Mike Tirico Interviews Cam Newton for NBC'S FOOTBALL NIGHT in AMERICA TONIGHT

For tonight's special edition of Football Night In America, which airs at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, prior to NFL Kickoff 2016, Mike Tirico interviews Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton. Football Night will also preview tonight's 2016 NFL season-opener on NBC, featuring a SUPER BOWL 50 rematch between the Panthers and Denver Broncos.

Bob Costas and Dan Patrick will host FNIA on-site, alongside Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, two-time SUPER BOWL champion Rodney Harrison, and Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK on NBCSN, NBCSports.com and NBC Sports Radio. Liam McHugh will provide reports from Civic Center Park in downtown Denver, where Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic will be performing prior to tonight's game.

Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter) will call tonight's NFL Kickoff 2016 season opener featuring the Panthers and Broncos.

Below are excerpts from Tirico's interview with Newton. If used, please note the mandatory credit: "In an exclusive interview airing tonight on Football Night in America."

Newton on his emotions the night following the Panthers' SUPER BOWL 50 loss: "Felt like a baby, crying...a lot of tears. I think this whole process has just made me realize that I'm human. You know, after the Super Bowl, I was distraught. I felt down, I felt bad. I cried because that's the emotions that I had. I wasn't doing it for the cameras. I really felt as if we had our opportunities and we didn't maximize it."

Mike Tirico on Newton's SUPER BOWL 50 post-game press conference: "Any regrets about the two and a half minutes, the thirteen questions and what people said afterwards?"

Newton: "No regrets...I don't want to have a sob story to say, 'Well, I shouldn't have done that.' I wouldn't be in the position I am right now if I would not have done the things I've done."

Tirico: "But Cam, don't you understand that some people see you after you lose, which you didn't do a lot of last year, and they say, 'Where's the guy who was doing this (gestures) and the dabbin' and all of that - don't you have to take the bad with the good, and be better about how you take the bad?"

Newton: "Yes, that's why I'm embracing this whole process."

Image courtesy of NBC