NFL Star Cam Newton Goes Vegan

Professional football player Cam Newton—who plays the quarterback position for the Carolina Panthers—went vegan in February and has been documenting his journey through his YouTube channel. Newton sustained a shoulder injury earlier this year and decided to “try something different” to recover, citing that some of the strongest animals on Earth do not consume animal products. In his most recent vlog, Newton shared a meal with comedian Hannibal Buress at vegan eatery Gracias Madre in West Hollywood, CA. “I would have thought that by me going vegan, I would be losing a lot of weight; I’d be losing a lot of energy, things like that,” Newton said. “But it’s actually been flipped.”

Buress, who is not vegan, gave Newton a bag of magic mushrooms to congratulate him for going vegan. Buress asked Newton about the “quantifiable differences” that the athlete has noticed now that he does not consume animal products.“My body responds differently,” Newton answered. “[Better] recovery is one [difference].” The pair discussed improved bowel movements then moved on to chat about Buress’ successful comedic career, the use of cannabis in the professional football industry, and the danger of losing one’s house keys. During the video, Newton and Buress feasted on barbecue jackfruit carnitas tacos, fried cauliflower topped with vegan cheese sauce, and a fudge brownie topped with cashew whipped cream. “This [expletive] is great,” Buress commented about the meal before (sarcastically) thanking Newton for paying for the bill.