Cam Newton is speaking out on his shocking altercation with Alabama A&M's mascot last week ... insisting the whole thing was not as serious as it looked.
The moment happened at Legion Field in Birmingham on Oct. 24 ... as Newton and the ESPN "First Take" crew were enjoying football festivities before the Alabama State and Alabama A&M game. After the mascots from each school took part in a 40-yard dash, A&M's Butch got into a shoving match with Cam, who responded with a hard shot to the face.