In the past, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton may not have responded to a three-game losing streak in an upbeat, positive manner. But only days after being handed yet another loss, Newton took to his Instagram account to talk about the "24 Hour Rule" during a workout - Something that he has set for himself following every game, win or lose.

"You give yourself 24 hours to either celebrate, or sulk and sob. And after the 24 hours is up, you let it go," said Newton on Wednesday. "That’s been so helpful for me in my growth as a man. On to Tampa."

Newton has never been particularly good at losing: He stated that he goes to a "dark place", and has even lost track of time when he enters that state. But in the past several years, a change in Newton's life has made all the difference in the world with how he copes with losing and adversity: Becoming a father to multiple children.

"I see a lot of how I act, they see it, and they think it’s acceptable," said Newton. "So even though it’s hard for me, I realize that I have an obedience to be there for my children and teach them life lessons. And what better way to teach them life lessons when you’re actually going through certain situations that mean a lot to you and things don’t go your way?"

Presently, Newton is the father of four children: His step-daughter, 11-year old Shakira, his son Chosen (Who will turn three on Christmas Eve), his daughter Sovereign (Two years old in February), and a newborn son that was born in July. Newton stated that he is especially careful around Shakira, given that she's the oldest and that Newton doesn't want to give her "ammunition" to shoot back at him when he tries to teach her life lessons.

Given that Newton's family lives in his native Atlanta, he doesn't get the opportunity to see them as much as he would like during the season. But there are certain things that his children, particularly Shakira, can see from afar or be told about by friends of hers. And like any other parent, Newton wants to be able to teach his children lessons that he has had to learn for himself "the hard way".

With the Carolina Panthers facing a crisis, Newton is tasked with needing to put the maturity that he has developed over the course of his NFL career to the test and lead his team back to the state that they were in when they were 6-2. And for Newton, serving as a role model for his children is a large part of what will allow him to lead 52 other men back where they belong.

"As I keep learning, understanding things, it all comes back to square root number one: Help from my precious kids. And hopefully they can bring me some luck on Sunday."