Cam Newton explains origin of his Patriots meme reaction with N’Keal Harry
"I was like bruh, stop lying. Please.”
The 2020 Patriots season wasn’t exactly … all that memorable.
Beyond the absence of several key contributors on New England’s roster due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first year of the post-Brady era ended unceremoniously with a 7-9 record and no ticket to the playoffs.
Cam Newton’s lone season as New England’s starting quarterback also led to underwhelming returns, with the former NFL MVP only throwing for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions over 15 total games with the Patriots.
But the veteran QB still has a lasting legacy in Foxborough — at least when it comes to social media.
While the clips of Bill Belichick staring through binoculars at the NFL Scouting Combine or walking out of the tunnel at Detroit’s Ford Field have already become cherished GIFs in the sporting world, Newton added a worthy submission in 2020 while chatting with his then-Patriots teammate, N’Keal Harry.
Newton’s exaggerated reaction — sliding down New England’s bench in complete disbelief of whatever Harry told him — has become a regular sight on social media, especially as a retort to any logic-defying report.
But what exactly was Harry saying that prompted such a meme-able response from Newton?
Speaking on his YouTube show, “4th & 1”, Newton explained the origin of the popular meme.
“Bro! Me and N’Keal was on the sideline talking about basketball,” Newton said. “N’Keal was saying in high school, he averaged 40 points. It was something ridiculous. I said, ‘Bro!’ First off, he’s foreign. He’s like Haitian or Trinidadian. He moved over here and went to Arizona. So I’m like, ‘Bro, none of your bloodline is telling me that you’re a hooper.’ Not to say that people don’t hoop, but it’s not giving me hooper vibes.
“So when he said it, like, ‘Real talk, bro, I averaged 40 points in high school,’ I said, ‘Bruuuuhhhh, stop lying. Like, stop lying, bruh. Who the f— were you playing in high school? And why isn’t this s— documented? Like come on, bruh. Come on! ‘
“(Because) if you was playing, you came down here today in Atlanta, Georgia, you ain’t gonna average no 40. And if you did, you woulda went straight to the league.’ So when he said that s—, that’s the reaction that I got. I was like bruh, stop lying. Please.”
Harry, who was born in Toronto before moving to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a baby, actually put together a pretty impressive basketball career during his time at Chandler High School in Arizona.
During his junior year at Chandler in 2014-15, Harry averaged 22 points with 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. As a senior, he averaged 21 points per game with 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.8 blocks per game.
It wasn’t 40 points per game, but still a very respectable stat line for a high-school athlete who eventually earned two first-team All-Pac-12 football honors at Arizona State before a disappointing three-year run in New England.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com