The man who made a little room in the soft spot of some of our hearts last season is back with another display for selflessness but this time it isn’t on a football field nor being witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people. Only one.
According to ESPN, Baltimore residents Candace and Danmom Gregory were taking an after-dinner stroll around the Inner Harbor of Baltimore on Wednesday night when they saw an unexpected gesture of generosity.
More unexpected was the person making the gesture.
Carolina Panthers MVP and Super Bowl quarterback Cam Newton was also out on the town that night, awaiting the team’s preseason opener against the Ravens the following night.
Newton and a group of his teammates were reportedly grabbing dinner at Sullivan’s, a popular Baltimore steakhouse, and upon leaving, the Gregory’s noticed Cam walking up a homeless man with a sign that read “Homeless Please help hungry — food.”
Newton gave him his meal, which was allegedly a full meal, not just leftovers.
Candace took pictures of the moment and shared them with her friend, April Boryczewski, a Panthers fan. April posted one of the pictures on Instagram with the message: “It is what you do in secret, away from the media, away from the hype, that shows the true character of a man. Cam’s servants’ heart never ceases to amaze and humble me! I am so truly proud to say this young man represents my Queen City!”
Candace said that from what she saw the homeless man eating, it was obvious Newton had ordered extra food with the intent of giving it away. She said it also was obvious that Newton wasn’t trying to draw attention when he gave the man the food.
“They were walking in a group and he slid over, gave the guy the bag and kept moving,” Candace said. “It was a quick, smooth motion, like he was handing the ball off to a running back.
“He didn’t linger. He didn’t talk to the guy. You could tell he was trying to be discreet about it.”
Candice spoke on Newton’s generosity saying, “People talk about him dabbing and all the stuff that in my mind ultimately should be irrelevant, because that doesn’t get to the heart of who he is. I once saw him give something to a disabled child at a practice and people were like, ‘Oh, it’s a photo opportunity.’ But this was when nobody was looking. That’s why we shared it, because character is what you do when nobody is looking.”
Backup quarterback Joe Webb, among those at dinner with Newton, said such acts of kindness from the first pick of the 2011 draft happen all the time. He said Newton often will order a to-go meal if he knows somebody near the restaurant is in need.
Wide receiver Brenton Bersin also has seen Newton give food to homeless people many times.
“I’ve seen him give money to homeless, too,” he said.
Candace said Newton, wearing the red “Pharrell” hat he wore to the game, had no idea she and her husband lived in Charlotte and were Carolina fans. They never approached him.
But Candace talked to the homeless man.
“A lot of people were like, ‘Oh my God! That’s Cam Newton!'” Candace said. “The homeless guy had no idea who Cam was. He was just happy to have food. He was totally oblivious to everything.”
