The crowed included current students, teachers and administrators at Westlake High. Also among the group were reunited former Westlake staffers who now are spread throughout different schools in Metro Atlanta.
They gathered in downtown Atlanta on Sunday night to cheer Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, the pride of Westlake and College Park. Many were decked out in t-shirts with “Straight Outta Westlake” on the front and “#yeswecam” on the back. All of them were ready to erupt just as soon as Newton and the Carolina Panthers took control of Super Bowl 50.
It never happened.
The Panthers fell behind early to the Broncos and never rallied while losing 24-10. Frustration grew among the Westlake faithful at Sweet Auburn Seafood with each dropped pass, lost fumble and missed opportunity. As it became clear it wouldn’t be Newton’s night, the standing-room only crowd gradually started to clear out.
They were disappointed that the Panthers lost the Super Bowl but still pleased to see Newton, Westlake class of 2007, make it there. Rusty Beadles, who was an assistant coach in basketball and football during Newton’s Westlake years, said he has no doubt Newton will get back to the Super Bowl.
“I’m happy for him,” Beadles said. “He’s still accomplished a lot. The impact he’s had on the city and the nation has been tremendous. He’s matured a lot (and) endured a lot.”
Yamilsa Aubain-Roebuck, who had Newton in her Spanish classes at Westlake, rattled off his list of accomplishments: NFL MVP, Heisman Trophy winner, national championship winner at Auburn, junior-college national championship winner at Blinn College.
“Not many people can say they have had as many accolades as him,” said Aubain-Roebuck, who is now an assistant principal at The B.E.S.T. Academy. “So we are very pleased with him. We are celebrating him every day. I’m a Cam fan all day, every day.”
Aubain-Roebuck said this as the final minutes of the clock ticked off with Carolina hopelessly behind. By then, the mood had grown subdued at the gathering.
It was festive before the game, with fans striking a pose with Newton’s famous “dab” dance. Among the Westlake alumni who came was Keyaron Fox, the former Georgia Tech standout who played in the NFL from 2004-2012. A sign hanging on one wall of the restaurant featured Newton’s picture and read: “Westlake Supports Our Own, Cameron J. Newton, YesweCAM.”
The pregame vibe ended up being one of the few high points of the night for the Westlake group. Newton lost a fumble that the Broncos recovered for a touchdown and 10-0 lead early in the game. The Panthers trailed just 13-7 at halftime but never could get the offense on track.
Patrick Greenaway, a school counselor during Newton’s time at Westlake, said so many of the school’s alumni got back together to cheer on Newton because he was well-liked.
“Always smiling and having fun,” Greenaway said. “He had that big, loving heart. He’s a big kid at heart. What you see is what you get. He didn’t get the championship but he’s still MVP. He’ll be back.”
When the game finally ended, someone mentioned that television news crews were waiting outside to get the reaction of party goers as they left. Shanda Beadles, Rusty’s wife and one of Newton’s science teachers at Westlake, vowed that the cameras wouldn’t see sad faces in spite of the game's outcome.
“He’s a superstar whether he wins the Super Bowl or not,” Shanda Beadles said. “He’s still our Superman.”
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