James Charles Norton (October 20, 1938 – June 12, 2007) was an American professional football

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

and punter who played for the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

of the American Football League (AFL). An original member of the Oilers franchise, he played in their first nine seasons from

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

. Norton was an AFL All-Star for three seasons and holds the league's record for career

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...

s. His jersey No. 43 was the first of eight

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

by the Oilers/Titans franchise.

Early years

Born and raised in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

, Norton graduated from

Fullerton Union High School Fullerton Union High School is a public high school located in the Orange County, California city of Fullerton, operated by the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. History In 1893 a special election was held to create Fullerton Union High ...

in 1956 and played college football for head coach Skip Stahley at

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

, alongside future pros Jerry Kramer, Wayne Walker, and

Jim Prestel James Francis Prestel (born June 28, 1937) is a former professional football player, a defensive lineman in the National Football League in the 1960s. Selected in the 1959 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, he stayed in and joined the team in ...

in the Pacific Coast Conference. Nicknamed "Flamingo," Norton played defensive back and

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

, and also punted and returned kicks for the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...

. Selected in the seventh round of in the

1960 NFL Draft The 1960 National Football League Draft in which NFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, was held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia on November 30, 1959. Many players, in ...

(75th overall) by the Detroit Lions and the

Dallas Texans Dallas Texans may refer to: American football *Dallas Texans (NFL), 1952 team in the National Football League *Dallas Texans (AFL), 1960–1962 team that is now the Kansas City Chiefs * Dallas Texans (arena), 1990–1993 Arena Football League team ...

in the AFL's inaugural draft in

, he signed as an original Houston Oiler.

Professional career

Although Norton intercepted only one pass in his rookie season in

, he went on to become the AFL's all-time interception leader. In

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

, his first starting season, he snared nine passes and punted with a 40.7-yard average. In a tight defensive duel in the

AFL Championship Game For its first nine seasons, 1960 through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions (although ties in the standings in 1963 (Eastern) and 1968 (Western) necessitat ...

, his four booming punts helped Houston defeat the San Diego Chargers, 10-3, claiming their second AFL championship in as many seasons. While nursing a slim half-game lead in the Eastern Division in Week 12 of the

1962 AFL season The 1962 American Football League season was the third regular season of the AFL. It consisted of 8 franchises split into two divisions: the East Division (Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, Titans of New York, Boston Patriots) and the West Divisi ...

, Norton personally tormented

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

quarterback

Frank Tripucka Francis Joseph TripuckaProfile
, polishsportshof.com; accessed December 28, 2015.

. He stopped three Bronco drives with interceptions as the Oilers stole a 34-17 victory and a berth in their third straight

. That thriller for the 1962 AFL crown was the league's longest game, a double-overtime contest won by the

, 20-17. As a defensive back, Norton was a steady tackler with a nose for the football. His play earned him All-AFL honors for

, '62, '63, and '67, when he scored the only touchdown of his career, returning an interception 56 yards. His number 43 was the first retired by the Oilers, acknowledging his club-record 45 career interceptions, which he returned for 592 yards and a touchdown, and 519 punts. The Oilers/Titans later retired the numbers of Elvin Bethea,

Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. K ...

Mike Munchak Michael Anthony Munchak (born March 5, 1960) is an American professional football coach and former player. A graduate of Penn State, Munchak played left guard for the Houston Oilers from 1982 until 1993 and was a nine-time selection to the Pro B ...

, Bruce Matthews,

Warren Moon Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonton ...

Steve McNair Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),Steve McNair Found Dead
...

, and

Eddie George Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily f ...

References

Additional sources

* *

External links

Idaho Vandals Athletics Hall of Fame profile
*

– Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame * {{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Jim 1938 births 2007 deaths American football safeties American football punters Houston Oilers players Idaho Vandals football players American Football League All-Star players Players of American football from Fullerton, California Players of American football from Glendale, California University of Idaho alumni American Football League players National Football League players with retired numbers Fullerton Union High School alumni

Early years

Professional career

See also

References

Additional sources

External links