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Cam Newton Honors Chadwick Boseman In First Victory with New England Patriots

NFL quarterback Cam Newton accomplished two things when his New England Patriots took on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 13 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts: He won his first game as a Patriot and also honored late actor Chadwick Boseman.

Newton acknowledged Boseman in the second quarter after running for a touchdown from the 4-yard line on the team’s second drive. Once the three-time Pro Bowl player scored, he spiked the ball, then crossed his arms to give the “Wakanda Forever” salute. The move was made popular in the film “Black Panther,” which Boseman starred in.

Cam Newton (L) paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman (R) when the New England Patriots took on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (Photo: @cameron1newton/Instagram / @chadwickboseman/Instagram)

Boseman battled colon cancer for four years before he passed away on Friday, Aug. 28. The actor never revealed his diagnosis to the public while at the same time working steadily and building a body of work that’s being celebrated.

The actor also went through a seemingly long, grueling promotional campaign for “Black Panther” after he was diagnosed and gave no indication that he was ill.

Newton posted a black-and-white photo of himself giving the “Wakanda Forever” salute and wrote the words “Forever.” He also accused Miami Dolphin players of trying to rip off his necklace after the game. A video of a brief shoving match surfaced on Sunday, which shows one Dolphins player grabbing Newton’s uniform.

“‼️🙅🏾FØRĒVĒR‼️ trïëd tø šñâtčh mÿČHÄÏÑ âñd thëGÄMĒ…🤦🏽‍♂️
tøø bâd ï gøt ßØTH‼️😉,” he wrote next to the photo.

Newton also paid tribute to Black police brutality victims in Sunday’s game against the Dolphins by wearing cleats that read “Say Their Names” and “7 shots.” Seven represents the number of times that Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by a white police officer last month.

As for the game, New England beat Miami 21-11, and Newton threw for 155 yards and ran for 75, with two of those runs producing touchdowns.

Newton signed with the Patriots in June after playing for the Carolina Panthers for eight years. He replaced New England’s longtime quarterback Tom Brady, who announced in March that he was heading to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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