Eric Norwood Message

Ewood40.com

If you haven’t checked it out already, you should visit the athletic department’s new site promoting senior linebacker Eric Norwood – ewood40.com. The site includes a great feature video on Norwood, quotes around the country about Norwood as well as news and notes.

More on Norwood

Check out this feature from The Steve Spurrier Show on Eric Norwood:

Cocks Crow: Heisman Hype for Norwood

Our Director of Media Relations Steve Fink passed this info along to me yesterday about senior Eric Norwood:

ESPN’s Andre Ware has included Eric Norwood in his top 5 Heisman candidates.

Matt Hayes from the Sporting News mentions Eric as “Closing In” on the Heisman race saying “South Carolina LB Eric Norwood is playing better than any defensive player in the nation.”

Other quotes:

“I haven’t seen anybody in this league this season — offense or defense — that has had a more profound impact on his team in every game than (Eric) Norwood. He is the epitome of a difference maker….If Norwood wasn’t a household name before this season, he is now.”
–Chris Low, ESPN.com

“The performance Eric Norwood put on Thursday night (vs. Ole Miss) was one of the best shows of the early season. He had 10 tackles and two sacks … At one point, Ole Miss triple-teamed Norwood … and Norwood still got the sack.”
–Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com

“That’s a real man coming up that edge. You have to account for him. We knew that, but he still made it awfully tough on us. Eric Norwood’s a real guy. He’s relentless, and you’ve got to keep four hands on him, and even sometimes with that, the pocket’s collapsing.”
–Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt

“Norwood had two sacks in the game, two quarterback hurries, 10 tackles, and he partially blocked a punt. Tennessee safety Eric Berry and Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain are suddenly the second- and third-best defensive players in the SEC behind Norwood, who has been sensational for the Gamecocks so far this season.”
–Ray Glier, New York Times

Norwood Family Reunion

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s a great story by Travis Haney from the Charleston Post and Courier about Eric Norwood and his brother Erin. The younger Norwood plays defensive back for South Carolina State.

The Closer: Norwood, Mini-Packs, Volleyball & Reunions

Catching up on a few items from today –

• Eric Norwood was named to another award watch list.  The Rotary Lombardi Award goes to the nation’s top lineman – offensive or defensive.
• I talked earlier about sales being brisk for football mini-packs.  “Brisk” might’ve been an understatement; nearly 1,500 were sold just today.
• The volleyball team was picked to finish 4th in the SEC this season in a poll of the league’s coaches.

Today’s Did you know? The athletics department will host team reunions for the 1969 ACC Championship football team and the famous 1984 “Black Magic” team.  Both squads will celebrate their reunions during Homecoming Weekend.  The blog will have coverage of these events as well as interviews with former players.

Afternoon Quick Hits

• Men’s soccer opened preseason practice today on a very rainy morning.  Coach Mark Berson was pleased with the first day’s efforts.
• The SEC announced the ESPNU volleyball television schedule today and the Gamecocks have a primetime home match at 7 p.m. on October 7th against defending SEC champion Florida.  Coach Ben Somera spoke with GamecocksOnline yesterday about how preseason has gone so far.
• Women’s soccer is on their third day of preseason.  Here’s Coach Shelley Smith and senior Blakely Mattern talking about Day 1 of the season.
• Football player Eric Norwood was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List today.  The award goes to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player.  I was reminded today about this great clip from two years ago when Eric was being interviewed by Erin Andrews after the Kentucky win and he still did the “toast” during the alma mater.