Chamblee grad Norman has big night for Vandy

By Doug Dyer

For the AJC

NASHVILLE -- Warren Norman has turned into an all-around yardage machine for Vanderbilt this season, which has come as a bit of a surprise to the freshman from Chamblee High School.

Norman had averaged 157.5 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks first in the SEC and 13th nationally, and his three kickoff returns for touchdowns this season are both a school and SEC record.

It wasn’t expected, but when the call came he was ready.

“I came in here in early June preparing myself for this opportunity,” Norman said.

Georgia Tech, who also recruited him but lost out to the Commodores, got a taste of Norman’s all-around prowess Saturday night, as he scored two touchdowns, one receiving and one on an 80-yard kickoff return and had 266 yards of offense in the Yellow Jackets’ 56-31 victory.

“He played well,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said of Norman. “I thought we did a better job of covering kicks in the second half.”

Norman lit up the Jackets' special teams for 184 yards on seven kickoff returns and had a 26.3-yard average per return.

He got the opportunity to contribute this season thanks to senior Jared Hawkins’ recovery from foot surgery that has kept him out of five games. Norman was thrust into the spotlight, along with fellow freshman Zac Stacy, in Vanderbilt’s season-opening victory over Western Carolina.

Norman has carried much of the load in the Vandy backfield, amassing 533 rushing yards coming into Saturday’s game.

But his work as the Commodores’ kickoff returner has had opposing coaches cringing.

“Warren does a great job of seeing the hole and getting in it,” Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said. “He’s got a knack for it.”

He has set a school record and tied a SEC record for kickoff returns for touchdowns with three so far this season, the third coming Saturday night when he hit a gaping hole in the Tech defense and sprinted 80 yards to score.

Tennessee’s Willie Gault is the only other SEC player to ever have three kickoff returns for touchdown in a single season, and that came in 1980.

“Coming here, I didn’t really think about setting records, I just wanted to help this team win games,” Norman said.

Saturday was not the first time Georgia Tech has had breakdowns on special teams this season. Mississippi State averaged 36 yards per kickoff return and had an 89-yard return for touchdown in the Jackets’ win Oct. 3.

With more than 150 against the Tech, it was the fourth time this season Norman topped 100 yards in returns in a game, and he came up just short of a fifth with 99 yards on just one return (for a touchdown) against South Carolina last week.