Patriots' Newton: Feed your focus, feed off hate

Cam Newton has been heavily criticized over the last few seasons, but the New England Patriots quarterback is trying to use those criticisms to his advantage.

Newton insisted the negative reactions are a source of motivation for him when asked in an Instagram video call how he's dealt with the "haters."

"Simple: Feed your focus. Feed it," the signal-caller said, according to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. "If the hate ain't in my focus, I don't feed it. I feed off of it, but I don't feed it. It's two different things. When I sense or when I dwell on hatred, that's the product that's gonna come out: Rage, anger. But that's the hatred using me, not me using the hatred.

"So I want to process that and make that fuel me. I don't dwell on what a person may say, what this person may say, she say, I just use it to my advantage and I feed what I want it to feed."

The 2015 NFL MVP, who appeared in just two games in his last season with the Carolina Panthers in 2019, tossed eight touchdowns to 10 interceptions in his debut campaign in New England last year.

The Pats won just seven contests in 2020 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Multiple members of the Patriots' coaching staff have praised Newton this offseason, including offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick. The latter said the veteran passer is "way ahead of where he was last year."

Newton, 32, is still the favorite to start for New England in 2021, but he'll face competition under center after the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round in April.