Post by cbisbig on Feb 7, 2016 15:56:11 GMT -5
By Joseph Goodman | jgoodman@al.com
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on February 07, 2016 at 8:10 AM, updated February 07, 2016 at 8:11 AM
One came to Alabama to start anew and the other left the state to find redemption. Now coach and player, Mike Shula and Cam Newton, are one victory away from a Super Bowl championship.
From the first Super Bowl (former Alabama quarterback Bart Starr was the MVP) to the last (former West Alabama cornerback Malcolm Butler made the game-saving interception), participants with connections to the state of Alabama have played key roles in America's grand sporting spectacle. This latest iteration is no different. During Sunday's big game, Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, there will be no shortage of links to the state.
Topping the list is the ironic pairing of Shula and Newton, who form an odd couple for many Alabamians with perspectives skewed by collegiate affiliation. Shula, who is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, is a former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback (1983-86) and head coach (2003-06). Newton, who is the Panthers' quarterback, won a national championship and the Heisman Trophy with the Auburn Tigers in 2010.
Products of rival college teams, Shula and Newton have worked together closely since 2011. Now, that relationship is front and center on the national stage. The offense that Shula and his staff have adapted around Newton's unique skill set, and, most importantly, Newton's execution of his coach's vision, tore through the NFL this season. The Panthers are 17-1 entering the Super Bowl and heavy favorites to win the game.
Newton, who delivered Auburn's 2010 national championship and shocked rival Alabama in the process, is the Super Bowl's principle figure. He was named the NFL's MVP on Saturday night, and a victory today would launch him into super stardom.
There is no one like Newton in football, and his athletic ability is matched only by his cultural influence. He is on the cusp of becoming football's version of LeBron James, who has used his platform to inspire.
In the preamble to Sunday's game, Newton referred to himself as a "microphone to so many different people," who might think they cannot attain success do to their circumstances.
Managing Newton's transcendent talents is Shula, a prince of the game in his own right.
His family is the stuff of football royalty, but this is the first time a member of the Shula clan has participated directly in a Super Bowl in 31 years.
A large representation of the Shula family, including Don, the Hall of Fame coach for the Miami Dolphins, and his eldest son, Dave, who is a former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, traveled on Friday to San Francisco for the Super Bowl in support of Mike, whose redemption arc since being fired by the University of Alabama offers yet another layer of intrigue to the game.
For the Shula family, the circumstances of Mike Shula's departure from Alabama in 2006 created a painful experience. That the coach of the Miami Dolphins, Nick Saban, replaced Shula in Tuscaloosa added a level of ugliness to Shula's dismissal.
Mike's brother, Dave, told AL.com this week that the Shula family is no longer upset about the ordeal.
"That was a long time ago and it's water under the bridge," said Dave Shula, who is a partner with his father in the Shula's Steakhouse restaurant franchise. "Our family has always been one to look forward. You learn from the past and apply it to what's happening now, and hopefully in the future, and stay positive, and move on. That's how we want to approach it."
Similar to Mike Shula's experiences as a coach, Newton underwent his own fall and rise at the collegiate level. After leaving the University of Florida for a junior college following his sophomore season, Newton transferred to Auburn and quickly blossomed into the best player in the country.
The Panthers drafted Newton No.1 overall in 2011, and new coach Ron Rivera hired Shula away from the Jacksonville Jaguars to be Newton's quarterback coach for his rookie season. Once together, Newton and Shula formed a dynamic partnership based on shared experiences. Shula was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013.
"Over the five years they've been together now, it has really been fun to watch," said Dave Shula, who this week offered unique insight into the relationship between his brother and Newton. "Obviously everyone is caught up in the Alabama and Auburn rivalry, but once you're on the same team that quickly goes by the wayside, and they focus on being the best they can be as an offense, and maximize what Cam can do."
And Cam can do a lot.
NEW CHALLENGE
Coaching Newton offered a unique opportunity for Shula when he was hired by the Panthers. He had successfully helped the Jaguars transform quarterback David Garrard into a Pro Bowler, but Newton's combination of size, rushing ability and that rocket for an arm screamed next-level greatness.
Coalescing all that into one offense presented a challenge, though, and especially for a coach who was schooled in a traditional two-back pro-style offense, and a quarterback who ran a shotgun, spread attack in college.
Transitioning to the NFL can take time for any quarterback, but especially one who ran the read-option in college. That was the concern before Newton's first season. He then became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards.
"He's smart," Mike Shula said during his Super Bowl media session. "He gets the football part, and he gets it fast. He sees one-on-ones. He looks for weaknesses in the defense. He see matchups."
