Norfleet is now the all-time leader in kickoff return yards

Just like last week when we had this discussion, it's still quantity over quality. When he actually breaks a return, like Breaston managed to do a few times, then we can talk. Great kid, great energy, but one of these days he's going to have to actually score a damn touchdown.

This record is just a product of us being terrible...

It's kind of telling that in three years, Michigan hasn't found anyone better for the job. Norfleet is a great dancer, and seems nice enough, but talent-wise, he belongs at a MAC school.

With Norfleet out there we tend to forget the terror of repeated dropped kicks from a few years ago

I just hope he breaks one for a TD soon.

Looking deeper this is a sad statistic.   Think about how many kickoffs never get returned due to the ball going out of the end zone, this was much rarer prior to the kickers moving up.   Then think about how many TDs Norfleet has on kickoff returns.  Or even returns past the 40 yard line.    So it shows that we've given up way too many scores over the past two and a half years and how bad our special teams are.

 

 

I'm not really sure how or where it got started, but he's generated this "dangerous return man" reputation without actually providing a ton of big returns (I think the proprietor of this website has contributed to it).  It's kind of like how Dantonio for a while was viewed as this strong disciplinarian despite evidence to the contrary, just because people kept saying it over and over again.

I think Norfleet would be more dangerous and more effective as a fully-used slot receiver/jet sweep guy than a returner, where's he's just fine but at a certain point, if you're always THISCLOSE to busting one but never actually do it, that might just be who you really are as a returner.

How many touchdowns does he have?

I will say this - he has been incredibly consistent every year on returns.

2012- 23.6 per return (46th in the country)

2013 - 23.5 per return (51st in the country)

2014 - 24 per return (42nd in the country)

2015 projection - 23.5sh (45sh in the country)

So yeah, very consistent. Consistently average, but consistent.

I wish I was as upbeat and enthusiastic about my job as Norfleet is on the field. If I had any talent whatsoever, I would play the game like he does. I know he will break one soon. But the points made above are true, he leaves the circus aspects of his game before and after the whistle. I remember when merely catching a punt around here was an Atomic Dog act. He has really stabilized things and done a workman like job on all returns.

Michigan's had a total of ten KO returns for touchdowns. That's one every 6 1/2 years; it's not really so surprising or disappointing that Norfleet hasn't had one.