Cam Newton talks about being a 'sore loser'

Cam Newton wasn't apologizing Tuesday for walking out on reporters after the Carolina Panthers' loss in the Super Bowl 50.

Newton acknowledged that he was a "sore loser" after the Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos 24-10 on Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif. He answered only a few questions from the media before walking out.

"I've been on record to say I'm a sore loser. Who likes to lose? You show me a good loser and I'm going to show you a loser," he said. "It's not a popularity contest. I'm here to win football games."

The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player spoke to reporters on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., while cleaning out his locker. He said "that's cool" if he offended anyone with his actions.

"But I know who I am and I'm not about to conform nor bend for anybody's expectations because your or anybody else's expectations will never exceed mine," Newton said.

Speaking with the media is optional on exit day at the end of the season, but Newton wanted to address the criticism directed at him since then.

"It happened," he said. "I didn't want to talk to the media at the time. The truth of the matter is I really still don't want to talk to the media. But at the end of the day, things have to happen.

"I had a lot of time to go back and play everything back. I'm human. I never once said that I was perfect. I never proclaimed that I was perfect, but at the end of the day, people pick and do things of that sort."

Panthers coach Ron Rivers applauded Newton for speaking on Tuesday.

"Obviously, somebody had a great conversation with him and explained it to him and he was able to compose himself and speak to you folks," Rivera said. "That's huge. What he did today was a part of his growth. He is still growing and maturing as a man in this world."

Newton's teammates also supported him in the locker room, shouting "We love you."

"He's a competitor just like everybody else," fullback Mike Tolbert said. "You look at the guy. He's not happy at all about what happened. I'm not happy about what happened. I don't think anybody that played in this game was happy about what happened. So why should we be all smiles when the game is over?"

Newton promised to help the Panthers return to the Super Bowl.

"I've got no more tears to cry," he said. "At the end of the day, when you invest so much time and sacrifice so much and things don't go as planned, the emotions take over. That's what happens.

"As far as trying to be like this person, trying to be like that person ... the truth of the matter is I'm not trying to be like this person."