Cam Newton's mom reads a passage from 'Watership Down' in new Under Armour ad

Despite a virtually spotless record of off-field poise, Cam Newton's career has been a near-constant source of manufactured controversy -- much of it perceived as racially motivated.

Under Armour dramatizes the Carolina Panthers quarterback's struggle with celebrity, as well as other obstacles, in a spooky new commercial in which Newton outruns unknown dangers lurking in a dark forest.

A menacing drum beat, a cacophony of off-camera growls and a powerful voiceover excerpted from rabbit adventure novel Watership Down -- narrated by Cam's mother Jackie Newton -- stoke the intensity of the 80-second spot.

An ominous refrain refers to Newton as a "prince with a thousand enemies".

"All the world will be your enemy," his mom reads. "And whenever they catch you... but first they must catch you."

The full quote includes "they will kill you" in place of the ellipsis, but the ad instead fills that space with a guttural snarl, leaving the potential consequences to the imagination.

Created by ad agency Droga5, the commercial follows the enormous success of the athletic apparel company's similar effort centered on Michael Phelps' road to redemption ahead of the Rio games.