Football is not for the faint of heart. The game being aggressively physical is one aspect, but the mental genius of these players often slips by. Speaking of mental genius, it’s more than just running the ball. Getting into your opponent’s head is a huge part of it and not many can perfect this art. Cam Newton has experienced it first-hand, especially with Clay Matthews on the field.

While many hit the panic button when they see huge linebackers and edge rushers approaching them, people like Cam Newton find humor in the challenge they are posed with. Newton recalled one such incident during his time at the Carolina Panthers when the team played against Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers. But this isn’t about Rodgers, it’s about the retired LB Clay Matthews, famous for talking the “most sh*t,” per Cam Newton.

“Shout out to Clay Matthews, but yes. I remember playing him in my rookie year, I was like yeah, ‘I’m a fast white boy’ and he talked that sh*t, I love that dude. He get a opportunity to uhh, first down I’m like MF like,” said the veteran QB when asked which player talked the “most sh*t,” on his podcast the 4 and 1 Show. Newton was the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, but once you step into the gridiron, the playing field is leveled for everyone and it didn’t take long for the veterans to humble the Panthers coveted first overall picked QB.

After that, he didn’t have an encounter with Matthews again. But the game that Cam Newton was referring to was their second game of the 2011 season. Cam Newton led the Carolina Panthers and went against Aaron Rodgers’ led Green Bay Packers. Though Newton threw for 432 yards and a touchdown, he couldn’t match Rodgers’ experience. But regardless, a 432-yard game as a rookie is nothing short of spectacular, though the Panthers lost 30-23.

Coming back to Matthews, he finished that game with a total of 5 tackles, broken down to 4 solo tackles and a sack. He finally got Cam Newton. These kind of high energy shows on and off the gridiron still persist in the NFL. The modern-day saga features players like Maxx Crosby, who often lock horns with the likes of Patrick Mahomes. More often than not, this word play has been a way of showcasing confidence and stripping the same from the opponent.

Maxx Crosby: Different name, same game

The Las Vegas Raiders don’t take very kindly to the Kansas City Chiefs. Whenever they meet, the surety of a nasty brawl breaking out doesn’t seem impossible at all. It was obvious, the Raiders DE had a vendetta against Patrick Mahomes and that sentiment intensified when Antonio Pierce became the Raiders head honcho. Last year’s iconic scuffle between the Chiefs QB and Raiders DE solidified their rivalry for times to come. It wouldn’t be too crazy to assume that Crosby might go out of his way to break and bully Mahomes intentionally.

“I’ll hunt his a** down every time I go out there. He knows that and he respects it and it goes both ways,” said Crosby about the supposed “beef” he has with Mahomes. It got to a point when the players confronted each other and a heated argument led them to bump helmets against each other, showing that they were ready for anything. Thus, it looks like these kind of harmless rivalries stir the game spirit more and echo the fans’ sentiments.