Eric Norwood

View Eric Norwood feature on The Steve Spurrier Show All-America candidate after being a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in each of the past two seasons… has tremendous versatility… key to the defense… has recorded 174 tackles over the past three seasons… is Carolina’s all-time leader with 43.0 career tackles for loss and is third on the all-time list in sacks with 22.0… is the SEC active leader in both sacks and tackles for loss… has played in all 38 games over the past three seasons and has made 25 consecutive starts… is on the preseason Lombardi and Lott watch lists… named the Harris Pastides Scholar Athlete Award winner for football at the spring game. 2008: Earned first-team All-SEC accolades from the Associated Press, the league’s coaches, and Phil Steele’s, and second-team honors from Rivals.com as a junior.. made the conversion from defensive end to linebacker… second on the team with 75 tackles… led the team with 9.0 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries… was second in the SEC in sacks was fourth in tackles for loss… had a season-high 10 tackles at Vanderbilt… logged a personal-best 3.0 sacks in the win over Arkansas… had a pair of sacks in the win over Tennessee and 2.0 sacks in the loss at Florida… logged nine stops, including seven solo tackles, against Iowa in the Outback Bowl. 2007: Named first-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches, second-team All-SEC by the AP and third-team All-SEC by Phil Steele’s… second on the squad with 69 tackles, including a school-record 19.5 tackles for loss… his 1.62 TFLs per game ranked third in the SEC and tied for seventh in the nation… tied for first in the SEC with three fumble recoveries… had 6.0 sacks, 10th in the SEC… credited with a team-high nine quarterback hurries and three pass breakups… a big-play performer, had a blocked punt and three fumble recoveries, two of which he returned for touchdowns… made his first college start against UL-Lafayette in the season opener… had six tackles, including a 13-yard sack and a 13-yard TFL in the win at Georgia… recorded eight tackles including a sack at LSU… notched a 16-yard sack in the win over Mississippi State… named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski and the Master Coaches National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Kentucky… tied an NCAA record by returning two fumbles for touchdowns – scoring from two and 53 yards out – registered five unassisted tackles, including a tackle for loss, had two pass deflections and a quarterback hurry in the nationally-televised Thursday night win… credited with 2.0 sacks at North Carolina… recovered a fumble against Vanderbilt… had nine tackles, including 3.5 TFLs, against Clemson. 2006: Named first-team Freshman All-America and first-team Freshman All-SEC honors by The Sporting News and second team Freshman All-America by Rivals.com… showed an ability to get to the quarterback… recorded 7.0 sacks, tying for the team lead… figured in on five solo and four assisted sacks… also led the team with five quarterback hurries… was third on the team with 9.0 tackles for loss among his 30 total stops… had a season-high six stops against Kentucky. High School: Graduated from North Cobb High School in Georgia where he was coached by Bob Clark… three-star prospect according to Rivals.com… the web site also tabbed him as the #26 player in the state of Georgia at any position and the #34 strongside defensive end in the country… made 50 tackles and had 11 sacks as a senior… also played tight end, making 15 catches for 315 yards and three TDs… all-county selection as a linebacker, defensive end and tight end during his career… six-time selection as the Cobb County Defensive Player of the Week… Cobb County Touchdown Club 48 Minute Man of the Year… Prep Sports All-Region team… also competed for the North Cobb basketball and track & field teams.