Moran Norris is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for several teams during his career. He was born on May 23, 1978, in Houston, Texas, and attended Yates High School in Houston. Norris played college football at Kansas, where he was a standout fullback for the Jayhawks.
After going undrafted in the NFL Draft, Norris signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2001. He played in 11 games for the Saints that season, primarily on special teams. Norris was released by the Saints in 2002 and signed with the Houston Texans, who were in their second year of existence as an expansion team. Norris played in 15 games for the Texans in 2002, starting three of them at fullback. He continued to be a key contributor on special teams, recording six tackles.
Norris played for the Texans for four seasons, from 2002 to 2005. He was primarily used as a blocking fullback, helping to pave the way for running backs like Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) and Ron Dayne. Norris was also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, catching 33 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns during his time in Houston. He continued to be a standout on special teams, recording 27 tackles in four seasons.
In 2006, Norris signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent. He played in all 16 games for the 49ers that season, starting 11 of them at fullback. Norris was once again a key blocker for the running game, helping Frank Gore rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Norris also caught 12 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He continued to be a valuable contributor on special teams, recording 10 tackles.
Norris played for the 49ers for four seasons, from 2006 to 2009. He was a consistent presence in the backfield, starting 44 of the 64 games he played in. Norris was a reliable blocker and receiver, catching 38 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns during his time in San Francisco. He continued to be a standout on special teams, recording 23 tackles in four seasons.
In 2010, Norris signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent. He played in 14 games for the Lions that season, starting three of them at fullback. Norris was primarily used as a blocker, helping Jahvid Best rush for over 500 yards in his rookie season. He caught four passes for 18 yards and a touchdown. Norris was released by the Lions in 2011 and did not play in the NFL again.
Overall, Moran Norris had a solid career as a fullback in the NFL. He was a reliable blocker and receiver, and a standout on special teams. Norris played for several teams during his career, but was most successful with the Texans and 49ers. He retired with 1,027 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 87 receptions, 667 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns.
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