Ken Norton Jr.
Three-time Super Bowl champion as a player, first to win three straight.
Ken Norton Jr. is an American professional football coach and former player who is the linebackers coach for the Washington Commanders. He played college football as a linebacker for the UCLA Bruins and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft.
- Position
- Linebacker
- Super Bowl Rings
- 3 (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
- Pro Bowls with SF
- 2
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Norton is the first player to have won three consecutive Super Bowls during his playing career, doing so with the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Only one other player, Darian Kinnard, has accomplished this feat since; however, Kinnard did so without appearing in any postseason games across his three-year stretch, making Norton the only player to achieve this as a regular starter. Norton is the son of the late former world champion boxer Ken Norton.
In Their Own Story
The fog rolled thick off San Francisco Bay, swallowing Candlestick Park's upper decks, but down in the trenches, the air was electric with violence. Norton adjusted his helmet straps, the red and gold gleaming under the harsh floodlights like armor. He barked the coverage, eyes locked on the quarterback's hands, reading the play before the ball was even snapped. The exchange came. Norton exploded through the A-gap, a blur of motion that met the runner with a thunderous collision. The impact didn't just stop the play; it shook the stadium floor and silenced the crowd for a heartbeat. In that split second of chaos, he wasn't just making a tackle; he was delivering a message from the old guard: the dynasty might be aging, but it still bites.
Reader's Guide
Norton played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1988 to 1993, winning Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII. He then joined the San Francisco 49ers from 1994 to 2000, winning Super Bowl XXIX. As a coach, he has served as linebackers coach for USC, Seattle Seahawks, UCLA, and Washington Commanders; as assistant head coach for USC and San Francisco 49ers; and as defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. He won his fourth Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLVIII, as a coach with the Seahawks.
Did You Know?
- Norton scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII.
- He led the UCLA Bruins in tackles in 1986 (106) and 1987 (125), and ranks sixth in school history with 339 career tackles.
- Norton was named to the NFL All-Pro Team following the 1995 season.
- He was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 1998.
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