{"id":14367,"date":"2018-01-12T00:36:39","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T06:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=14367"},"modified":"2018-01-12T00:36:39","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T06:36:39","slug":"49ers-hire-former-3x-consecutive-super-bowl-winning-linebacker-4x-super-bowl-winner-as-a-coach-and-player-former-nfl-defensive-coordinator-of-the-oakland-raiders-kenneth-howard-norton-jr-as-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=14367","title":{"rendered":"49ers Hire Former 3X Consecutive Super Bowl Winning Linebacker, 4X Super Bowl Winner As A Coach And Player, Former NFL Defensive Coordinator Of The Oakland Raiders, “Kenneth Howard Norton Jr” As Their New Assistant Head Coach, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"The San Francisco 49ers announced on Monday that the team has named Ken Norton Jr. Assistant Head Coach – Defense\/Inside Linebackers. In addition, Johnny Holland will become the team\u2019s run game specialist\/outside linebackers coach and Michael Clay will become an assistant special teams coach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cKen brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to our team having spent more than two decades as a NFL player and coach,\u201d said Head Coach Kyle Shanahan. \u201cThroughout his coaching career, Ken has developed a tremendous understanding of our defensive system, making him a perfect fit for our staff. With four Super Bowl titles on his resume, including one as a 49er, Ken knows firsthand what it takes to become a championship caliber team.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton, 51, joins the 49ers after spending two and a half seasons (2015-17) as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. In 2016, Norton\u2019s defense produced Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year DE Khalil Mack and two Pro Bowlers (Mack and S Reggie Nelson).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Prior to Oakland, Norton Jr. spent five years (2010-14) as the linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Before his time in Seattle, Norton Jr. served as a defensive assistant\/linebackers coach (2004), linebackers coach (2005-08) and assistant head coach defense\/linebackers coach (2009) at the University of Southern California for six seasons. He began his coaching career at the high school level, serving as the defensive coordinator at Hamilton (Los Angeles, CA) High School in 2003.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A native of Westchester, CA, Norton Jr. played in the NFL for 13 seasons after originally being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (41st overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. He spent his first six seasons with the Cowboys (1988-93) and his final seven with the San Francisco 49ers from 1994-2000. Named Associated Press First-Team All-Pro in 1995, Norton Jr. is the only player in NFL history to play on three consecutive Super Bowl-winning teams (Super Bowls XXVII & XXVIII with Dallas and Super Bowl XXIX with San Francisco). Throughout his career, he appeared in 191 games (188 starts) and registered 1,274 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 13 fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, five interceptions and 49 passes defensed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Norton Jr. played collegiately at UCLA for four seasons (1984-87) where he earned All-America honors and was a finalist for the Butkus Award as a senior in 1987. He also earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from UCLA.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2017, Holland served as linebackers coach, while Clay was one of the team\u2019s assistant strength & conditioning coaches.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0MORE ON KEN NORTON JR.<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\"\"Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an <\/span>American football<\/a> coach and former player in the <\/span>National Football League<\/a> (NFL) who is the assistant head coach of the <\/span>San Francisco 49ers<\/a>. He was also the defensive coordinator for the <\/span>Oakland Raiders<\/a>. Norton played college football for the <\/span>University of California, Los Angeles<\/a> (UCLA), and received <\/span>All-American<\/a> honors. He was drafted in the second round of the\u00a0<\/span>1987 NFL Draft<\/a>, and played thirteen seasons for the NFL’s <\/span>Dallas Cowboys<\/a> and <\/span>San Francisco 49ers<\/a>. He has previously served as the linebackers coach and the assistant head coach for the <\/span>University of Southern California<\/a>, then the linebackers coach for the <\/span>Seattle Seahawks<\/a> of the NFL.<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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He is the only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl<\/a> ring in three consecutive years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton Jr. is a graduate of Westchester High School<\/a> in California<\/a>, where he played as a running back\u00a0<\/a>averaging 8.8 yards per carry as a senior.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He went on to play at UCLA<\/a> from 1984 to 1987, where he was converted to linebacker<\/a>, the position he would play for the remainder of his football career.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton was a member of the 1985 conference championship team, and helped the Bruins to four consecutive\u00a0bowl game<\/a> wins. He 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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PHOTO BY PATRICK TEHAN The 49ers’ Ken Norton Jr. signals after a fumble recovery in the first half .<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

