NORMAN: A COURTEOUS 243-POUND PACKAGE OF DYNAMITE

What do you get when you take a package of speed, strength, competitive drive, selfless attitude, instincts, respect for coaches and a desire to learn, then assemble it into a 6-foot-1, 243-pound package?

Nathan Norman.

The linebacker/fullback left his mark on Jackson High School and is still writing his script as a starting fullback at the University of Arkansas.

Norman was the driving force behind two consecutive Jackson appearances in the Missouri Class 4A state championship game (1994, 1995).

He's referred to by Jackson head football coach Carl Gross as simply the best high school player he's ever seen.

"Not only for what he did on the field but also off the field," said Gross. "He's an outstanding kid and human being."

Norman won the Carr Trophy in 1995 as the top football player in Southeast Missouri. He posted 162 tackles on defense while rushing for 1,200 yards and a whopping 7.1 yards per carry. Just as importantly he helped blow open holes from his fullback spot as teammate Glen Brunke rumbled for over 1,500 yards. He earned first-team all-state honors at linebacker.

In wrestling, Norman won the state heavyweight title his senior year after finishing second in the 189-pound class as a junior.

He proved to be as hard-nosed in the weightroom as on the playing field. He still holds most of Jackson's weight-lifting records.

Recruited for football by the likes of Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska, Norman opted for Arkansas. Utilized as a fullback, he played as a true freshman for the Razorbacks. Norman, currently a senior, has started every game at fullback since midway through his sophomore season.