Morice Norris Jr. came into the NFL spotlight on Friday night after a scary injury caused the suspension of the Lions-Falcons preseason game.
Reports late in the evening indicated that Norris was in stable condition.
His name is one that hasn’t been known much in the football world, but this moment brought to light just how improbable Norris’ journey has been to begin with.
Norris grew up in California, but through his junior year of high school, he had never even played football.
He went out for the team as a senior and played cornerback and receiver, setting the Sanger Union record for longest touchdown.
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His best option from there was Orange Coast College, a junior college where he could play both football and basketball.
He sustained a season-ending knee injury as a freshman, but he came back to play eight games as a sophomore.
From there, the best he could do was a preferred walk-on spot at New Mexico State, but that offer was pulled before he ever enrolled.
Norris nearly gave up on football, but then he learned of a camp at Fresno State. The Fresno Bee reported that Norris drove 980 miles in 15 hours to get there for an 8 a.m. camp.
He impressed enough to earn a spot as a walk-on.
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He was ineligible for 2021, then got a scholarship before the 2022 season and started 12 games at nickelback. The following year, he had 59 tackles (9.5 TFLs), 10 pass breakups and 3.5 sacks.
Norris signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 draft and spent most of that season on the practice squad.
Now he was back trying to make the Lions’ roster again before his major injury.
All thoughts are with Norris now. The fact that was in an NFL uniform at all is an astounding story, and now football fans will be hoping his comeback is just as special.
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