E:60 Recap: Meet The Real Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has experienced some incredible highs and some pretty awful lows during his brief career as a starting quarterback in the National Football League.

He also entered the league surrounded by scandal as there were rumors that he had taken money while he was in college.

ESPN's "E:60" profiled the athlete in its season finale showing that he's a complicated man who wants to be great, but struggled to attain greatness.

"Great quarterbacks all share one thing in common -- leadership," he said. "I want everyone in the room to know that I'm the leader.

Newton, who was a high school star, was pushed very hard by his father -- at first to obtain a college scholarship at the University of Florida, where he backed up Tim Tebow as a freshman, before getting injured and missing his sophomore year.

In 2008 the player was arrested, suspended from the team, and it looked like his career might be over.

To this day, Newton maintains his innocence and the charges were dropped a month later, though he had to do community service as part of an agreement with the court.

"I heard so many you blew it jokes," said.

"Pick yourself up," his father said. "Most people had probably anticipated to never here from Cam again.

But, he transferred to a junior college in Texas and rebuilt his career and life.

"I questioned myself so many night. 'Why am I doing this?'"

Newton went on to become star at Blinn Junior College where he led the team to the junior college National Championship. He then transferred to Auburn where he became an instant star.

"i went from my face being on a mug shot to my mug shot being on Sports Illustrated," he said.

Newton's perfect career was interrupted when accusations began flying that he had been offered $180,000 to sign with Mississippi State.

The quarterback denies that he took the money and he has been trying to put the controversy behind him since the accusations were made.

Newton's father was found guilty but Auburn and Newton were cleared. He went on to win the Heisman trophy while his team took the National Championship.

Newton was then selected first in the draft by Carolina going on to win Rookie of the Year. He could put up numbers, but he was not winning an some began to question his future in the league.

In 2013, Newton changed his attitude and led his team to the playoffs. Now, Newton faces the challenge of repeating his success and proving whether he can be the face of the NFL.

"I want every single thing that this game has to offer," Newton said. "I want to be greedy. I am greedy, but I'm striving for it."