.gif)
Ken Norton (American football player)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Howard Norton, Jr. (born September 29, 1966 in Jacksonville, Illinois
) is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
, former USC Trojan football team Linebacker Coach and Assistant Head Coach for Defense, and is the current linebackers coach
for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
with former USC coach Pete Carroll
.
He is the son of the former heavyweight champion Ken Norton
. He was the first NFL player to win a Super Bowl ring in three consecutive years.
in California
, where he played as a running back
averaging 8.8 yards per carry as a senior.
He went on to play at UCLA from 1984-1987.
He was converted to linebacker
, the position he would play for the remainder of his football career.
He was a member of the 1985 conference championship team, and helped the Bruins to four consecutive bowl wins
Norton led team in tackles in 1986 with 106 and did it again in 1987 with 125. He ranks sixth in school history with 339 career tackles.
He earned All-American honors in 1987. At only 6'1" he was short for a linebacker, but played at a formidable 254 pounds.
In 1987 he was also a finalist for the Butkus Award and was named the team's defensive MVP.
In 1998 he was inducted in the UCLA Hall of Fame.
by the Dallas Cowboys
.
He spent most of his rookie year on injured reserve with a broken thumb.
In 1989 Norton and Jesse Solomon
shared the weakside linebacker position. He played the first and third quarters, Solomon the second and fourth.
In 1990, he became a full-time starter when Solomon held out and was eventually traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. A knee injury sidelined him for the last two games of the season.
In 1991, he bounced back from knee surgery and was used at strongside linebacker and middle linebacker during that season, eventually settling in at the middle linebacker spot.
In 1992, he blossomed as a player and became the leader of the defense, leading the team in tackles with 120 and helping the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in the 90's.
That year the Cowboys had the number one defense in the league, but no player was voted to the Pro Bowl
.
He also started doing his trademarked punching of the goal posts or the air, after making good plays. A tribute to his father, the one time boxing Heavy Weight Champion of The World, Ken Norton
.
In 1993, he had to play through a torn biceps injury, but still managed to lead the team in tackles with 159, helping the Cowboys win their second straight Super Bowl
. He was also selected to his first Pro Bowl
. Norton is also notable for his part in ending the career of Napoleon McCallum
. In the first game of the 1994 season, Norton, along with Bryant Young
, tackled McCallum during a rushing play. While he was being pulled to the ground, McCallum's knee collapsed backwards into an unnatural position, almost at a 90 degree angle. After the play, Norton remained under McCallum while medical staff attended to McCallum.
He played in Dallas between 1988 and 1993, assisting the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl XXVII
and Super Bowl XXVIII
. Norton scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII, helping to seal a Dallas victory.
In the 90's when free agency
was instituted in the NFL, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr., Darrin Smith
, Dixon Edwards
, Robert Jones
and Randall Godfrey
to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
During the first year of free agency
, he joined the San Francisco 49ers
from 1994 to 2000, becoming the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXIX
). Norton was selected to his second Pro Bowl
in 1995. Norton was also named to the NFL All-Pro Team following the 1995 season.
Norton finished his 13 NFL seasons with 12 sacks and 5 interceptions, which he returned for 127 yards (116.1 m) and 2 touchdowns (both in the same game against the Saint Louis Rams in 1995). He also recovered 13 fumbles and returned them for 36 yards (32.9 m). Along with ex-teammate Deion Sanders
, Norton won consecutive Super Bowls on different teams.
After retiring from the NFL, Norton Jr. served as a radio and television commentator and analyst, and coached football at Hamilton High School
in Los Angeles, California.
In 2004, he joined the coaching staff of the USC Trojan football team under Head Coach Pete Carroll
. From 2004-2009, he served as the linebacker coach for the Trojans; while at USC he helped recruit and develop NFL-bound linebackers such as NFL Pro Bowl
er Lofa Tatupu
, Dallas Sartz
, Keith Rivers
, Brian Cushing
, Kaluka Maiava
, Clay Matthews III
, and Rey Maualuga
.
In January 2008, Norton declined offers by UCLA's new head coach, Rick Neuheisel
, to join the Bruins coaching as an assistant head coach.
On January 7, 2009, Norton was promoted to USC Assistant Head Coach for Defense. A form of recognition of his continuing work with the USC linebacker corps, he has developed three consecutive Rose Bowl MVPs: Brian Cushing
(2007), Rey Maualuga
(2008) and Kaluka Maiava
(2009).
Attending the player evaluations of the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine were all four of Norton's Trojan senior class linebacker proteges: Brian Cushing
, Kaluka Maiava
, Clay Matthews III
, and Rey Maualuga
.
