Reliable hands set WR apart

Here was Jordan Norwood, a high school senior, sitting inside the counselors' office not long after he made his decision to play football at Penn State.

"You're so small," a secretary said. "I'm worried about you."

The kid grinned.

"Oh," she said, "I probably shouldn't say that."

Soon enough, those with questions about his size would learn.

"Maybe sometimes his lack of size is a real motivator for him to do well and show them, hey, yeah, this kid can play," said Dave Lintal, his former high school coach who recalled the counselors' office story. "He's a real competitor."

Norwood, a 5-foot-10 junior wide receiver, returned this season to the No. 17 Nittany Lions, who have talented receivers and an experienced quarterback. Players said he's quicker, smarter and he's still got sticky hands.

He caught 45 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns last season. He had his best game (six catches, 91 yards) in what may have been Penn State's worst, a 41-17 loss to Notre Dame.

And that was Penn State's first season with Anthony Morelli as the starting quarterback, which made everything a learning experience.

This year, Norwood said, the receivers and Morelli are naturally more comfortable together. He cited improved timing and route-running knowledge as two big positives this season.

"We thought that we were there last year," he said, "and looking back on it from right now, after this preseason, we see we're miles ahead. Knowing that just makes us excited. It shows the work we've done in offseason and preseason."

To some, Norwood's progress was unexpected. But it's usually a matter of time before his ability is recognized.

Lintal, then the head coach at State College High School, met Norwood when he was freshman. He was a little guy with a big "afro at the time," Lintal said. "You think holy smokes, he's not a big kid."

But then, Lintal said, you are struck by his athletic ability.

When Norwood was on the football practice field as a junior and senior, the coaches would

stand around waiting for him to make a play. In an instant, he'd snag a tipped ball or bad pass.

He could make the routine extraordinary.

Lintal called it a "knack" for catching the ball.

"I'll tell ya, the kid could catch anything," Lintal said. "He was like a vacuum cleaner."

This coming from a coach who has seen his share of talent. Some current Lions, such as Jason Ganter and Kevin Suhey, played for Lintal at State College.

So did Larry Johnson, the former Penn State standout and current Pro Bowl running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Larry Johnson is the best athlete I've ever coached. And his brother, Tony, he'd be up there" Lintal said. "But Jordan's something. He's really good. He's right up there because of his work ethic and the effort he always put forth, and his athletic ability. My gosh, I can't say that enough."

Anyone with questions should probably understand by now. Before he was doing it at Penn State, Norwood was proving people wrong in high school.

And the goal this year: to continue to impress.

"We had a lot of other kids who weren't the biggest kids," Lintal said. "But once you got him on the field doing drills it's like, 'Woah, this kid's got something.' "