Cam Newton has never been just a football player. Sure, he’s an NFL MVP, a Heisman winner, and one of the most electrifying dual-threat quarterbacks the league has ever seen.
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However, beyond the highlight-reel plays and Superman celebrations, Newton has always been a cultural force — either by redefining on-field swagger with his signature cleats or turning heads with custom fedoras off the field. And now, he intends to take his creativity to the next level by setting his sights on a more commercial role.
Newton wants to take the creative game of the first brand that he ever signed with to the next level — as their Creative Director. The former Panthers QB wants to give back to the brand that gave him the biggest endorsement deal for an incoming rookie in the NFL back in February 2011. Per multiple reports, the deal was worth more than $1 million per season — a big number back then.
And he has been laying the groundwork for this creative director role ever since.
“When I came into the league, I signed to Under Armour, and one of the things I was trying to get them to understand was: ‘Yo, I wanted to disrupt. I wanted to disrupt the space of football by being able to express myself,'” Newton reflected eagerly on the 4th&1 podcast.
So, what would he hope to do in this hypothetical new role with the sportswear behemoth valued at $2.72 billion?
As he explained: “What do creative directors do? Your job is to create. You throw a lot of ideas at the wall and see what sticks. And when you’re working with a company like Under Armour, they spare no expense when it comes to what they deem is worth it.”
Newton’s partnership with Under Armour could indeed spark a movement. His signature Highlight Cleats became an instant classic, influencing a generation of football players who saw fashion and function collide in a way that had never been done before.
Though Newton claims that the sportswear juggernaut has never credited him for the cleats’ success, he continues taking pride in it. Even more so when a stranger stands next to Newton and tells him they wore his Highlight cleats.
“The greatest kind of respect or badge of honor that somebody would tell me is, ‘Yo bro, I had them Cam Newton highlight cleats.’ Still to this day, Under Armour doesn’t want to give me the respect of saying that was my cleat—but it was,” a disappointed Newton continued.
For most athletes, cleats are just accessories. But for the former NFL MVP, they weren’t just about looking good; they told a story. Each design had meaning, whether it was a tribute to his favorite pop star or a subtle nod to the opposition.
“Every single one of those cleats had a story to tell. Like those Prince shoes right there—the purple ones? That was when we played the Minnesota Vikings. We had the Dallas Cowboy-inspired slides, the furry Versace ones from the past Super Bowl. Come on, dog! There was a story behind everything.”
For someone who thinks so deeply about athletic wear and accessories, it was unsurprising to hear that Newton had an interest in bringing that same storytelling and creativity into a full-time role as a creative director for Under Armour.
Whether Under Armour gives him the role or not is a different question, but what Newton has working for him is his stature as an athlete with a personality beyond the game. One glance at his social media handles is all it would take for UA to get the ball rolling, as Newton’s vision for sports fashion is too big to be ignored.
