Thousands of student athletes received free heart screenings and a visit from a celebrity Saturday.

Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton welcomed Charlotte-Mecklenburg School students to the fifth annual Heart of a Champion Day at Carolinas Medical Center.

Around 2,000 high school athletes received screenings, including electro-cardiograms and echo-cardiograms, to check for heart abnormalities.

Newton said he understood the importance of catching problems early could save a life.

He spoke about a teammate who found out he suffered from an enlarged heart at a screening.

"Catching that as early as they could, potentially did save his life," mentioned Newton. 

He said students should be especially encouraged to get a checkup at Heart of a Champion because it is free.

"They have the luxury to have something that I didn't have in high school," said Newton.

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