying "there's no excuse" for his actions.

Video from the Atlanta tournament surfaced Sunday that showed Newton being shoved by three people near the top of a set of steps before the pushing, shoving and grabbing moved toward a fence line. The video lasted less than 30 seconds before the altercation was broken up by a police officer and event security personnel.

Speaking about the incident on an episode of  his YouTube show "4th and 1" that was published Friday, Newton said he "let my emotions get the best of me."

"It should not have been called for. Simple. And with that, I apologize to anybody affected," Newton said, naming event organizers, players and parents among those he was issuing his apology to.

Newton, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft out of Auburn, did not appear to throw any punches in the video and seemed to be fending off three other people.

It was not clear what started the altercation. Newton did not directly explain that in his show, saying only that the situation "starts with words and it should have ended with words."

He also acknowledged that the scuffle could have gotten worse and that his involvement makes it harder for him to act as an example to younger players.

"I can't sit up there and say, 'Hey, bro, you got to be bigger than that,' and then all of a sudden I do that -- and that just goes to show you you've got to always stay in control of your emotions," he said.

Newton hasn't played in the NFL since 2021, when he spent a portion of the season with the Carolina Panthers, the same team that drafted him.

He has played 11 seasons in the NFL, throwing for more than 32,000 yards and 194 touchdowns. He also ran for 75 touchdowns during his time with the Panthers and New England Patriots.

Newton, who is from Atlanta, runs C1N, an organization founded in 2021 that focuses on developing young athletes' skills in football by providing opportunities to compete at the highest level through 7-on-7 tournaments and other events, according to Newton's website. His 15-and-under team won the championship at the event, according to a post by Newton on X.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.