Many successful spread-option college quarterbacks struggle with those concepts once they get to the NFL. Tim Tebow, who started over Newton at Florida, couldn't make the leap. Robert Griffin III, who flamed out in Washington despite rookie of the year honors, didn't have to read defenses in college. The verdict is still out on Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota despite a promising rookie season.
Newton's aptitude allowed Shula to expand the Panthers' offense around his quarterback's many gifts. An ankle injury to Newton slowed that progress, but the offense began coming together near the end of last season. The Panthers won four straight and a playoff game before losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.
Since then, Carolina has only lost once.
For the Shula family, the Panthers' quest for 19-0 was high drama. After all, Don Shula's 1972 Miami Dolphins is the only team to go undefeated in NFL history. Don and the '72 Dolphins celebrate each NFL season when the final remaining undefeated team loses its first game. This year was different for the legendary coach.
"He was genuinely enthusiastic about the fact that [Carolina] had a chance to run the table, and he couldn't have been prouder," said Dave Shula about his father. "He would have loved to have congratulated Mike and Coach Rivera and all of the coaches and players. He was really rooting for them."
In addition to continually evolving his offense around Newton, Shula also changed its tempo and rhythm along the way. The no-huddle, fast-paced offense is just another nod to schemes Newton ran in his college days. It's not hard to see shades of Auburn in Carolina's offense, and successfully melding Shula's traditional offensive approach and Newton's unpredictability in the pocket is proof of the trust now shared between the coach and player.
That trust took time.
Newton threw just 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions last season after missing most of the offseason and preseason with injuries. This season, a full training cycle with Shula and a stable offensive core made all the difference.
Newton's interception statistics are down from 2.7 to 2.0 percent this season, which puts him in some elite company, and his 45 total touchdowns (35 passing) are seventh most all-time in a season entering Sunday's game. Peyton Manning set the record at 56 touchdowns (55 passing) in the 2013 season.
"It's not just his ability to run the football," Mike Shula said. "He has a great feel for the game. He has a fast mind. He sees things extremely well on game day. He does a great job utilizing the personnel that we have around him."
And, as a rusher, Newton is calling his number more than ever before. His 8.2 rushing attempts per game this season are a career high.
"He has good ideas during the course of the game," Shula said. "Probably the best thing I've done this year is not be as stubborn and listen to his ideas more."
Shula is the Panthers' primary play caller, of course, and his reputation as a coach has never been higher. A chance as a head coach in the NFL doesn't seem far off. He refused to interview for jobs this season while his team was still in the playoffs.
Shula was the second-youngest head coach in college football when he took over for a bumbling program at Alabama in May 2003. Scholarship reductions and a broken culture (see: textbook scandal) were too much to overcome, but Shula did stock the roster with enough talent to later help Saban win his first national championship in Tuscaloosa.
If Shula wasn't yet ready to take over such a complex operation at Alabama, then that experience certainly helped prepare him for a better opportunity in the future. Until then, he can enjoy his time with Newton, who has grown into more than just a successful NFL quarterback.
"Coach Shula has been important in my overall growth," Newton said on Super Bowl media day. "He's been patient. He's been that listening ear. He's also been that disciplinarian when I hadn't been on my best behavior."
SHAPING STARDOM
Before the dab, before the souvenir touchdown balls for children and before those fabulous zebra-print skinny jeans, an important decision was made inside the Panthers' front office and among its coaches to just let Cam be Cam.
That plan has worked out beautifully, though it wasn't necessarily easy getting there.
After coming of age around cult-of-personality athletes like Tebow and LeBron, Newton successfully branded himself a crossover celebrity this season. For those familiar with the locker-room culture of most NFL franchises, Newton's level of self expression is a departure from the usual corporate stodginess.
After talking with his brother throughout the season, Dave Shula says Newton's development and how the Panthers have embraced it "has been really interesting."
"Mike and Coach Rivera have been on the same page with their mantra of letting the individuals be individuals as long as it fits within the team concept," Shula said. "And once they got to know Cam, and could understand where all of this was coming from — just general youthful enthusiasm for winning — they've done a good job of allowing him to express himself, and continue to grow as a player and a teammate."
And now the Super Bowl, where Newton certainly isn't the first quarterback from an Alabama university to be celebrated for his charisma.
While Starr was the mild-mannered brains behind Vince Lombardi's offense, there was nothing soft-spoken or reserved about Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, who recently passed away. Newton's on-field choreography is mild in comparison to some of Namath's antics and Stabler's fun-loving lifestyle.
"The truth of the matter is when they see more of me, I need not have to explain myself," Newton said. "So I feel as if the more people see and, what am I trying to say, the more that they get me, it becomes easier to digest."
