Cam Newton says he could have gone to jail for viral fight at youth camp

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton admitted the fight he was involved in at a 7-on-7 youth football camp could have gotten worse and said he could have ended up in jail.

The 2015 NFL MVP spoke about the incident on the latest episode of Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘The Big Podcast,’ and said when something triggers him, he immediately reacts and that’s an issue to him. The fight was started by something someone said, Newton alleged, even though coaches who were in the fight allege that the former quarterback started it and apologized for it afterward.

Regardless, Newton said the situation could have been worse for himself at the invitation-only camp and tournament in Atlanta.

‘Somebody is going to say something triggering to you and it just takes one time,’ Newton said. ‘It ugly, because I could be in jail, somebody filing a lawsuit.’

Newton was asked earlier about how the situation was able to unfold, and he responded it was because people have easy access to him. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner has been in other altercations at events before.

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‘That’s not the first time that happens, and honestly knowing my world, that we probably won’t be the last,’ he said. ‘It could have gotten ugly on both sides.’

On his YouTube show ‘4th & 1 with Cam Newton’ following the incident, he apologized for the fight taking place. He told his school football players or people who view him as a role model to use the fight as an example of how quickly things can escalate for someone.

‘I let my emotions get the best of me, and it should not have been called for. Simple,’ Newton said. ‘And with that, I apologize to anybody affected—that’s Steph, that’s TJ, that’s their organization, that’s C1N, my organization, that’s my players, my parents, my staff members.’

No charges were filed by either sides of the fight.