Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an American 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 ...

coach and former player who is the

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

s coach for the

Washington Commanders 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) East division ...

of 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

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF ...

and was selected by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft. Norton is the first player to have won three consecutive

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

s during his playing career, doing so with the Cowboys and

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 ...

. Only one other player, Darian Kinnard, has accomplished this feat since; however, Kinnard did so without appearing in any postseason games across his three-year stretch, making Norton the only player to achieve this as a regular starter. Since retirement, Norton has coached at both the college and professional level. In college, he has worked as the linebackers coach for

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

and

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

, briefly serving as assistant head coach with the latter. At the NFL level, he has previously served as

defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...

for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

and

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 ...

and currently works as the linebackers coach for the

. Norton is the son of the late former world champion boxer

Ken Norton Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. (August 9, 1943 – September 18, 2013) was an American actor and professional boxer who competed from 1967 to 1981. He was awarded the World Boxing Council, WBC world heavyweight championship in 1978, after winning a ...

Early life

Norton is a graduate of Westchester High School in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where he played as 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 ...

averaging 8.8 yards per carry as a senior. He went on to play at

from 1984 to 1987, where he was converted to

, the position he would play for the remainder of his football career. Norton was a member of the 1985 conference championship team, and helped the Bruins to four consecutive

bowl game In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tourname ...

wins. He led the team with 106 tackles in 1986 and 125 in 1987. He ranks sixth in school history with 339 career tackles. He was named the team's defensive MVP in 1987, earned first-team

All-American 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 ...

honors, and was a finalist for the

Butkus Award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...

. Norton was inducted in the

Hall of Fame in 1998.

Playing career

Dallas Cowboys (1988–1993)

Norton was selected in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft by the

. He spent most of his rookie year on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in t ...

with a broken thumb. In 1989, Norton and

Jesse Solomon Jesse William Solomon (born November 4, 1963) is an American former professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins. He p ...

shared the

weakside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

position. He played the first and third quarters, Solomon the second and fourth. In

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

, he became a full-time starter when Solomon held out and was eventually traded to 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 ...

. A knee injury sidelined him for the last two games of the season. In

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, he bounced back from knee surgery and was used at

strongside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

and

middle linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the li ...

during that season, eventually settling in at the middle linebacker spot. In

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, 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 1990s. That year the Cowboys had the number one defense in the league, but no player was voted to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

. 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 heavyweight champion of the world,

. In

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, 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

. He was also selected to his first

. Norton played in Dallas between

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

and

, assisting the Cowboys to victory in

Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

and

Super Bowl XXVIII Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...

. Norton scored his first 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 ...

on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII, helping to seal a Cowboys victory. In

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

when a

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...

was instituted in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a 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 Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

, the Cowboys organization felt they could find

s through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players like Darrin Smith,

Dixon Edwards Dixon Voldean Edwards, III (born March 25, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Mich ...

, Robert Jones, and Norton to leave via free agency, instead of signing them into long-term contracts.

San Francisco 49ers (1994–2000)

During the first year of

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

, he joined the

from

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. He became the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls when the 49ers won

Super Bowl XXIX Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion San Diego Chargers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...

, a feat that remained unmatched until 2025, when Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Darian Kinard accomplished the same feat - winning two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, and his third with the Eagles. Norton was selected to his second

in 1995. Norton was also named to the NFL All-Pro Team following the 1995 season. Norton is also notable for his part in ending the career of

Napoleon McCallum Napoleon Ardel McCallum (born October 6, 1963) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. McCallum played college football for the Navy Midshipmen, and then played professionally ...

. In the first game of the 1994 season, Norton, along with

Bryant Young Bryant Colby Young (born January 27, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting I ...

, 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. Norton finished his 13

seasons with 12 sacks and 5 interceptions, which he returned for 127 yards and 2

s (both in the same game 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 ...

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

). He also recovered 13 fumbles and returned them for 36 yards. Along with ex-teammate

Deion Sanders Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American American football, football coach with the Colorado Buffaloes football, Colorado Buffaloes. Sanders is also a former professional football and baseball player, having played in the N ...

, Norton won consecutive

s on different teams. Years later, LeGarrette Blount and

Chris Long Christopher Howard Long (born March 28, 1985) is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and older brother of NFL ...

would become the third and fourth players to do so.

