TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers reacts after throwing an interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 17-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Former NFL MVP Cam Newton says just one thing is missing from his career

A big hill to climb.

Carolina Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton won a Heisman Trophy and a BCS National Championship while at Auburn. In six seasons so far in the NFL, he's been a three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro and even the league MVP in 2015.

He also took his team to the Super Bowl, losing in Super Bowl 50 to a retiring Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

So yeah, Newton has made quite a name for himself in the world of football, but he doesn't feel as if he's done it all just yet. In a moment of self-reflection, Newton spoke to C Jackson Cowart of The Charlotte Observer, and he has a very big goal in mind.

"I'm looking at my life right now and I'm saying, 'I'm missing one thing: I want a Super Bowl,'" Newton said. "Yeah, but it's really certain things that you have to really fine-tune and say, 'Am I deserving to be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback? How can I push myself to be a better me?'"

Newton's Super Bowl revelation comes after a 2016 season that frankly saw him struggle. He and his team suffered a huge letdown after an amazing 2016 season. The Panthers were only 6-10 and Newton struggled. He did throw for 3,509 yards and 19 touchdowns, but he also threw 14 interceptions and lost two fumbles. Newton was also the least effective he's been on the ground over the course of his NFL career. He rushed for only 359 yards and five touchdowns — down from 636 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015.

Still, Newton has high hopes looking ahead to the future, and for him, it comes down to focus.

"The only way I put myself in this situation to be successful was I didn't have no plan B ..." Newton said. "I told myself, at the end of the day, I'm gonna be a football player and a football player only.

"And a lot of guys get it misconstrued because you're setting yourself up for failure; that's what some people think. But in myself I was thinking, 'I ain't got no other alternative. Either I'm gonna dominate this man in front of me or not.'"

Newton knows he can dominate because he's been dominant in the past. Whether or not he can get over the mental block right now will be one of the more pressing questions of the NFL season in 2017.

(H/T NFL.com)