Norm Granger
Norman Lance Granger is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Early life
Granger was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, where he graduated from Barringer High School as part of the class of 1980, where he was a teammate of future NFL player Andre Tippett.He was a high school All-American running back, who posted 1,900 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. He also received the Newark Academic Scholar-Athlete Award.
College career
Granger accepted a football scholarship from the University of Iowa. He was moved to fullback after being recruited as a running back, even though blocking wasn't his strength, he had above average running and receiving skills for that position.In his first year, he was used returning kickoffs and led the Big Ten Conference by posting 329 yards. He became a starter as a sophomore and contributed to the team reaching the Rose Bowl, where he basically was the only offensive weapon in an 0-28 loss, tallying 80 rushing yards on 13 carries. That season, he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Indiana University.
The next year, he registered 352 rushing yards and 260 receiving yards. He also had a 63-yard reception for a touchdown against Indiana University.
As a senior, he became the first player in school history to captain the football team for two years. Although he only gained 429 rushing yards, he was still named team co-MVP. He finished his college career with 1,058 rushing yards on 191 attempts, 43 receptions for 389 yards and 7 total touchdowns.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Granger was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL draft. As a rookie, he made the team after the retirement of Robert Newhouse, as he was seen as a similar player in physical dimensions. He played in 15 games as a special teams player.In 1985, he was projected as the backup to Fullback Timmy Newsome, but was released on August 27, after he was passed on the depth chart by Todd Fowler. He was re-signed as a free agent in 1986, but was placed on the injured reserve list on August 19.