Pittsburgh Defensive Tackle to Cam Newton: Don't Be Out There if You're Scared

One football player doesn't like that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is dancing in the end zone when he scores, then complaining about his safety when defensive players take shots at him.

"Ben [Roethlisberger] gets hit more than anybody in the league, and he never complains. C'mon, man. This is the game of football," Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert told ESPN. "If you're out there and you're scared to take a shot, then don't be out there, especially if you're a running quarterback. [Defenses] are going to take shots at you. Just the way, his style of playing football, how he celebrates, I guess he gives the guys a chip, like let's go hit the reigning NFL MVP."

On Sunday, during his postgame press conference after Newton's Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback noted that he'd taken a few late hits.

"It's really taking the fun out of the game for me," Newton said. "At times I don't even feel safe. And enough is enough. I plan on talking to Commissioner [Roger] Goodell about this. And I don't know what I have to do."

Gilbert added that big quarterbacks like Newton and Roethlisberger, who are both over 6 feet 3 inches, not only take punishment but dish it out as well.

"When he's running over people, he's going to stand right up and he's going to celebrate," Gilbert said. "This is the game of football. I'm sure there are cornerbacks or linebackers—whoever he's running over, the safeties—they aren't complaining about getting run over or getting crowned, face mask to face mask with the quarterback, from a guy his size. Of course, guys are going to take shots. … I don't think anybody is trying to purposefully hurt him, but you're going to get those extra hits, especially against such a great player."

Read more at ESPN.