What is Ken Norton Jr.'s Net Worth?
Ken Norton, Jr. is a former professional football player and an NFL coach, who has a net worth of $8 million. He played as a linebacker in the NFL from 1988 to 2000, winning three consecutive Super Bowl titles from 1993 to 1995, two with the Dallas Cowboys and one with the San Francisco 49ers. As a coach, Norton led the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.
Early Life and High School
Ken Norton Jr. was born on September 29, 1966 in Jacksonville, Illinois. His father is former world champion heavyweight boxer Ken Norton Sr., and his mother is Jeannette Henderson. Norton grew up in the Los Angeles area and went to Westchester High School. There, he was a running back on the football team.
Collegiate Career
For college, Norton played football for the UCLA Bruins from 1984 to 1987. Playing as a linebacker, the position he would keep for the rest of his career, he helped lead the Bruins to four consecutive bowl game wins. Norton also led the team in tackles in both 1986 and 1987, and was named the Bruins' defensive MVP in the latter year. He was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 1998.
Dallas Cowboys
In the 1988 NFL Draft, Norton was chosen in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys. He had an inauspicious start with the team, spending the majority of his rookie season on the injured reserve list due to a broken thumb. Norton didn't have his breakout season until 1992, when he became the leader of the defense and helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII over the Buffalo Bills. It was also during that season he began doing his signature punching of the goal posts following successful plays, an homage to his boxer father. Although Norton suffered from torn biceps in 1993, he still managed to lead the Cowboys in tackles with 159 en route to a second consecutive Super Bowl title, once again over the Bills.
Due to the salary cap introduced by the NFL in 1994, the Cowboys decided that they could find linebackers through the draft without having to pay a premium and adversely affect the salary cap. As a result, the team allowed talented players to leave via free agency instead of having them signed to long-term contracts. Norton was among the players to leave, along with Dixon Edwards, Robert Jones, and Darrin Smith.
San Francisco 49ers
As a free agent, Norton joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. In his first season with the team, he won Super Bowl XXIX, making him the first player ever to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. Norton remained with the 49ers until 2000, and then retired from playing.
USC Coaching
Norton became a football coach after the end of his playing career. He started as a linebackers coach at the University of Southern California in 2004, a position he held until 2009. At USC, Norton helped recruit such NFL-bound linebackers as Lofa Tatupu, Keith Rivers, Clay Matthews III, and Brian Cushing. In his final year at USC, he was promoted to assistant head coach.
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Seattle Seahawks Coaching
In 2010, Norton returned to the NFL to become the linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks. The move reunited him with his former USC protégé Lofa Tatupu. In 2014, Norton helped lead the Seahawks to victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Oakland Raiders
From 2015 to 2017, Norton served as the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. In that position, he helped outside linebacker Khalil Mack win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award following the 2016 season. Just two days after the Raiders suffered a 33-8 loss to the New England Patriots in late 2017, Norton was fired from the team by head coach Jack Del Rio.
Return to Seattle
Norton returned to Seattle in 2018 to become the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks. He remained in that position for four seasons before being fired after the end of the 2021 season.
Return to UCLA
In early 2022, Norton returned to his alma mater UCLA to become the linebackers coach for the Bruins. He joined the staff under head coach Chip Kelly.
Personal Life
With his wife Angela, Norton has three children named Brittney, Sabrina, and Ken III.
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