But will that be enough to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors? A reporter asked Norman that very question Thursday. Not surprisingly, the confident Norman said he deserves the award.
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“I’m not going to sit up here and say I don’t,” Norman told The Charlotte Observer. “It’s one of those things that I put on my goal list each and every year. It’d be awesome to win such a prestigious award. … I’d be speechless. But at the same time knowing that my ultimate goal is the Super Bowl and nothing less is going to get me from making it there.”
Norman’s brash talk and physical play has gotten under the skin of more than one receiver this year (see Odell Beckham Jr.). But the 28-year-old player has backed it up with some impressive stats. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks targeting Norman finished with a 54.0 rating, tops among cornerbacks in the NFL.
Although Norman only had four interceptions this season, they all came in the first four games, including two pick sixes. After that, opposing quarterbacks mostly avoided throwing in his direction.
One problem for Norman, however, is that a couple of other members of the Panthers’ defensive unit, Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, will also merit serious attention for DPOY honors. Other leading contenders include Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Norman earned his first Pro Bowl selection this season, but still would like that DPOY trophy. “It gets no better than that for me,” he told the Observer. “If I don’t, I’m blessed enough to come back next year and try it again.”