On January 11, 2010, it was announced that USC linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. would be joining Pete Carroll in Seattle to fill the same role with the Seahawks, reuniting him with his protege, Seahawks defensive standout Lofa Tatupu
.
, former world champion heavyweight boxer
and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali
. He and his wife, Angela, have 3 children: Brittney, Sabrina, and Ken III.
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, former USC Trojan football team Linebacker Coach and Assistant Head Coach for Defense, and is the current linebackers coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
with former USC coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
.
He is the son of the former heavyweight champion Ken Norton
Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
. He was the first NFL player to win a Super Bowl ring in three consecutive years.
College career
Norton Jr. is a graduate of Westchester High SchoolWestchester High School (Los Angeles)
Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he played as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
averaging 8.8 yards per carry as a senior.
He went on to play at UCLA from 1984-1987.
He was converted to linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, the position he would play for the remainder of his football career.
He was a member of the 1985 conference championship team, and helped the Bruins to four consecutive bowl wins
Norton led team in tackles in 1986 with 106 and did it again in 1987 with 125. He ranks sixth in school history with 339 career tackles.
He earned All-American honors in 1987. At only 6'1" he was short for a linebacker, but played at a formidable 254 pounds.
In 1987 he was also a finalist for the Butkus Award and was named the team's defensive MVP.
In 1998 he was inducted in the UCLA Hall of Fame.
Professional career
He was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
He spent most of his rookie year on injured reserve with a broken thumb.
In 1989 Norton and Jesse Solomon
Jesse Solomon
Jesse William Solomon is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1986 to 1994 for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Florida State University and was drafted in the...
shared the weakside linebacker position. He played the first and third quarters, Solomon the second and fourth.
In 1990, he became a full-time starter when Solomon held out and was eventually traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. A knee injury sidelined him for the last two games of the season.
In 1991, he bounced back from knee surgery and was used at strongside linebacker and middle linebacker during that season, eventually settling in at the middle linebacker spot.
In 1992, he blossomed as a player and became the leader of the defense, leading the team in tackles with 120 and helping the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in the 90's.
That year the Cowboys had the number one defense in the league, but no player was voted to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
.
He also started doing his trademarked punching of the goal posts or the air, after making good plays. A tribute to his father, the one time boxing Heavy Weight Champion of The World, Ken Norton
Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
.
In 1993, he had to play through a torn biceps injury, but still managed to lead the team in tackles with 159, helping the Cowboys win their second straight Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. He was also selected to his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. Norton is also notable for his part in ending the career of Napoleon McCallum
Napoleon McCallum
Napoleon Ardel McCallum is a former professional American football running back who played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986 and from 1990 to 1994. McCallum went to Milford High School near Cincinnati, Ohio and played college football for the U.S. Naval Academy.-U.S. Naval Academy:McCallum...
. In the first game of the 1994 season, Norton, along with Bryant Young
Bryant Young
Bryant Colby Young is an American football coach serving as defensive line coach for the University of Florida and former NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers...
, tackled McCallum during a rushing play. While he was being pulled to the ground, McCallum's knee collapsed backwards into an unnatural position, almost at a 90 degree angle. After the play, Norton remained under McCallum while medical staff attended to McCallum.
He played in Dallas between 1988 and 1993, assisting the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
and Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
. Norton scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII, helping to seal a Dallas victory.
In the 90's when free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
was instituted in the NFL, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr., Darrin Smith
Darrin Smith
Darrin Andrew Smith is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. While with Dallas he won two Super Bowl rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all...
, Dixon Edwards
Dixon Edwards
Dixon Voldean Edwards, III is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1991 through 1998...
, Robert Jones
Robert Jones (American football)
Robert Lee Jones is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the St...
and Randall Godfrey
Randall Godfrey
Randall Euralentris Godfrey is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Godfrey played college football at the University of Georgia, where he majored in housing and consumer economics. He also played High School Football at Lowndes High School in Valdosta Georgia...
to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
During the first year of free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, he joined the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
from 1994 to 2000, becoming the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
). Norton was selected to his second Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1995. Norton was also named to the NFL All-Pro Team following the 1995 season.
Norton finished his 13 NFL seasons with 12 sacks and 5 interceptions, which he returned for 127 yards (116.1 m) and 2 touchdowns (both in the same game against the Saint Louis Rams in 1995). He also recovered 13 fumbles and returned them for 36 yards (32.9 m). Along with ex-teammate Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, Norton won consecutive Super Bowls on different teams.
