Vanderbilt senior running back Warren Norman is hanging up his cleats. Not because he wants to, but because he has to. Thinning cartilage in his knees will end the playing career of the SEC’s 2009 Freshman of the Year.
“I’m 100% sure I’m not coming back. It’s my right knee that had surgery, but my left knee is pretty much the same thing. The cartilage is wearing down pretty fast and it’s bothering me right now. The doctor told me, basically, I wouldn’t be able to play on it.”
As a freshman, Norman tied an SEC record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns. He also recorded 1,941 all-purpose yards, 1,050 kickoff return yards, and 783 yards rushing in that sterling ’09 campaign.
He suffered a knee injury in 2010 and redshirted in 2011 in order to rehab the leg. Last season, he failed to recapture his old form.
He will hold a press conference this afternoon to make the decision official.
Disappointing news. We wish him the best.