Winning on Sunday would probably silence some critics, too ... just not the ones who view the world in crimson and white
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 07, 2016 at 8:10 AM, updated February 07, 2016 at 8:11 AM
One came to Alabama to start anew and the other left the state to find redemption. Now coach and player, Mike Shula and Cam Newton, are one victory away from a Super Bowl championship.
From the first Super Bowl (former Alabama quarterback Bart Starr was the MVP) to the last (former West Alabama cornerback Malcolm Butler made the game-saving interception), participants with connections to the state of Alabama have played key roles in America's grand sporting spectacle. This latest iteration is no different. During Sunday's big game, Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, there will be no shortage of links to the state.
Topping the list is the ironic pairing of Shula and Newton, who form an odd couple for many Alabamians with perspectives skewed by collegiate affiliation. Shula, who is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, is a former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback (1983-86) and head coach (2003-06). Newton, who is the Panthers' quarterback, won a national championship and the Heisman Trophy with the Auburn Tigers in 2010.
Products of rival college teams, Shula and Newton have worked together closely since 2011. Now, that relationship is front and center on the national stage. The offense that Shula and his staff have adapted around Newton's unique skill set, and, most importantly, Newton's execution of his coach's vision, tore through the NFL this season. The Panthers are 17-1 entering the Super Bowl and heavy favorites to win the game.
Newton, who delivered Auburn's 2010 national championship and shocked rival Alabama in the process, is the Super Bowl's principle figure. He was named the NFL's MVP on Saturday night, and a victory today would launch him into super stardom.
There is no one like Newton in football, and his athletic ability is matched only by his cultural influence. He is on the cusp of becoming football's version of LeBron James, who has used his platform to inspire.
In the preamble to Sunday's game, Newton referred to himself as a "microphone to so many different people," who might think they cannot attain success do to their circumstances.
Managing Newton's transcendent talents is Shula, a prince of the game in his own right.
His family is the stuff of football royalty, but this is the first time a member of the Shula clan has participated directly in a Super Bowl in 31 years.
A large representation of the Shula family, including Don, the Hall of Fame coach for the Miami Dolphins, and his eldest son, Dave, who is a former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, traveled on Friday to San Francisco for the Super Bowl in support of Mike, whose redemption arc since being fired by the University of Alabama offers yet another layer of intrigue to the game.
For the Shula family, the circumstances of Mike Shula's departure from Alabama in 2006 created a painful experience. That the coach of the Miami Dolphins, Nick Saban, replaced Shula in Tuscaloosa added a level of ugliness to Shula's dismissal.
Mike's brother, Dave, told AL.com this week that the Shula family is no longer upset about the ordeal.
"That was a long time ago and it's water under the bridge," said Dave Shula, who is a partner with his father in the Shula's Steakhouse restaurant franchise. "Our family has always been one to look forward. You learn from the past and apply it to what's happening now, and hopefully in the future, and stay positive, and move on. That's how we want to approach it."
Similar to Mike Shula's experiences as a coach, Newton underwent his own fall and rise at the collegiate level. After leaving the University of Florida for a junior college following his sophomore season, Newton transferred to Auburn and quickly blossomed into the best player in the country.
The Panthers drafted Newton No.1 overall in 2011, and new coach Ron Rivera hired Shula away from the Jacksonville Jaguars to be Newton's quarterback coach for his rookie season. Once together, Newton and Shula formed a dynamic partnership based on shared experiences. Shula was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013.
"Over the five years they've been together now, it has really been fun to watch," said Dave Shula, who this week offered unique insight into the relationship between his brother and Newton. "Obviously everyone is caught up in the Alabama and Auburn rivalry, but once you're on the same team that quickly goes by the wayside, and they focus on being the best they can be as an offense, and maximize what Cam can do."
And Cam can do a lot.
NEW CHALLENGE
Coaching Newton offered a unique opportunity for Shula when he was hired by the Panthers. He had successfully helped the Jaguars transform quarterback David Garrard into a Pro Bowler, but Newton's combination of size, rushing ability and that rocket for an arm screamed next-level greatness.
Coalescing all that into one offense presented a challenge, though, and especially for a coach who was schooled in a traditional two-back pro-style offense, and a quarterback who ran a shotgun, spread attack in college.
Transitioning to the NFL can take time for any quarterback, but especially one who ran the read-option in college. That was the concern before Newton's first season. He then became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards.
"He's smart," Mike Shula said during his Super Bowl media session. "He gets the football part, and he gets it fast. He sees one-on-ones. He looks for weaknesses in the defense. He see matchups."