He earned All-American<\/a> honors in 1987, was a finalist for the Butkus Award<\/a> and was named the team’s defensive MVP.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1998, he was inducted in the UCLA<\/a> Hall of Fame.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft<\/a> by the Dallas Cowboys<\/a>. He spent most of his rookie year on the injured reserve list<\/a> with a broken thumb.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1989, Norton and Jesse Solomon<\/a> shared the weakside linebacker<\/a> position. He played the first and third quarters, Solomon the second and fourth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1990<\/a>, he became a full-time starter when Solomon held out and was eventually traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>. A knee injury sidelined him for the last two games of the season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1991<\/a>, he bounced back from knee surgery and was used at strongside linebacker<\/a> and middle linebacker<\/a>during that season, eventually settling in at the middle linebacker<\/a> spot.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"In 1992<\/a>, 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<\/a>. 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, Ken Norton<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1993<\/a>, he had to play through a torn biceps injury,<\/sup> but still managed to lead the team in tackles with 159, helping the Cowboys win their second straight Super Bowl<\/a>. He was also selected to his first Pro Bowl<\/a>. Norton is also notable for his part in ending the career of Napoleon McCallum<\/a>. In the first game of the 1994 season<\/a>, Norton, along with Bryant Young<\/a>, 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

National Football League: Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton Jr.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Norton played in Dallas between 1988<\/a> and 1993<\/a>, assisting the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl XXVII<\/a> and Super Bowl XXVIII<\/a>. Norton scored a touchdown<\/a> on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII<\/a>, helping to seal a Cowboys victory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1994<\/a> when a salary cap<\/a> was instituted in the NFL<\/a>, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers<\/a> 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<\/a>, Dixon Edwards<\/a>, and Robert Jones\u00a0<\/a>to leave via free agency, instead of signing them into long-term contracts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the first year of free agency<\/a>, he joined the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> from 1994<\/a> to 2000<\/a>, becoming the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXIX<\/a>). Norton was selected to his second Pro Bowl<\/a> in 1995. Norton was also named to the NFL All-Pro Team following the 1995 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton finished his 13 NFL<\/a> seasons with 12 sacks and 5 interceptions, which he returned for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns<\/a> (both in the same game against the St. Louis Rams<\/a> in 1995<\/a>). He also recovered 13 fumbles and returned them for 36 yards. Along with ex-teammate Deion Sanders<\/a>, Norton won consecutive Super Bowls\u00a0<\/a>on different teams.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After retiring from the NFL, Norton served as a radio and television commentator and analyst, and coached football at Hamilton High School<\/a> in Los Angeles, California.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2004, he joined the coaching staff of the USC Trojan football team under Head Coach Pete Carroll<\/a>. From 2004\u20132009, he served as the linebacker coach for the Trojans; while at USC he helped recruit and develop NFL-bound linebackers such as NFL Pro Bowler<\/a>Lofa Tatupu<\/a>, Dallas Sartz<\/a>, Keith Rivers<\/a>, Brian Cushing<\/a>, Kaluka Maiava<\/a>, Clay Matthews III<\/a>, and Rey Maualuga<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/a> MVPs: Brian Cushing<\/a> (2007), Rey Maualuga<\/a> (2008) and Kaluka Maiava<\/a> (2009).<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Attending the player evaluations of the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine were all four of Norton’s Trojan senior class linebacker prot\u00e9g\u00e9s: Brian Cushing<\/a>, Kaluka Maiava<\/a>, Clay Matthews III<\/a>, and Rey Maualuga<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Seahawks defensive standout Lofa Tatupu<\/a>.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton would also win his fourth Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLVIII<\/a> on February 2, 2014, his first as a coach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On February 6, 2015, he was named the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. After leaving the Okland Raiders, on January 8, 2018, he was hired as the 49ers Assistant Head Coach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norton is the son of Ken Norton<\/a>, former world champion heavyweight boxer<\/a> and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali<\/a>. He and his wife, Angela, have three children: Brittney, Sabrina, and Ken III.<\/strong><\/p>\n