During the 2011 NFL lockout, he spent up to 12 hours a day at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Florida, spending up to two hours per day doing one-on-one training with fellow Heisman Trophy winner and ex-Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke [REF].
In his NFL debut game on September 11, 2011, Newton was 24-37 passing for 422 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, in a 28-21 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals.