Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. He is the third player to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and be the first overall pick in the NFL draft all in the same one-year span, joining Leon Hart (1950), and Angelo Bertelli (1944).

Newton is the son of Cecil Newton, Sr., who was cut as a safety from the pre-season rosters of the 1983Dallas Cowboys and 1984Buffalo Bills, and he is the younger brother of Cecil Newton, Jr., a center who currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

Newton was initially a member of the Florida Gators before transferring to Blinn College, where his team won a national junior college football championship. Newton was then recruited by head coach Gene Chizik of Auburn University and transferred once more. He became just the third player in major college football history to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season. His performance earned him the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player, and he led Auburn to their second national championship in school history, despite controversy concerning his eligibility. In his NFL debut, Newton became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 400 yards in his NFL regular-season opener, breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record.

Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Stanford University, won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award as college football's player of the year, and was recognized as an All-American. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in both 2010 and 2011. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 (Pac-10) Conference in both 2010 and 2011. CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted, while the Kansas City Star puts him in line with LeBron James and Bryce Harper as "the most hyped amateurs in recent sports memory". Although widely projected as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season.

Luck was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Oliver Luck, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University and former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers, and Kathy Wilson Luck. Andrew Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was general manager of two World League of American Football teams prior to becoming president of the league. He is the oldest of four children, Mary Ellen, Emily, and Addison, who currently reside in Houston. In London, he attended The American School in London.