Terence Newman probably sounds like a rusty wagon when he gets out of bed in the morning, but the soon-to-be 39-year-old defensive back was statistically one of the best in the NFL last season.
Vikings CB Terence Newman yielded the fewest receiving yards of any cornerback in 2016. pic.twitter.com/YDz5qY9eFJ
— PFF (@PFF) May 10, 2017
According to Pro Football Focus, Newman surrendered the fewest total yards among cornerbacks who played at least 500 snaps in 2016. PFF tracked Newman for 754 snaps and a grand total of 245 yards allowed.
Already the oldest player in the NFL, Newman, who turns 39 in September, re-signed with the Vikings for one more season because he is convinced they will be Super Bowl contenders.
“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think I could win a ring,” Newman told SiriusXM NFL Radio in March. “I wouldn’t try to play this game and go to a team that is ‘rebuilding’ or what have you. But the fact that I have an opportunity with a team that I know has a shot at winning a ring, that’s the part that, to me, is important. Because as an older player, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re trying to do nothing but teach young guys. It gives me an opportunity to actually be able to teach young guys and be in a position where I can get a ring while playing.”
How is Newman still going strong? “Red wine is the key,” he admitted to the Pioneer Press in 2015.
