Panthers Owner Richardson Told Cam Newton ‘No Tattoos'

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — In his own words, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson describes how he told rookie quarterback Cam Newton to stay clear of tattoos and piercings.

In a recent interview, Richardson sat down with PBS's Charlie Rose to talk about a variety of NFL issues -- (READ).

In a pre-draft meeting between Richardon and Newton, Richardson said the first round draft pick "was dressed perfectly" for their meeting.

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Richardson told Rose that he asked Newton, "Do you have any tattoos?" Richardson said Newton responded, "No, sir. I don't have any." Richardson then said, "We want to keep it that way."

Richardson went on to tell Newton, "We want to keep not tattoos, no piercings and I think you've got a very nice haircut."

Rose told Richardson, "You sound like a Lombardi." Richardson responded, "No, I just sound reasonable to me."

Richardson has signed plenty of players in the past including the team's most popular player, Steve Smith, and most recently Jeremy Shockey.

This just proves that Richardson believes Newton will become the face of the franchise for years to come. He backed that claim up when he said Newton has "athletic ability unlike anything that I have seen in quite a few years."

Newton was drafted with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Panthers. He will make his second career preseason start Thursday night against the Bengals.

Previous Stories: August 23, 2011: New-Look Panthers Have New Coach, And Cam Newton August 22, 2011: Newton To Start For Carolina Against Bengals August 19, 2011: Newton, Panthers Lose To Dolphins 20-10 August 15, 2011: Panthers Opening Up Offense No Matter Who QB Is

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