David Newton, ESPN’s Carolina Panthers beat reporter, has announced his retirement. After 20 years with the network and 45 years in the business, Newton is ready to start a new chapter following hip replacement surgery.
Newton had initially planned to attend law school after graduating from Wofford College in 1981. However, 45 days later, he accepted a sports editor position at a small newspaper in Gaffney, South Carolina, changing his career trajectory.
A Career Spanning Major Sporting Events
Newton’s career allowed him to witness and report on significant sporting moments. These included Tiger Woods winning his first Masters and John Elway securing his first Super Bowl victory. He also covered Jimmy Johnson’s first of seven NASCAR championships.
Newton covered the Carolina Panthers from their expansion franchise beginnings to their Super Bowl appearances. He chronicled the eras of Cam Newton, Steve Smith, and Luke Kuechly.
From NASCAR to the Panthers Beat
Newton joined ESPN in 2006, initially covering NASCAR, a sport he was familiar with from his time at The State newspaper. In 2013, he transitioned to covering the Panthers full-time as part of ESPN’s NFL Nation expansion, a role he held for over 12 years.
Controversy and Apology
Newton’s tenure wasn’t without challenges. Last autumn, he faced criticism after asking Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette whether his father would be rooting for the Cowboys, apparently forgetting that Legette’s father died in 2019, a fact Newton had previously written about. The incident was amplified by Panthers fans, some of whom had a longstanding complicated relationship with his coverage, including a Change.org petition that had been circulating for years.
Newton apologised directly to Legette and the Panthers organisation, describing it as an innocent but hurtful mistake.
Moving on to Art
Newton is moving to Asheville to establish an art gallery with his partner, Babette Reynolds. He acknowledged the new chapter might not last 45 years.
Then again, he noted, he never expected the last one to.