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Richard Michael Norman (born September 14, 1938) is a Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and former quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL).

College career

Norman played high school football at Lynwood High School in Lynwood, California and attended Stanford University, where he was Stanford's starting quarterback from 1958 to 1960.

Norman's tenure came at a low point in Stanford football history: the 1959 team went 3–7 and the 1960 squad was 0–10. In spite of the team's overall record, however, Norman put up incredible passing numbers in 1959, leading the nation with 1,963 yards and 2,018 yards of total offense, more than 300 yards ahead of the closest contender, and winning the first-ever Sammy Baugh Trophy, awarded to the nation's top passer. In a losing effort in the 1959 Big Game against Cal, Norman threw for 401 yards, then an NCAA record, and still a Big Game record. Norman's 1960 season was less impressive, but he still threw for more than 1,000 yards.

Norman starred in the 1961 Senior Bowl, throwing for 311 yards and leading a late touchdown drive to put the North team on top before the South's Norm Snead led his own last-minute drive to win the game. Norman was nonetheless named the game's MVP and his 311 passing yards remains the fourth-highest in Senior Bowl history.

Norman was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

NFL career

Norman was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 1960 NFL draft and by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL Draft. Norman opted to play with the NFL Bears, but saw action in just three games. He remained with the Bears through the 1962 season, and then was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for the 1963 season. The 49ers waived him before the season started, ending his NFL career.

After football

Norman currently lives in Montana with his wife Joyce.

See also

• List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
• List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders

References

1. News, Stanford. "2017 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame class to be honored | The Dish". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
2. ^ Migdol, Gary (1997). Stanford: Home of Champions. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 135. ISBN 1-57167-116-1. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
3. "Big Game Records" (PDF). Stanford Football Media Guide. 2007. p. 99. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
4. "Senior Bowl Game-by-Game Recaps: the 1960s". SeniorBowl.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
5. News, Stanford. "2017 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame class to be honored | The Dish". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
6. "Bill Brown and Norman, Backs, Signed by Bears". New York Times. May 27, 1962. p. S11.
7. "Bears Deal Norman to 49ers". New York Times. June 29, 1963. p. 15.
8. Wallace, William N. (August 28, 1963). "Cassady Dropped by Eagles". New York Times. p. 55.
9. Faraudo, Jeff (October 26, 2006). "Winless '60 Stanford team can relate to '06 Cardinal". Retrieved August 16, 2007.

• Chicago Bears players
• 1938 births
• Living people
• American football quarterbacks
• Stanford Cardinal football players
• Sportspeople from Downey, California
• Players of American football from Los Angeles County, California
• Lynwood High School alumni