NEW YORK: Cam Newton was selected by the Carolina Panthers as the No. 1 pick in the annual NFL Draft Thursday, as America's most popular sport enjoyed a brief return to normality after months of bitter squabbling. Fans at New York City's Radio City Hall booed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when he initially walked on to the stage to announce the first pick, chanting “We Want Football, We Want Football” as he reached for the microphone. “I agree with you,” Goodell pleaded before revealing the No. 1 pick, instantly thrusting Newton into the national sporting spotlight with the chance to earn a fortune if he can emulate the likes of Troy Aikmen and Peyton Manning. “Man, am I happy,” said Newton, a 6-foot-5 (1.82m), 250-pound (113kg) quarterback from Auburn University. “I'm glad for it to be over. There's been some sleepless nights.” The Panthers, who were given the first pick because they finished with the NFL's worst record last season (2-14), were always expected to choose Newton, who won the 2010 Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football. The 21-year-old helped the Auburn Tigers compile a perfect 14-0 record, culminating with a win in the BCS National Championship game in January, while throwing 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Von Miller, an outside linebacker from Texas A&M, was selected as the second pick by the Denver Broncos. So too did Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, who was chosen third by the Buffalo Bills as the labor dispute was briefly forgotten. The Cincinnati Bengals snapped up wide receiver A.J. Green of Georgia with the fourth choice, and the Arizona Cardinals followed by making defensive back Patrick Peterson of Louisiana State University the fifth pick. Keen to find the missing piece in a drive for the Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons (13-3 last season) traded the 27th pick of the first round, their second and fourth-round picks, and first and fourth-round spots in 2012 to Cleveland for the sixth pick that they used for receiver Julio Jones of Alabama. Of the 32 first round picks decided on the first of three days of the draft, 12 were defensive linesman. The top dozen picks featured four quarterbacks, including Newton. The Tennessee Titans chose the University of Washington's Jake Locker as the eighth pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded with Washington to move up to the 10th pick to take Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, and the Minnesota Vikings landed Christian Ponder of Florida State with the 12th selection.