Coaching career

USC Trojans (2004–2009)

In 2004, he joined the coaching staff of the

USC Trojans football The USC Trojans football program represents the University of Southern California in the sport of American football. The Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate ...

team under Head Coach

Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...

. From 2004 to 2009, he served as the linebacker coach for the Trojans; while at USC he helped recruit and develop NFL-bound linebackers such as NFL

Lofa Tatupu Mosiula Mea'alofa "Lofa" Tatupu (born November 15, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...

, Dallas Sartz, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing,

Kaluka Maiava Kaluka Maiava (born March 22, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and wa ...

Clay Matthews III William Clay Matthews III (born May 14, 1986), primarily known as Clay Matthews, is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection a ...

, and Rey Maualuga. 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 Rose Bowl or Rosebowl may refer to: * Rose Bowl Game, an annual American college football game * Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California, site of the football game, and the home stadium of the UCLA Football team * Rose Bowl (cricket ground), West ...

MVPs: Brian Cushing (2007), Rey Maualuga (2008) and Kaluka Maiava (2009).Gary Klein
Pete Carroll promotes Rocky Seto to defensive coordinator
''Los Angeles Times'', January 8, 2009, Accessed January 8, 2009. Attending the player evaluations of the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine were all four of Norton's Trojan senior class linebacker protégés: Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiava, Clay Matthews III, and Rey Maualuga.

Seattle Seahawks (2010–2014)

On January 11, 2010, it was announced that USC linebackers coach Norton would be joining head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle to fill the same role with the Seahawks, reuniting him with his protégé, Seahawks defensive standout

. Norton would also win his fourth Super Bowl,

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...

on February 2, 2014, his first as a coach. Norton was instrumental in the development of the

star linebacker group consisting of All-Pro

Bobby Wagner Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Seattle Sea ...

, Pro Bowler K.J. Wright, Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, special teams captain

Heath Farwell Heath Charles Farwell (born December 31, 1981) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). Farwell played college football for the ...

, veteran

Leroy Hill Leroy Hill Jr. (born September 14, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft after playin ...

, and pass rush specialist

Bruce Irvin Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. (born November 1, 1987) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round with the 15th overall pic ...

Oakland Raiders (2015–2017)

On February 6, 2015, he was named the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders also signed

outside linebacker

reuniting him with his former coach. Under Norton's tutelage, outside linebacker

Khalil Mack Khalil Delshon Mack (; born February 22, 1991) is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Buffalo Bulls and was selected by the Oakland ...

won the

NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Several organizations give out NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. The Associated Press (AP) has been giving the award since 1972; Pro Football Writers of America/''Pro Football Weekly'' since 1970; and ''Sporting News'' has announced winners ...

at the end of the 2016 season. He was fired by head coach

Jack Del Rio Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football for the USC Trojans ...

on November 21, 2017, two days after the Raiders suffered a blowout 33-8 loss to the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

and the defense having not

intercepted In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

a pass in 11 weeks.

San Francisco 49ers and Seahawks (2018–2021)

On January 8, 2018, he was hired as the 49ers assistant head coach, leaving the position just 1 week later when the Seahawks hired him as defensive coordinator. Norton was fired after the conclusion of the

2021 NFL season The 2021 NFL season was the 102nd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season was the first to feature a 17-game regular season schedule as the league expanded the season from 16 games. The regular season started on September 9, ...

lasting 4 seasons in his second stint with the Seahawks.

UCLA Bruins (2022–2023)

In February 2022, Norton returned to

as linebackers coach under head coach

Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...

Washington Commanders (2024–present)

In February 2024, Norton was hired by the

as their linebackers coach.

Personal life

Norton is the son of

, former world champion heavyweight

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

noted for being among the few to ever win against

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

References

External links

Washington Commanders profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton Jr., Ken 1966 births Living people African-American coaches of American football All-American college football players American football linebackers Coaches of American football from California Coaches of American football from Illinois Dallas Cowboys players National Conference Pro Bowl players NFL defensive coordinators NFL Network people Oakland Raiders coaches Players of American football from Illinois Players of American football from Los Angeles San Francisco 49ers players Seattle Seahawks coaches Sportspeople from Jacksonville, Illinois UCLA Bruins football coaches UCLA Bruins football players USC Trojans football coaches Washington Commanders coaches Westchester High School (Los Angeles) alumni