Cam Newton tries to put bow on spat with camper, hopes young players can learn from moment

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Cam Newton said Thursday he hoped that the viral moment and the apology from a young football player at his camp would be a teaching moment for other young athletes.

Newton reacted to Jseth Owens’ apology in a Facebook video.

"I would like to say this, for all the kids that watch this, let this be a lesson," he said. "[To] a man from Philly, repping 215, there's no hard feelings. I was just trying to give him a platform to say where he was from. I'm used to having that type of dialogue with kids. This is not my first rodeo. I know what being 16 and 17 is like."

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"What I was looking for him to say and do, he wasn't saying and doing it," he said. "He took it as I was trying to 'try' him. That's the disconnect with this day and age, and the kids that are coming up. They feel tried when an adult, or as a man, you're talking to him."

Newton added that he hoped those who are playing football can learn from the moment.

The moment between Newton and the camper was captured on video with the two parties nipping at each other. Owens appeared to be heckling the quarterback over becoming a "free agent," while Newton didn’t make things better when he responded with, "I’m rich." Newton was also heard asking if he could talk to the kid’s father.

Newton later released his own video on social media showing "what you didn’t’ see."

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"What you didn’t see," he wrote on social media. "I see there are a lot of things festering out there that I see took place over the weekend. To the natural eye, you see me asking the young man, ‘Where is your dad at?’ But to me, talking to a child with everyone looking does me no good! So instead of speaking or going back and forth with a child, I wanted to have a man-to-man conversation with his father."

"With that being said, when I attend tournaments all across the country with my All-Star team, I have given my time, my energy, and my expertise to these kids coming into our program for over 11 years and that is not what people want to hear or even want to see," he continued. "People want to see me arguing with another young man and to see me ‘get in my feelings.’ But the truth is this: I impact kids lives in a positive way. Make no mistake about it. I allow kids to realize there is an ‘out’ by using their football talents to get them to the next level and in most cases, out of the hood!"

"So with that being said, have yourself an unbelievable rest of your day," he added.

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In the video, Newton told the camper there was "no disrespect" and that if he wanted attention, he'd give him some attention "the right way."

The camper would later release his own apology note.

"First & for most I want to express my deepest apologies to Cam Newton, my entire org, & my coaches for my actions at the 7v7 tournament this past weekend," Owens said. "I did not intend for it to get as far as it did! First I would like to start off my saying my parents never taught me to people [sic] disrespectful.

"As a football player I let me competitive side get the best of me & it was a huge miscommunication," he continued. "It was in the midst of the moment & I realized now how a lot of you took it as disrespect. I never meant to humiliate & let anyone down. I am very appreciative for 7v7 to even allow me to be apart of the team I am currently on. I realize this can dictate my future as a young man having very big dreams/goals but I will not allow this to stop me from getting where I need to be."

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"So again, I apologize & hope I can be forgiven," he added.