Carolina Panthers beat writer David Newton retiring from ESPN
David Newton by no means made it to regulation faculty.
The ESPN Panthers beat reporter announced Thursday that he’s retiring after 20 years with the community and 45 years within the enterprise, saying he’ll get up from hip substitute surgical procedure prepared to begin a brand new chapter. The plan popping out of Wofford College in 1981 was six months off, then regulation faculty. Forty-five days later, a small newspaper in Gaffney, South Carolina, supplied him a sports activities editor job.
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He took it and by no means seemed again.
The profession that adopted took him via Tiger Woods successful his first Masters, John Elway successful his first Super Bowl, Jimmy Johnson successful his first of seven NASCAR championships, and the Carolina Panthers reaching the Super Bowl twice. Newton lined the Panthers’ total run from growth franchise to Super Bowl competition, from their first seasons in Charlotte via the Cam Newton period, the Steve Smith period, the Luke Kuechly period, and no matter got here after.
Newton joined ESPN in 2006 as a part of his NASCAR protection — a beat he knew effectively from his years at The State newspaper, the place I’ve lined each the game and the Panthers — earlier than switching to the Panthers full-time in 2013 as a part of the community’s NFL Nation growth, the place he spent the subsequent 12-plus years of his profession.
His tenure was not with out friction. Last fall, Newton drew criticism after asking Panthers huge receiver Xavier Legette whether or not his father can be rooting for the Cowboys, apparently forgetting that Legette’s father died in 2019, a truth Newton had previously written about. The second was amplified by Panthers followers who had a longstanding difficult relationship with their protection, together with a Change.org petition that had been circulating for years. Newton apologized directly to Legette and the Panthers group, calling it an harmless however hurtful mistake.
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Newton is heading to Asheville to construct an artwork gallery along with his associate, Babette Reynolds. I’ve acknowledged the brand new chapter won’t final 45 years. Then once more, he famous, he by no means anticipated the final one to.
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