 Norwood with the Denver Broncos in 2016 | |||||||||||
| No. 11, 10, 84 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver Return specialist | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1986-09-29)September 29, 1986 (age 38) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | State College Area (State College, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2009 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood (born September 29, 1986)[1] is a Filipino-American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver andpunt returner for eight seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He was signed by theCleveland Browns as anundrafted free agent in 2009. He playedcollege football atPenn State.
Norwood was also a member of thePhiladelphia Eagles,Tampa Bay Buccaneers andDenver Broncos. Norwood is the son of Navy co-defensive coordinator and former Penn State secondary coachBrian Norwood.[2]
Norwood was lightly recruited out ofState College Area High School. He received few scholarship offers and accepted Penn State's last minute offer over an offer fromBucknell to play football and basketball.[3] His leadership and jumping skills on the basketball court was what led coachJoe Paterno to offer him a football scholarship.[4]
In 2005, his freshman season, Norwood caught 32 passes for 422 yards with a 13.2 yard average.[5]
Norwood's sophomore season concluded with him making the Dean's List and being named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. He caught 45 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns with a 10.5 yard average.[6] He joined the basketball team underEd DeChellis in January, practicing regularly and appearing in four games as a reserve guard in his only season playing basketball.[2][7]
In his junior season, Jordan caught 40 balls for 484 yards and five touchdowns with a 12.1 yard average including catching a touchdown pass lying down on the ground versus Buffalo.[8] He had a season high eight catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in a 36–31 win overIndiana.[2]
Norwood earned all-Big Ten honorable mention honors as a senior, after catching 41 passes for 637 yards and six touchdowns.[9] Norwood's eight-catch, 116-yard performance versusOregon State on September 6, 2008, moved him pastO. J. McDuffie into third place on Penn State's career reception list. Afterward, he was congratulated in person by McDuffie, who attended the game.[10] Norwood had a second consecutive 100 plus yard game on September 13, 2008, against theSyracuse Orange. He had five receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Before the game againstIllinois, Norwood injured his hamstring and didn't participate in the games against the Illini and the Boilermakers.
Norwood was invited to the 2009NFL Scouting Combine where he measured a 38-inchvertical jump (sixth among wide receivers at the combine), ran 6.80 in the3 cone drill (ninth among wide receivers at the combine), and 4.20 in the20-yard shuttle (ninth among wide receivers at the combine).[11]
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 4.58 s | 4.20 s | 6.80 s | 38 in (0.97 m) | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | ||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine.[12] | ||||||||||||
After beingundrafted in the2009 NFL draft, Norwood signed with theCleveland Browns as anundrafted free agent on May 1, 2009.[13] He was waived by the Browns during final roster cuts on September 5, 2009.[14]
On September 23, 2009, Norwood was signed to thePhiladelphia Eaglespractice squad.[15] He was promoted to the active roster on December 1, 2009. He was waived on December 7.[16] On December 9, he was re-signed to their practice squad. He was re-signed to a three-year contract on January 11, 2010.[17] On March 18, Norwood changed his number from 84 to 19 afterHank Baskett was re-signed by the Eagles and took number 84 back.[citation needed] Norwood was waived on September 4.[citation needed]
Norwood was signed to the Browns' practice squad on September 6, 2010.[18] He was promoted to the active roster before Week 13 of the 2010 season.[19] In the 2011 season, he appeared in 14 games and started four. He had 23 receptions for 268 receiving yards and one touchdown, which came in Week 12 against theCincinnati Bengals.[20][21] In the 2012 season, he appeared in two games and had 13 receptions for 137 receiving yards.[22] He was waived on August 25, 2013.[23]
On August 28, 2013, Norwood signed with the Buccaneers.[24] On August 31, 2013, he was cut by the Buccaneers.[25]
Norwood signed with theDenver Broncos during the 2014 offseason. The Broncos placed Norwood on injured reserve on August 25, 2014, after hetore his ACL.[26] In the 2015 regular season, he finished with 22 receptions for 207 receiving yards in 11 games and five starts.[27] On February 7, 2016, Norwood was part of the Broncos team that wonSuper Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated theCarolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.[28] In the game, Norwood set a Super Bowl record at the time for the longest punt return at 61 yards, which has since been broken byKadarius Toney who had a 65 yard punt return seven years later inSuper Bowl LVII.[29][30] The return set up a field goal that put the Broncos up 13–7.[28]
On March 23, 2016, Norwood signed a one-year contract with theDenver Broncos after drawing interest from theNew York Jets andDetroit Lions.[31] In the 2016 season, Norwood finished with 21 receptions for 232 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.[32]
On September 10, 2017, Norwood announced his retirement from the NFL.[33]
Norwood earned aBachelor of Arts in Advertising/Public Relations from Penn State in 2008.[34]
Jordan has two younger brothers, Zaccariah and Levi, a younger sister Brianna, and an older brother,Gabe, who is a former member of theGeorge Mason University basketball team that advanced to the2006 NCAA Final Four and is currently playing for the Philippine National basketball team,Gilas Pilipinas, and theRain or Shine Elasto Painters in thePhilippine Basketball Association.[35][36] Levi played football for Baylor University.[37]
Norwood was married on June 20, 2015. Norwood and his wife had their first child, a girl, on November 4, 2015.[38]
