Gore’s bodyguard keeps a low profile

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, June 15, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

San Francisco 49ers
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There are no plans right now for a Moran Norris Bobblehead Day at Monster Park. But that doesn't mean the San Francisco 49ers don't appreciate their fullback, who is in his second year with the team.

In fact, it was what the 49ers didn't do during the offseason, rather than what they did, that demonstrated their confidence in the 6-foot-1, 254-pounder. They didn't draft another fullback, and they didn't sign one as a free agent. And when the Arizona Cardinals cut veteran FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo recently, the 49er management let it slide.

This despite the fact that Norris has no experienced backup at this point. Were he to go down, the next in line would be a couple of youngsters who were linebackers in college -- Zak Keasey from Princeton and Steve Dildine from Washington State. Running back Michael Robinson as well as tight ends Delanie Walker and Billy Bajema have also been mentioned as emergency stopgaps.

Only long snappers perform at the NFL level with more anonymity than the average fullback. At most positions, statistics tell the story, but some of the best fullbacks in the league hardly ever touch the football.

Norris, for example, had two carries for 8 yards last season, and caught five passes for 36 yards (and two touchdowns). He also made three special teams tackles and returned a kickoff. Don't look for him to be returning kicks on a regular basis any time soon -- his return covered 1 yard.

The most telling numbers where Norris is concerned are the ones attached to RB Frank Gore, who frequently followed his burly teammate into harm's way. The 49ers averaged 4.9 yards a carry in 2006, and Norris was a lot of the reason.

At Kansas, things were different. After signing with the Jayhawks out of Houston as a tight end, he rushed for 864 career yards on 199 carries. He also turned 17 receptions into 84 yards.

The New Orleans Saints signed Norris out of KU, then waived him. Picked up by the Houston Texans, he spent several years blocking for Dominick Williams and playing in his hometown. It must have hurt when the Texans released him in 2006, but Norris landed on his feet in San Francisco.

You won't hear about Norris because of any off-field shenanigans, either. Recently, in fact, he was given a grant from NFL Charities to run his football camp back in Houston, as well as a mentoring program where he deals with high school kids one on one.

Maybe a bobblehead day isn't such a bad idea, after all.

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