College football: Norman gets masters degree

Scholar Jabril Norman

Staff report

RICHMOND, Va. — Candace McNeely had the best Mother’s Day of her life recently when her son, Jabril Norman officially added a masters degree in business administration from Virginia Union University to his bachelor’s degree in banking and finance.

Norman carried a 4.1 GPA across the stage, but he was more than an outstanding student. The former Rowan County Defensive Player of the Year during his days at Salisbury High was a difference-maker for Virginia Union’s football team as a linebacker who grew from 190 pounds to 220 during the course of his college journey.

Norman signed with Mars Hill University coming out of high school. He had some success in the South Atlantic Conference, logged a few sacks and made more than his share of tackles.

In 2022, he was a second team All-Mountain Division pick for the Lions, but he transferred to Virginia Union, a CIAA HBCU school before the 2023 season.

Norman’s debut for Virginia Union in the Black College Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio, against Morehouse, provided a lifetime memory. He had a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He was voted the game’s defensive MVP.

That turned out to be a special season for Virginia Union, as the Panthers beat Fayetteville State in Salem, Va., in the CIAA championship game for the program’s first title in 22 years.

In 2024, Norman played for the Panthers as a graduate student and turned in another impactful season. He was fifth on the team with 51 tackles, with five for loss. He had a fumble recovery and a forced fumble, a sack and a blocked kick.

The season included a victory over rival Virginia State for back-to-back league championships. Virginia Union hadn’t accomplished that feat since the early 1980s.

His career ended with a playoff run that included a stunning 44-12 romp at Lenoir-Rhyne. With a lot of supporters from Salisbury in attendance, Norman made an interception and recovered a fumble and helped hold the Bears to 45 rushing yards.

Virginia Union made it all the way to the national semifinals.

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