Cam Newton, a former NFL quarterback, was involved in a scuffle at a 7-on-7 football game in Atlanta, Ga., on Sunday. The event, organized by We Ball Sports, an apparel and sports media company, brought youth under-15 and under-18 teams in Georgia and Alabama together for a competitive tournament. Newton is the founder of C1N, a program that participated.
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In video clips posted on social media, individuals involved with TopShelf Performance, a wide receiver training facility in Atlanta that had youth teams in the event, approached Newton at the top of a set of steps underneath a We Ball Sports tent Sunday afternoon. Newton was grabbed and a fight ensued. Two men shown fighting with Newton were both coaches for TopShelf Performance and formerly coached with the quarterback, according to a source with knowledge of elite 7-on-7 football. The video shows Newton grabbing one of the combatants and dragging him aside, where the fracas continued. Police and security guards broke up the altercation.
According to Nehemiah Mitchell, the co-founder of We Ball Sports, who once played football at Vanderbilt, everyone involved in the altercation was removed from the event, including Newton.
“Just an unfortunate situation,” Mitchell said.
In a joint statement to The Athletic, TopShelf Performance trainers/coaches Stephon and TJ Brown said, “We are deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Cam Newton, and our thoughts are with all parties affected. Violence has no place in our community, and we strongly condemn any form of aggression.”
They added that the company is “actively addressing this matter internally.”
Newton’s representatives did not immediately respond to messages Sunday evening. When reached for comment, the Atlanta Police Department declined to provide information about the situation.
According to Mitchell, TopShelf beat C1N in a “heated game” with a lot of trash talk between the under-18 teams on Saturday. The tensions boiled over on Sunday.
There were 16 teams in each division, with the top under-18 team earning a $5,000 prize and the top under-15 team receiving $1,500. Over 1,500 people attended the event.
Newton, 34, was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Auburn. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, split between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots. A three-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, Newton’s best season was in 2015, when he won NFL MVP, leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl.
(Photo of Cam Newton during Super Bowl week: Ian Maule / Getty Images)