Coaching career
Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles, California)
Alexander Hamilton High School is a public high school within the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:...
in Los Angeles, California.
In 2004, he joined the coaching staff of the USC Trojan football team under Head Coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
. From 2004-2009, he served as the linebacker coach for the Trojans; while at USC he helped recruit and develop NFL-bound linebackers such as NFL Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
, Dallas Sartz
Dallas Sartz
Dallas Sartz is a former American football linebacker who is currently an assistant coach for the UC Davis football team. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals ninth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early life:Rivers was a highly decorated letterman in football at Lake...
, Brian Cushing
Brian Cushing
-Houston Texans:Cushing was drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.He scored his first career points on October 4, 2009 when he recorded a safety against the Oakland Raiders. The safety was the first recorded by a Texan since the 2002 season.Cushing was...
, Kaluka Maiava
Kaluka Maiava
-Personal:Maiava's stepfather, Scott Mahoney, attended and played football for Kamehameha Schools and the University of Colorado as an offensive lineman. His mother, Kathryn, works for an airline, which allowed the family the ability to take free trips to the mainland during Maiava's high school...
, Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews III
William Clay Matthews III is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers 26th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-Early years:Matthews was born in the Los...
, and Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
.
In January 2008, Norton declined offers by UCLA's new head coach, Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, to join the Bruins coaching as an assistant head coach.
On January 7, 2009, Norton was promoted to USC Assistant Head Coach for Defense. A form of recognition of his continuing work with the USC linebacker corps, he has developed three consecutive Rose Bowl MVPs: Brian Cushing
Brian Cushing
-Houston Texans:Cushing was drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.He scored his first career points on October 4, 2009 when he recorded a safety against the Oakland Raiders. The safety was the first recorded by a Texan since the 2002 season.Cushing was...
(2007), Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
(2008) and Kaluka Maiava
Kaluka Maiava
-Personal:Maiava's stepfather, Scott Mahoney, attended and played football for Kamehameha Schools and the University of Colorado as an offensive lineman. His mother, Kathryn, works for an airline, which allowed the family the ability to take free trips to the mainland during Maiava's high school...
(2009).
Attending the player evaluations of the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine were all four of Norton's Trojan senior class linebacker proteges: Brian Cushing
Brian Cushing
-Houston Texans:Cushing was drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.He scored his first career points on October 4, 2009 when he recorded a safety against the Oakland Raiders. The safety was the first recorded by a Texan since the 2002 season.Cushing was...
, Kaluka Maiava
Kaluka Maiava
-Personal:Maiava's stepfather, Scott Mahoney, attended and played football for Kamehameha Schools and the University of Colorado as an offensive lineman. His mother, Kathryn, works for an airline, which allowed the family the ability to take free trips to the mainland during Maiava's high school...
, Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews III
William Clay Matthews III is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers 26th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-Early years:Matthews was born in the Los...
, and Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga
Rey Maualuga is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
.
On January 11, 2010, it was announced that USC linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. would be joining Pete Carroll in Seattle to fill the same role with the Seahawks, reuniting him with his protege, Seahawks defensive standout Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
.
Personal
Norton is the son of Ken NortonKen Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
, former world champion heavyweight boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. He and his wife, Angela, have 3 children: Brittney, Sabrina, and Ken III.
Noteworthy Plays
- In tribute to his father's boxing career, Ken Norton Jr. would strike a boxing stance in the end zone each time he scored a defensive touchdown and throw a punching combination at the goalpost pad.
- Early in the Second Quarter of Super Bowl XXVIISuper Bowl XXVIISuper Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
, Norton, on a third-down and one from the one-yard line, with his feet in the end zone, solo tackled Kenneth Davis preventing a touchdown. Consequently the Bills opted for a fourth-down pass which was intercepted by Thomas Everett. The Goal line stand would later be recognized by analysts as the point where the game truly got away from the Bills. - On September 5, 1994, during a Monday Night Football contest and the Raiders' opening game of the season at the San Francisco 49ers, Napoleon McCallumNapoleon McCallumNapoleon Ardel McCallum is a former professional American football running back who played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986 and from 1990 to 1994. McCallum went to Milford High School near Cincinnati, Ohio and played college football for the U.S. Naval Academy.-U.S. Naval Academy:McCallum...
's career ended prematurely when 49ers linebacker Ken Norton Jr. twisted him to the ground. McCallum's cleat stuck in the ground, forcing his knee into a horrible dislocation. Norton lay pinned underneath a motionless McCallum for a couple of minutes while trainers attended to McCallum.