5 Ohio State Buckeyes Who Will Impact Super Bowl 50

Andrew Norwell

Andrew Norwell found himself on Ohio State’s radar while playing tackle at Anderson High School in suburban Cincinnati.  Even a senior-year season leg injury couldn’t keep from then-Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel from recruiting the blue-chip prospect.

At Ohio State, Norwell was a contributor as a true freshman, and it was obvious from his early days in the Scarlet and Gray the NFL was in future–although every team had their doubts during the 2014 NFL draft, where Norwell went unselected.

He signed as a free agent with Carolina, and has been their starting left guard since Week 7 of the 2014 campaign. In week 10 of that season, Pro Football Focus ranked Norwell as the ninth best guard in the NFL, which put him ahead of higher-profile rookies Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio.

What makes Norwell so successful? Perhaps it’s because he played tackle before he made it in the pros.

“He was a tackle his whole life and now he is a guard, so he has a little bit more athleticism than a typical guard for some of the things they do when their guards move around more than some. It’s been a good fit for him,” Jim Tressell told The MMQB.

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