Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

ECU Postseason Scoreboard

• ECU 2023 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022-23 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2023 Baseball Schedule

— Recruiting Thumbnails —
Football: 2023 • Hoops: 2023-24

Football Recruiting
LB recruit Norris plans to enroll early

November 24, 2016 By Sammy Batten Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
Ben Norris, Myers Park linebacker, ECU Recruiting 2016 (Photo source: Hudl.com)
Ben Norris (Image source: Hudl.com)

When Scott Chadwick arrived at Charlotte’s Myers Park High School in 2014, the football program had managed just one winning season in the previous nine years. Two years later, the Mustangs head into the Thanksgiving holiday with an 11-1 record and about to duel Charlotte Vance in the second round of the state 4-AA playoffs.

Chadwick will quickly let anyone who’s asking know that linebacker Ben Norris has played a major role in the three-year turnaround at Myers Park.

“This is only the third time in the history of the school that we’ve played on the Thanksgiving weekend,” Chadwick said. “Ben has been a big part of that and is one of the reasons we’re 11-1. He’s having a phenomenal year for us.”

The East Carolina Pirates are hopeful Norris can have a similar impact in Greenville the next four years.

Norris, a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder, became the 20th member of ECU’s recruiting Class of 2017 on Monday. He made a verbal commitment to the Pirates with a simple afternoon Twitter post, saying “I would like to officially commit to East Carolina University. Go Pirates.”

Coastal Carolina, Elon and Georgetown were other schools to offer Norris, who took an unofficial visit to East Carolina on Nov. 12 to see the Pirates play Southern Methodist at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. ECU was one of the first schools to offer Norris a scholarship last spring, according to Chadwick.

“He built up a relationship with (offensive coordinator) Coach (Tony) Peterson and I think (head) Coach Montgomery has been working hard on him the last little bit to close the deal for them. They really stepped up their interest and let it be know they really wanted him.”

In Norris, the Pirates are getting a player with an impressive athletic pedigree.

His father, Rob, was a small-college football player, while his mother was a basketball player at Wake Forest. Older brother Clay is the starting quarterback this season at Football Championship Subidivsion Georgetown.

Ben joined the Myers Park varsity as a sophomore in Chadwick’s first season as head coach. But Norris played sparingly for a team that finished 5-7.

“He was kind of a spot player as a sophomore, and a special teams guy,” Chadwick said. “But obviously we saw the potential because at that time he was already a pretty big kid. He moved into a starter’s role last year and was an all-conference kid.

“We play in the 4-AA league here in Charlotte, and I see a lot of guys in person and on film. Quite honestly, he’s the best defensive player I’ve seen all year. I know people will say they hear this all the time, but I think East Carolina got a steal. I think he’s an ACC-caliber kid. There were some ACC, SEC, Big 12 schools that expressed an interest, but none of those offered. But I don’t think that would have mattered to him anyway because he became comfortable with things at East Carolina.”

Norris did miss three games due to a suspension and suffered a torn labrum late in the year that impacted his play. But he’s become a defender this season worthy of an invitation to represent North Carolina in the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game in December. Norris is the first Myers Park player selected to play in the Shrine Bowl since linebacker Omar Gaither in 2001. Gaither went on to play at Tennessee.

Big plays by Norris throughout the season proved a major factor in Myers Park’s success this season. A prime example occurred in the Mustangs’ 14-7 victory in the third game of the year against city rival Providence.

The score was tied in the third quarter and Providence was driving in for what would have been the go-ahead point when Norris single-handily stopped the march.

“We were playing on Monday night because of a cancellation,” Chadwick said. “It was right after the Labor Day weekend and most of the kids had gone out of town and come back from Labor Day. We were sleepwalking through the game. We were totally out of it.

“But then Ben comes through on a blitz, hits the running back so hard he fumbles the ball and then he falls on the fumble. We score two players later and that was it. The kid woke up the entire team with that play.”

Norris also produced an extraordinary performance late in the season against East Mecklenburg. He made 12 tackles and several tackles for loss in a 23-21 win that was the Mustangs’ 10th of the year. The triumph tied a 33-year-old school record for single-season victories, which the team broke the next week by downing Northwest Guilford, 42-27, in the first round of the state playoffs.

East Carolina has recruited Norris to play outside linebacker. Chadwick said Norris plans to graduate in December and enroll at ECU for the spring semester.

“With his intention to arrive there in January and be there for spring practice, I think he’s a kid who has a chance to be productive early in his career,” Chadwick said. “Pretty much every game for us, you look and he’ll have eight or nine tackles, one or two tackles for loss, a quarterback pressure or a deflected pass. He fills all the boxes.

“I think he’d be great in anybody’s program. But like I said, I think East Carolina got a steal with him.”

Norris the second linebacker prospect to commit to ECU, joining Cannon Gibbs, a junior college player at Jones County Community College.

Click here for Recruiting Class of 2017 Thumbnails

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: FB Recruiting Class of 2017, Football Recruiting, News & Features, Recruiting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates prep for regional

Baseball News
Pirates headed to UVa

Baseball News
Tulane tops Pirates in American final

Baseball News
Saturday sweep puts ECU in Sunday AAC final

Baseball News
13 proves lucky for ECU

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Schwartz scores in transition

Baseball News
Pirates oust Cincinnati

Baseball News
Bulls upset ECU in AAC Tournament

Baseball News
Pirates arrrgh American champions again

Baseball News
ECU comeback clinches series

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
ECU snatches late addition from Hoosiers

ECU Recruiting News
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Late pitch lures lineman with pedigree

Recruiting Evaluation Part 2: Defense
Report card: Quality talent fills big holes

Recruiting Evaluation Part 1: Offense
Report card: Pirates reload at skill spots

ECU Recruiting News
Towering lineman Neolian still honing skills (updated)

ECU Recruiting News
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

AAC Early Signing Review
New members dive into AAC recruiting wars

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review
First wave of recruits just the beginning

ECU Recruiting News
Brown finds way to ECU through portal

ECU Recruiting News
Transfer safety McDaniel destined for ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates land coveted Spartanburg quarterback

ECU Recruiting News
Swift ECU recruit ‘in a class of his own’

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates win out for Georgia prep linebacker

ECU Recruiting News
Linebacker with pedigree charts path to ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates find a gem in Palmetto State receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Official visit swayed North Mecklenburg star

ECU Recruiting News
Physical Georgia receiver poses tough matchup

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates project lineman Durant as center

ECU Recruiting News
ECU spotted potential in Conley lineman

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, June 1, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, May 29, 2023

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, June 1, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, May 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, May 28, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, May 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, May 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, May 25, 2023

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2023 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy