Joshua Ricardo Norman (born December 15, 1987) is a National Football League cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Coastal Carolina and was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. In 2018, he finished second in the 26th season of Dancing with the Stars.
Norman went to Greenwood High School with future NFL players Armanti Edwards and D. J. Swearinger.
Norman was the only two-way player on his high school’s state champion squad in 2006.
A football All-State selection, he was also selected for the North-South All-Star Game. He was also an All-Lakeland Region 4A offensive selection who also played basketball, baseball, and track in high school. Despite this, Norman received no Division I scholarship offers.
Josh Norman College Career
Norman entered college at Horry Georgetown Tech while living with his brother Mario, a football scholarship recipient at Coastal Carolina. Norman was invited to join the Chanticleers as a walk-on in 2008. He graduated with a major in communications and a minor in acting.
Norman started all 12 games of his first season at Coastal Carolina in 2008. Norman had his first interception against North Carolina A&T. He had 26 solo tackles and 35 total tackles, tying him for eighth on the squad. He had nine pass defenses and two interceptions in the Big South. In a win over Presbyterian, he had seven tackles and one interception. Norman received a scholarship after his freshman year.
Norman was an Associated Press third-team All-American and a College Sporting News “Fabulous Fifty” All-American his second season. He was also named All-Big South. He had eight interceptions throughout the season, tying him for second in the country. He led the league with 15 pass breakups, tying for eighth nationally with 0.73 interceptions per game. He has 35 tackles and led the squad with two blocked kicks. In a win over Gardner-Webb, he was named Big South Defensive Player of the Week and National Defensive Player of the Week.
Norman was named 1st team All-Big South his junior year. He had 56 tackles and 9 pass defenses, good for third in the Big South. He also blocked another field goal, increasing his total to one for Coastal Carolina. Norman was a preseason All-American, All-Big South Conference, and one of The Sporting Network’s top 10 defensive backs in 2011.
The AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team selected him in 2011. Norman had 11 career interceptions and 23 career pass breakups, both second in Coastal Carolina history.
Josh Norman Professional Career
Norman accepted his invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game on January 12, 2012.
Norman was predicted to be a late-round pick after impressing scouts during East-West Shrine Game preparations.
On January 21, 2012, Norman was on the East team that lost 24–17 to the West in the East-West Shrine Game.
On January 26, 2012, Norman accepted a late replacement invitation to the 2012 Senior Bowl after Alfonzo Dennard was injured. The late-replacement Norman intercepted six passes during Senior Bowl practices, despite having little experience with his club. On January 28, 2012, he played in the Senior Bowl for the North squad, who defeated the South 23–13.
