Cam Newton says he has taken lessons from Super Bowl fallout

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --Cam Newton still hasn't seen all of his abbreviated news conference following the Carolina Panthers' Super Bowl 50 loss to the Denver Broncos.

"I don't need to see it for me to understand the grief or backlash I got from it," the NFL MVP said Thursday on WFNZ-AM radio's "The Mac Attack" show. "I'm admitting I learned from it, and that's the first step."

Newton, with a sweatshirt hood over his head, answered 13 questions with mostly short answers before walking out of the news conference following the 24-10 loss to Denver on Feb. 7.

He was criticized nationally for not handling the situation better. He admitted two days after the game that he was a "sore loser" and made no excuse for his behavior.

Since then, after talking with teammates, coaches, his father and other influential people in his life, his tone has changed.

"I'm not saying what I did was right," Newton told the radio station. "I'm not saying what I did was wrong. I just want people to see it from my vantage point. I've learned from it. No doubt."

Newton added that the goal isn't to become a better loser.

"Why would I do that?" he said. "I'm born to win. ... If I could no longer play this sport no more, I could no longer have the influence I do have, I want people to realize, be a winner ... master your craft.

"You don't live to just be mediocre. I've set standards extremely high for myself that I expect to live up to. I'm not going to nuke them because, 'Oh, you've got to learn how to do this or do that.'"

Newton made no promises on how he would react if put in the same situation again.

"I can't honestly answer that question until I'm put in that position again," he said. "I have to remind people, don't judge nothing if you have never been in that situation. Ever.

"You can't sit up here and judge a man or judge a woman for doing something and you can't put yourself in their shoes."