His players call him “Coach Big Show.” And indeed, it’s Chris Norwell’s show in his 13th year at Thomas More. He’s the big boss now.
“He looks the part,” quarterback Blaine Espinoza says with a nod toward the 6-foot-6, 300-pounds-plus former University of Illinois player who set the record for career starts by a D-lineman at the Big Ten school in the Rose Bowl.
“The excitement is still very high,” Norwell says of his first head coaching position, moving up from defensive coordinator as the Saints look to their first game of 11 at home Saturday night at 7 against Bluefield University of West Virginia. “Our game-day atmosphere here is really special.”
Now the goal is to get over the hump after last year’s 5-5 season that was one of those “woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’” deals.
“We’ll dress 95 guys,” says Norwell, a graduate of Cincinnati’s Anderson High School. “And we’re bringing back a lot of guys who played a lot of football.”
“We only lost two starters on defense,” says weakside linebacker Isaac Abdon, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore out of Lloyd Memorial and one of the two new starters. “I’m beyond excited about our defense. Our new coordinator, Brad Zink, has been here 13 years. And Coach “Big Show” breathes defense.”
Having the top tackler on the D-line (Tanner Lawrence, 6-3, 255, Campbell County HS), at linebacker (Del Thomas (6-0, 238, Fairfield, Ohio) and all four starters in the secondary certainly helps.
But it’s the new offense that’s getting the notice right now as coordinator Bryan Moore, on his return to TMU from Wilmington College, has installed what he calls a “pace and space” offense to supplement last year’s Air Raid game.
“We’re going to use the whole field, make them defend the whole field,” Norwell says of the offense Ole Miss runs in the SEC. “It gives me more free reign,” says Espinoza, a 6-3, 220-pound redshirt sophomore from Cookeville, Tenn. “We’ll be running more RPO (run-pass option). It’ll be fun.”
It already is, Espinoza continued. “We’re having fun in practice,” he says coming off a year when he threw for 993 yards and seven TD including four against Bluefield in a 45-33 TMU road victory. But Blaine isn’t alone. Rae’Von Vaden gives the Saints a second quarterback who can run the offense. He’s a 5-10, 195-pound redshirt freshman out of Louisville Moore who threw for 417 yards and ran for 165 more last fall.
“I love the new offense,” says sophomore receiver Freddie Johnson, a 5-10, 170-pounder out of Cincinnati Colerain. “It’s very airborne, it’s new, there are a lot of spacing routes, with zone beaters and man beaters.”
But aside from the technicalities of the new offense, Johnson likes “the chemistry and bonds this team has built up . . . we were a very young team last year.” And now they’re not.
“At one point last year, we had three freshmen in the offensive line,” Espinoza says. They’ve grown up. “They’re stronger, faster, smarter. That experience really matters.”
Speaking of experience, there’s one coming up for the NAIA Saints (for two more years before returning to the NCAA) in Week 3 at Division I Duquesne in Pittsburgh. The Dukes open the season at Florida State, then play multiple national FBS champ Youngstown State and follow the TMU game with a trip to Hawai’i.
“It’ll be an experience,” Norwell says of his choice to pick up an 11th game this season, “a really cool experience. What an awesome thing to be on that stage.”
“Duquesne will be a really cool experience for most of these guys,” Abdon said, noting how few, if any D-1 recruits have ever been a part of the TMU program.
Looking at the offense from his side of the ball, Abdon says “Our young O-line is not so young anymore, they’re maturing.”
As for the preseason camp, Abdon says this is a team that’s maturing. “And that’s a direct result of him,” he says, with a nod to “Coach Big Show.” “He’s given us that energy.”
2022 SCHEDULE
Saturday . . . BLUEFIELD UNIVERSITY . . . . 7 p.m.
Sept. 3 . . . . at Kentucky Christian . . . . . . . . 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 . . . at Duquesne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 noon
Sept. 17 . . . at Campbellsville . . . . . . . . . . . 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 . . . . OPEN
Oct. 1 . . . . . LINDSEY WILSON . . . . . . . . . 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 . . . . . at Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 . . . . CUMBERLAND (Tenn.) (HC) . 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 . . . . at Bethel (Tenn.) . . . . . . . . . . . 2 p.m.
Oct. 29 . . . . PIKEVILLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 . . . . at Georgetown (Ky.) . . . . . . . . . 1:30 pm.
Nov. 12 . . . CUMBERLANDS (Ky.) . . . . . . . .1:30 p.m.
