As a senior, he stood out in track and football. As a track star, the upper classman lettered in the sport and won the Class 5A 110 meter high hurdles. As a senior football star, he rushed for 2,152 yards and scored 32 touchdowns. He also recorded 9 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns, while averaging 46.9 yards on 6 kickoff returns with one touchdown. Jerious also rushed for a school record 367 yards during a playoff game. While at Brandon High, Jerious recorded 92 career touchdowns to rank 4th all-time on the state career-scoring list and accounted for more than 8,000 all-purpose yards, leading to a three year, 33-8 record and three consecutive playoff appearances. For turning out one stellar performance after another, Jerious received a trove of accolades. He was a high school All-American, was Mississippi’s “Mr. Football,” an honor given to the state’s most outstanding high school football player, was selected to the Parade magazine All-America High School Football Team, ranked #21 in the Sporting News listing of the nation’s top 25 recruits, listed as the 5th best running back in the country by the Sporting News, picked to the PrepStar magazine/CBSSportsline. com Dream Team, was listed the number eight running back in the country, the number two running back in the southeast, was among one of 12 players on the Orlando Sentinel’s all southern Dandy Dozen, named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen, and on the ESPN.com list of the nation’s top 100 players. Jerious was also named Mississippi’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2001, earned “Offensive Player of the Year” and firstteam all-state at running back on the Mississippi Association of Coaches’ Class 5A all-state-team, he ranked number two on Metro Jackson’s listing of the state’s most sought after prospects, and was selected to play in the Mississippi/Alabama High School All-Star game. Following high school, more football accolades followed Jerious. Right after his senior season, he ranked number one on SuperPrep’s list of the top players in Mississippi, and he earned Metro Jackson and the state of Mississippi Player of the Year honors. Jerious was happy to be at the top of his game, humbled to receive the collection of accolades, and knows that his competitive edge rendered these achievements. “I’ve always been a humble person, and it was great to receive those awards. Those 34 - RANKIN LIVING
GIVING BACK: NORWOOD comes back to his hometown of Brandon on a regular basis to not only give back to the kids by holding an annual football camp, but to the community. Jerious took part in a special episode of ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover helping a local family get back on their feet in 2007.
awards were a blessing from God, but I’m also competitive, regardless of the activity. If I am, for example, competing in a sunflower spitting contest, I plan on covering the surface with the most shells and beating out my competitor,” Jerious joked. Clay Weeks, Jerious’ longtime friend, believes that the football star’s modesty makes him such a great person. “Jerious is so humble. He does not look for accolades or pats on the back,” Weeks said. Jerious was introduced to Weeks by his high school football coach. As they got to know each other, Weeks and Jerious participated in many outdoor activities including turkey hunting. Jerious often spent the night at the Weeks’ home and for a while, even lived with the Weeks. Weeks and his family even helped Jerious obtain his first jobs such as cleaning up lots and cutting grass. Although grateful for his rookie years of employment, Jerious knew that manual labor was not his forte and that greener pastures were ahead. So he definitely honed his skills and played as if this was his bread and butter until it actually became just that. Leaving behind a top notch sports record while gaining a diploma, it was time for this Bulldog to attend college. Jerious’ top choices were LSU where he would have
been a Tiger, Ole Miss where he would have been a Rebel, Florida where he would have been a Gator, Mississippi State where he would have continued being a Bulldog, or Oregon State where he admired their green and yellow colors and would have been a Duck. In attending college, Jerious would be creating a new beginning, but history would repeat itself. On July 8, 2002, he committed to Mississippi State to begin in the fall, again as a Bulldog. “Upon visiting Mississippi State, I knew this was the college for me. I liked the personalities of the players and the coaches and in general I was pleased with the whole environment of the school. I felt comfortable around everyone and felt like these people were my type of people to be around and socialize with. They were down to earth and real. My grandmother always said to me, ‘Follow your heart.’ And in choosing to attend Mississippi State, this is exactly what I did,” Jerious said. Jerious believed that he had what it took to help the struggling Bulldogs. The name “Jerious” rhymes with “various”, which represents the different positions he played in college football to aid a team that was at its lowest ebb. Sporting a #12 jersey, he proved himself almost instantly.