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UNINTERRUPTED Live proves there’s more to being a football player
Cam Newton, NFL star and quarterback for the Carolina Panthers once said,
“I’m a continuous work of progress.”
Newton spoke from his platform at UNINTERRUPTED Live: More Than A Football Player, an exciting event that took place Friday, January 31, in anticipation of the Super Bowl.
Along with Oakley, UNINTERRUPTED hosted the event in honor of NFL players that are so rarely seen, mainly because of the helmet covering their faces on the field.
Along with Newton, star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and upcoming NFL draftee Tua Tagovailoa spoke at the storytelling event.
“Everyone who’s had a part to do with my success, it’s their success at well,” said Tagovailoa.
Speaking a lot about the love he has for his big family, Tagovailoa joked that whatever team that drafts him should expect, in their city, a rise in the Samoan population.
The night’s theme was an extension of UNINTERRUPTED’s Glass Helmet campaign, or, “They Will Be Seen,” in which NFL players put on a transparent glass helmet and are able to be seen as the three-dimensional human beings they really are.
Each player also filled out a draft card, detailing their human attributes instead of their physical ones.
On Friday, three of the biggest names in football shared deep and intimate stories about who they are as people, enabling the public also to see football players for who they are without a helmet and pads on.
While their stardom sets them apart from us in some ways, on the inside they are just like any of us. They hold family dear to them, they have aspirations outside of their field (like Ramsey wanting to learn how to play the piano), and they are cognizant of the airflow on social media.
Newton says, “And I’ll be the first person to tell you, lotta times I may go down Instagram, Twitter… and I have to say ‘Damnn… I wore that.'”
But Newton is firm in the stance that he is not bashful or shy about anything. His demeanor — the way he talks, the way he presents himself — is “unapologetic, but most importantly, it’s unique.”
As an MVP, someone who has been at the very top of their field at a point in time, these words are inspirational.
Also present at the event were UNINTERRUPTED’s Maverick Carter, the evening’s host Nate Burleson, Yankees star Aaron Judge, veterans Spice Adams, Emmanuel Acho, and James Lofton and UNINTERRUPTED Live veteran Taylor Rooks.
Former football player and hip hop artist Tobe Nwigwe also showed out with a musical performance for the night.
UNINTERRUPTED Live is helping pave a path for football players to be seen as “More Than An Athlete.” Friday’s event was the latest step in this effort, and it was a joy to hear the stories told by some of the most unique faces in sports.
