What about Ray Norton?

[lovetorun]

Was reminded while reading the Bill Woodhouse thread that Ray Norton was ranked #1 in the 100 in 1959. Norton seemed to have all that it took to be a world beater but he never prevailed in any big meets. Anyone have any insight as to why?

[Dixon]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Was reminded while reading the Bill Woodhouse thread that Ray Norton was ranked #1 in the 100 in 1959. Norton seemed to have all that it took to be a world beater but he never prevailed in any big meets. Anyone have any insight as to why?

He won our Nationals in both 59/60. He was also an NCAA champion. Like so many of those San Jose State sprinters he had another stud sprinter there in Bobby Poynter.

He had a terrible Olympics, and bombed out as an NFLer(Niner). But he was highly ranked and held some WR's.

So being...

NCAA champ
National champ
Ranked number 1
An Olympian
A WR holder

...ain't too shabby.

(carried the ball 4 times for 12 yards as a Niner, why he was tried at running back? Should have had a look at wide receiver))

[bambam]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Had 1 kick return for the 49ers for 60 yards - probably his NFL career highlight

[Dixon]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Had 1 kick return for the 49ers for 60 yards - probably his NFL career highlight

I have his rookie card (his only card)

I'm guessing he must have got hurt, or simply decided pro football wasn't his thing. Hard to imagine the Niners giving up on him that quick especially with that KO return. On the back of his card it mentions he might be switched to defense.

[dj]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Norton played three games for the 49ers late in 1960 and another six in '61.

I find him having one return for either 21 yards or 60 yards against the Bears in '61 (21 according to the game log, 60 according to his year-long stats). Don't know which is correct, but I've asked.

His career running totals were 4 carries for 0 yards, including a 9-yard again on his first attempt in late November of 1960.

[KDFINE]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

I vaguely recall reading that he may have had a back injury leading up to Rome, and as a result he'd put some weight on.

[gh]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

his Wiki page mentions the story that was in all the papers at the time.

<< Norton came to the attention of the world's press at the Olympics for more than his athletic tribulations when he was seen courting his fellow American sprint star and public favourite Wilma Rudolph.[7]>>

That was cited by many as the reason for his "failure."

[KDFINE]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

gh.
I checked Maranis' book about the Rome Olympics since my last post, and he relates the twisted back story. I'd heard about it before the book came out. Back, nerves, other interests, they could all have contributed for Norton's sub-par performance.
As for Wiki reports, I take them with a grain of salt. For example, last week while looking up Randy Smith, the page reported that he was the NYS high school high jump record holder. That couldn't have been, because Bill McClellon pre-dated and out-jumped him.

[bambam]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Norton played three games for the 49ers late in 1960 and another six in '61.

I find him having one return for either 21 yards or 60 yards against the Bears in '61 (21 according to the game log, 60 according to his year-long stats). Don't know which is correct, but I've asked.

His career running totals were 4 carries for 0 yards, including a 9-yard again on his first attempt in late November of 1960.

My source is www.sports-reference.com/nfl

[dj]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Norton played three games for the 49ers late in 1960 and another six in '61.

I find him having one return for either 21 yards or 60 yards against the Bears in '61 (21 according to the game log, 60 according to his year-long stats). Don't know which is correct, but I've asked.

His career running totals were 4 carries for 0 yards, including a 9-yard again on his first attempt in late November of 1960.

My source is http://www.sports-reference.com/nfl

Same source as mine. Go to his player's page, then go to the game logs. You'll see the apparent discrepancy.

[dj]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

Received an interesting e-mail regarding the kick return discrepancy from Sean Forman and Mike Kania at Sports-Reference.com:

"This is weird (and a bug in the display of his game logs that I need to fix), but looking at our data he actually has 2 games with return yards, the one you see for 21 and then another return on 12/16/1961 for 39 yards - except he's not credited with a kick return on the play. This is due to weirdness with NFL scoring: he likely was lateraled to on the play by the original kick returner, so the yards he gains are credited as kick return yards but no kick return itself. His yards per return average ends up as undefined for that game, confusingly enough."

Norton's page has been updated. Oops, the basic page now shows a reverse bug while the game logs page is correct. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... rtRa00.htm

[Dixon]

Re: What about Ray Norton?

When I played high school football, I was a running back/db/kick returner. As a running back I wan't too good at following my blockers (freshman). I remember my coach telling me...."you're not Ray Norton, stay behind your blockers"...at that time I had no idea who Ray Norton he was.