Jeff Holland and Kendrick Norton were high school football teammates at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., with big dreams of reaching the NFL.
They both made it a reality last season as rookies.
Holland, an undrafted outside linebacker, appeared in three games for the Broncos. Norton, a seventh-round defensive tackle, was waived by the and signed with the ’ practice squad.
“We went all through high school together,” Holland said. “I actually gave him his nickname, ‘Big Thick.’ That was one of my best friends playing high school ball together.”
So it’s easy to imagine Holland’s difficulty digesting the news last week that changed his friend’s life forever. Norton, 22, had his left arm amputated at the scene of a Miami traffic accident July 4. Norton was released from a hospital last week after six surgeries. Holland could hardly believe it.
“I took a different look at life,” he said.
Norton’s resiliency since the accident has been powerful. He told : “I am alive, and I am grateful.”
“Thatap the guy I know,” Holland said. “But like his mom said, he’s going to need his close friends more than anything. Obviously, he can’t play ball anymore, and thatap a big part of his life.”
Holland enters the 2019 season inspired by Norton’s positive mind-set with a greater defensive role in mind for the Broncos. The departures of outside linebackers and in the offseason open the door for increased opportunity.
“Itap just studying my playbook,” Holland said. “The game is slowing down for me, so I can actually play faster.”
