UK Wildcat's Newton showing team he's ready to lead

A relaxed Newton seems comfortable in this new role as leader. His fellow upperclassmen have noticed the changes. Newton doesn't just try to lead via tweet, but by example, they said. "He's a workaholic," senior cornerback Randall Burden said of Newton. "He's working harder and more than he has in past years. He's getting ready to take this team on and lead it." Fellow defender Ronnie Sneed has seen it, too. "Morgan's a different guy than before," the senior linebacker said. "I could tell last year Morgan started to change. You could tell he was upset he didn't win that starting position, and I believe that pushed him to prove a point." Sneed pointed to tangible evidence of leadership such as Newton's coordinating seven-on-seven drills and setting up competitions with players from other schools. Last week, they worked with players from Georgetown. On Wednesday, it was guys from Eastern Kentucky. That led one reporter to ask the quarterback whether he planned on calling any players from Louisville. "We're not scared," Newton said laughing. "But probably not, since we'll see them this year." It's not just becoming a coordinator that has made Newton a leader, Sneed said. "He's working really hard," Sneed said. "I know he's in the film room, and I know he's in the weight room pushing it hard. He's excited about this season."