Jerious Montreal Norwood (born July 29, 1983) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the college athletics, athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA D ...

and is the school's second all-time leading rusher. He was selected by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

in the third round of the

2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...

Early life

He played

and ran track at Brandon High School in

Brandon, Mississippi Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 25,138 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Jackson, Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan ...

where he was a high school

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n. He was also Mississippi's "Mr. Football", an honor given to the state's most outstanding high school football player. While at Brandon High he recorded 92 career

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

s to rank fourth all-time on the state career-scoring list and accounted for more than 8,000 all-purpose yards. He totaled 3,229 all-purpose yards and 38 touchdowns during a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...

season. Norwood was also named Mississippi's

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is owned and manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was develope ...

Player of the Year as a

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

as he rushed for 2,878 yards and scored 32 touchdowns. He also recorded nine receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 46.9 yards on six kick returns with one touchdown. He also rushed for a school record 367 yards during a playoff game. In

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

, he competed as a sprinter and high hurdler. He got a PR of 14.5 seconds in the

110m hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurd ...

, and 42.18 seconds as a member of the

4 × 100 m relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky i ...

squad.

College career

As a three-year starter, at

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...

, he rushed for over 100 yards on 13 occasions, surpassing the previous school record of 12 set by Walter Packer and James Johnson. He also started 29 of 46 games, setting a school record with 3,222 career

rushing Rushing means a sudden forward motion, or a surge or onslaught. Rushing may refer to: Tactics * Rush (gridiron football), advancing the ball by running on offense. On defense, charging the quarterback or kicker is a pass rush. * Human wave atta ...

yards on 573 carries (5.6 avg.) with 15 touchdowns.

Freshman

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, Norwood was named to the ''

Knoxville News Sentinel The ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', also known as ''Knox News'', is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: '' ...

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

All-Freshman team as a

kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

. He finished second on the team with 66 rushes for 394 yards (6.0 avg.). He also caught five passes for 47 yards and returned 14 kicks for 292 yards.

Sophomore

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, Norwood appeared in every game with eight starts. He finished the season with 121 carries for 642 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, Norwood started every game as he became the sixth player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, rushing for 1,050 yards on 195 carries with seven touchdowns. He recorded five games of 100-plus rushing yards, including one 200-yard performance.

Senior

As a senior in 2005, Norwood won the

Conerly Award Charles Albert Conerly Jr. (September 19, 1921 – February 13, 1996) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants from 1948 through 1961. Conerly played colleg ...

, which is given to the top college player in the state of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, after leading the team rushing with 191 carries for 1,136 yards (5.9 avg.) with six touchdowns and no fumbles. He ranked second on the team with 19 receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Norwood also registered four punt returns for 43 yards. His 1,275 all-purpose yards on 214 plays rank eighth in school history.

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons

2006

Norwood was selected by the

in the third round (79th overall) of the

. In

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, Norwood played in 14 games and ranked third on the team with 633 rushing yards on 99 carries (6.4 avg.) with two touchdowns to go along with 12 receptions for 102 yards. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 320 yards and tallied three special teams tackles. Norwood was the first player in NFL history to have his first two career touchdown runs each go 70+ yards. His 78-yard touchdown run against Arizona in Week 4 marked the second longest in Falcons history behind running back

Warrick Dunn Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL ...

's 90-yard touchdown carry the following week against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He rushed 10 times for 66 yards in his NFL debut at the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

. He recorded his first career reception, for 12 yards, against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

along with nine carries for 45 yards with a long of 23 yards. In week 4 against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

, Norwood ran for 106 rushing yards on six carries (17.7 avg.), including a career-long and, a then team record long 78-yard touchdown run. That game, he and QB Mike Vick both ran for over 100 yards, which made the Falcons the only NFL team to ever record ''two'' games in a franchise's history where both the quarterback and a running back on the same team surpassed the 100-yard mark in the same game. (Vick and Warrick Dunn both eclipsed 100 yards in Week 2). Later on in the season, Norwood recorded 64 rushing yards on eight carries against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

in along with one reception for five yards. He also recorded one kickoff return for 27 yards. Norwood recorded a career-high 107 yards on nine carries with one touchdown at the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. He ran the ball seven times for 32 yards and recorded one reception for four yards before leaving in the third quarter with an injury (

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

) in Tampa Bay. Norwood recorded 63 rushing yards on 10 carries at the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

, along with three catches for 28 yards (9.3 avg.). He finished sixth among all rookie running backs with 633 rushing yards on 99 carries and his 6.4 average yards per carry ranked second highest in the NFL, topped only by teammate QB Michael Vick (8.4 avg.).

2007

In 15 regular season games, Norwood gained 613 yards on 103 carries, with an NFL-best 6.0 yards per carry for running backs, overall was surpassed in yards per carry only by

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Norfolk State Spartans football, Norfolk State University. He played quarterback in the National F ...

, who had over an eight-yard average. In

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, Norwood started the season off by rushing five times for 33 yards, with two receptions for 24 yards at the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

. During week two at the

Jaguars The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat species in the Americas an ...

, he ran the ball nine times for 30 yards, along with one reception for 13 yards. In the Falcons home opener, Norwood carried the ball six times for 32 yards, adding on three receptions for 34 yards. The next week against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

. he rushed the ball nine times for 29 yards, along with two receptions for 16 yards. In the a game at the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, Norwood carried the ball six times for 23 yards, while recording two receptions for four yards. In the next loss to, to the

, Norwood recorded his first offensive touchdown of the season, along with recording six rushes for 87 yards, one touchdown, while recording four receptions for 51 yards. During the Falcons week seven loss to the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

, he carried the ball six times for 38 yards, while adding three receptions for one yard. In a week nine win over the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

, Norwood ran the ball six times for 39 yards. Norwood missed the Falcons week 10 rematch against the Panthers. In his return in week 11, he carried the ball twice for four yards, and recording two receptions for 10 yards against the Buccaneers. During a week 12 loss to the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

, Norwood rushed the ball six times for 33 yards and recorded one reception for nine yards. In week 13 against the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

, he carried the ball eight times for 94 yards, while recording three receptions for 21 yards. During a week 14 rematch with the Saints, Norwood carried the ball six times for 21 yards, along with recording two receptions for 57 yards. In the week 15 rematch with Tampa Bay he carried the ball nine times for 73 yards. In a week 16 match up against the

, Norwood rushed the ball eight times for 31 yards, along with one receptions for -4 yards. In the 2007 season finale against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

, he ran the ball a season high 11 times for 46 yards, along with two receptions for 41 yards.

St. Louis Rams

Norwood signed with the

on August 2, 2011.

Toronto Argonauts

On Wednesday August 14, 2013, Norwood was signed to the practice roster of the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

He drew his first CFL start in a September 21 game against the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...

rushing for 68 yards on 10 carries and catching 4 passes for 67 yards. He had his first 100-yard rushing day against the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

rushing for 108 yards on 8 carries. He finished the season with 342 rushing yards, 234 receiving yards, and 113 kickoff return yards. On May 28, 2014, Norwood was released by the Argonauts.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

Norwood has a daughter named Ja'Nyla Norwood.

References

External links

Atlanta Falcons bio

Profile
on

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...

Atlanta Falcons player card
on

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

Profile
on CBSSports.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood, Jerious 1983 births Living people Players of American football from Jackson, Mississippi Players of Canadian football from Jackson, Mississippi Players of American football from Atlanta Players of Canadian football from Atlanta American football running backs Canadian football running backs Mississippi State Bulldogs football players Atlanta Falcons players St. Louis Rams players Toronto Argonauts players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen