Jerious Norwood

Former Falcons running back and Mississippi State's second all-time leading rusher.

Jerious Montreal Norwood (born July 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and is the school's second all-time leading rusher. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2006 NFL draft.

Quick Facts

Position: Running back; Kick returner
Born: 29 July 1983
Birthplace: Brandon, Mississippi, U.S.
High school: Brandon (MS)
College: Mississippi State
Draft year: 2006
Draft round: 3
Draft pick: 79

Lore & Background

He was selected by the Falcons in the third round (79th overall) of the 2006 NFL draft. In 2006, he played in 14 games and ranked third on the team with 633 rushing yards on 99 carries (6.4 avg.) with two touchdowns. In 2007, he played in 15 regular season games, gaining 613 yards on 103 carries with an NFL-best 6.0 yards per carry for running backs. He later signed with the St. Louis Rams on August 2, 2011, and with the Toronto Argonauts on August 14, 2013. He was released by the Argonauts on May 28, 2014.

Reader's Guide

Norwood is Mississippi State's second all-time leading rusher. He won the Conerly Award in 2005, which is given to the top college player in the state of Mississippi. He was also Mississippi's 'Mr. Football' and Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in high school.

Did You Know?

Norwood was the first player in NFL history to have his first two career touchdown runs each go 70+ yards.
His 78-yard touchdown run against Arizona in Week 4 of 2006 marked the second longest in Falcons history at that time.
In 2006, he and QB Michael Vick both ran for over 100 yards in the same game, making the Falcons the only NFL team to ever record two such games in franchise history.