Ken Norton Jr.
A ferocious linebacker who won three Super Bowls and became a respected coach, passing his father's fighting spirit to a new generation of players.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American football player and coach·Birthday: September 29·Generation X
Biography
Ken Norton Jr. carved his own path from UCLA to the NFL, where he became the defensive engine for two of football's most dominant teams. Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, his punishing style and football intelligence helped secure back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the early 90s. He then took his talents to the San Francisco 49ers, adding a third championship ring in 1995, a rare feat that cemented his legacy as a winner. After retiring, Norton transitioned seamlessly into coaching, instilling his aggressive, physical philosophy in linebackers for the Seattle Seahawks during their Legion of Boom era, which culminated in a Super Bowl XLVIII win. His career is a testament to a relentless competitive fire, a trait famously inherited from his father, the world heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ken was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three consecutive Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII with Dallas, XXIX with San Francisco), a rare achievement across two teams.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993 after a season with 132 tackles and two sacks for the Dallas Cowboys.
- Served as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks during their Super Bowl XLVIII victory in the 2013 season.
- Played in 191 consecutive games from his rookie year until a 1997 injury, demonstrating remarkable durability.
Did You Know?
He is the son of former world heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton.
He wore jersey number 51 in the NFL as a tribute to NFL linebacker Dick Butkus.
He and his father are the only father-son duo to have both won a Super Bowl and a world heavyweight boxing title, respectively.
He played his final NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys, the team that drafted him.
“The standard is the standard. It's about being physical, it's about being violent, it's about playing fast.”
