After five years at Alabama, senior wide receiver Kevin Norwood put on his jersey for the last time in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Jan. 2.
“To me, this is where it began for me,” Norwood said. “The 2011 National Championship, I think I kind of got it on my radar, and now it’s just all about finishing for me, so it’s going out and finishing, and for this team it’s about finishing too.”
In his final game for the Crimson Tide, he had two receptions for 30 yards in the 45-31 loss to Oklahoma.
“Just thinking back on the lives we’ve affected, man, just all the things we accomplished and how hard we worked to get here, and … not the way we wanted it to end, but I mean, hey. I can’t complain,” Norwood said. “I won three national championships, got two degrees and made some really good friends along the way, and I was just real blessed.”
For the year, he had 568 yards on 38 catches, including seven receiving touchdowns. He had a career total of 1275 receiving yards on 81 catches and 12 receiving touchdowns.
“Kevin’s been an amazing athlete,” senior kicker Cade Foster said. “The catch I’ll remember from Kevin is in 2011 – the national championship game, when he got one over Tyrann Mathieu – and you know he’s had a number of catches like that, and he’s left his mark on this school forever.”
Going into the Sugar Bowl, Norwood said it hit him that it was his final game for Alabama.
“I’m excited,” Norwood said. “I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m excited because I spent five years, and, man, those were a long, hard five years, so I think I’ve given everything to this program. I’m just excited. I can’t shed any tears; I’m good.”
On Dec. 8, 2013, Norwood received three team awards: Outstanding Senior Scholar for the senior with the highest GPA, Offensive Achievement Award and Captain Award. He, along with senior quarterback AJ McCarron and senior linebacker C.J. Mosley, was named a permanent team captain by his fellow teammates.
“Aw man, that’s a blessing in disguise,” Norwood said. “I had no clue. I knew AJ and C.J. was going to get it, but me, I mean, I’m more of a go-out-and-do type of person, you know. Just go out and do my best and go out and play and show the other guys how it’s done pretty much, and that’s all I’ve been doing, but it’s been really great. It’s a great opportunity for me to get to put my handprints down with the legends that have been through, came and passed and have done their job, so I feel really great about it.”