Many successful spread-option college quarterbacks struggle with those concepts once they get to the NFL. Tim Tebow, who started over Newton at Florida, couldn't make the leap. Robert Griffin III, who flamed out in Washington despite rookie of the year honors, didn't have to read defenses in college. The verdict is still out on Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota despite a promising rookie season.
Newton's aptitude allowed Shula to expand the Panthers' offense around his quarterback's many gifts. An ankle injury to Newton slowed that progress, but the offense began coming together near the end of last season. The Panthers won four straight and a playoff game before losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.
Since then, Carolina has only lost once.
For the Shula family, the Panthers' quest for 19-0 was high drama. After all, Don Shula's 1972 Miami Dolphins is the only team to go undefeated in NFL history. Don and the '72 Dolphins celebrate each NFL season when the final remaining undefeated team loses its first game. This year was different for the legendary coach.
"He was genuinely enthusiastic about the fact that [Carolina] had a chance to run the table, and he couldn't have been prouder," said Dave Shula about his father. "He would have loved to have congratulated Mike and Coach Rivera and all of the coaches and players. He was really rooting for them."
In addition to continually evolving his offense around Newton, Shula also changed its tempo and rhythm along the way. The no-huddle, fast-paced offense is just another nod to schemes Newton ran in his college days. It's not hard to see shades of Auburn in Carolina's offense, and successfully melding Shula's traditional offensive approach and Newton's unpredictability in the pocket is proof of the trust now shared between the coach and player.
That trust took time.
Newton threw just 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions last season after missing most of the offseason and preseason with injuries. This season, a full training cycle with Shula and a stable offensive core made all the difference.
Newton's interception statistics are down from 2.7 to 2.0 percent this season, which puts him in some elite company, and his 45 total touchdowns (35 passing) are seventh most all-time in a season entering Sunday's game. Peyton Manning set the record at 56 touchdowns (55 passing) in the 2013 season.
"It's not just his ability to run the football," Mike Shula said. "He has a great feel for the game. He has a fast mind. He sees things extremely well on game day. He does a great job utilizing the personnel that we have around him."
And, as a rusher, Newton is calling his number more than ever before. His 8.2 rushing attempts per game this season are a career high.
"He has good ideas during the course of the game," Shula said. "Probably the best thing I've done this year is not be as stubborn and listen to his ideas more."
Shula is the Panthers' primary play caller, of course, and his reputation as a coach has never been higher. A chance as a head coach in the NFL doesn't seem far off. He refused to interview for jobs this season while his team was still in the playoffs.
Shula was the second-youngest head coach in college football when he took over for a bumbling program at Alabama in May 2003. Scholarship reductions and a broken culture (see: textbook scandal) were too much to overcome, but Shula did stock the roster with enough talent to later help Saban win his first national championship in Tuscaloosa.
If Shula wasn't yet ready to take over such a complex operation at Alabama, then that experience certainly helped prepare him for a better opportunity in the future. Until then, he can enjoy his time with Newton, who has grown into more than just a successful NFL quarterback.
"Coach Shula has been important in my overall growth," Newton said on Super Bowl media day. "He's been patient. He's been that listening ear. He's also been that disciplinarian when I hadn't been on my best behavior."
SHAPING STARDOM
Before the dab, before the souvenir touchdown balls for children and before those fabulous zebra-print skinny jeans, an important decision was made inside the Panthers' front office and among its coaches to just let Cam be Cam.
That plan has worked out beautifully, though it wasn't necessarily easy getting there.
After coming of age around cult-of-personality athletes like Tebow and LeBron, Newton successfully branded himself a crossover celebrity this season. For those familiar with the locker-room culture of most NFL franchises, Newton's level of self expression is a departure from the usual corporate stodginess.
After talking with his brother throughout the season, Dave Shula says Newton's development and how the Panthers have embraced it "has been really interesting."
"Mike and Coach Rivera have been on the same page with their mantra of letting the individuals be individuals as long as it fits within the team concept," Shula said. "And once they got to know Cam, and could understand where all of this was coming from — just general youthful enthusiasm for winning — they've done a good job of allowing him to express himself, and continue to grow as a player and a teammate."
And now the Super Bowl, where Newton certainly isn't the first quarterback from an Alabama university to be celebrated for his charisma.
While Starr was the mild-mannered brains behind Vince Lombardi's offense, there was nothing soft-spoken or reserved about Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, who recently passed away. Newton's on-field choreography is mild in comparison to some of Namath's antics and Stabler's fun-loving lifestyle.
"The truth of the matter is when they see more of me, I need not have to explain myself," Newton said. "So I feel as if the more people see and, what am I trying to say, the more that they get me, it becomes easier to digest."
Winning on Sunday would probably silence some critics, too ... just not the ones who view the world in crimson and white
