Commitment Report: Jaden Norby (West Central Area/2021)
When you watch West Central Area Knights 6’4, 235 lb. athlete Jaden Norby you just know you’re watching a Division 1 football player. Not only that, when watching his Junior Film it’s clear that Norby is one of those rural Minnesota diamonds of a prep that…
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Continue ReadingWhen you watch West Central Area Knights 6’4, 235 lb. athlete Jaden Norby you just know you’re watching a Division 1 football player. Not only that, when watching his Junior Film it’s clear that Norby is one of those rural Minnesota diamonds of a prep that the University of North Dakota seems to find and recruit so remarkably. Although not from the same area, Fighting Hawks like Jaxson Turner (Ekso), Deion Harris (Hibbing), and Brian Labat (Detroit Lakes) are all similar to Norby in that they were under-recruited Northern Minnesota prospects who UND found and snagged early. Similar to those just listed, Norby has great potential to find some All-Conference recognition and ball out in Grand Forks, and PrepRedzone was fortunate enough to catch up with the Ashby, Minn. native to learn a little bit more about him, his career at West Central Area, UND, and more. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy! Junior Highlights Sophomore Highlights
PRZ: Hello and congratulations on the commitment, Jaden! Please begin by introducing yourself.
Norby: “I am Jaden Norby, from Ashby High School in Minnesota. The town has a population of 450 people. Growing up with 4 brothers we were always playing in the backyard roughhousing due to our competitive nature. My parents Jim and Kandace Norby decided that it was time for us to waste our energy somewhere else. They decided to sign me up for football in 3rd grade. My favorite thing about football is that all the work you put in outside of the sport it shows on the field and everywhere you go in life. Some fun facts about me is that I am a 3 sport athlete with a 3.98 GPA and Vice President of National Honour Society. I’m 6’4 237 lbs. Bench 265. Squat 415. Clean 225. Deadlift 450. 2019 Stats:
Rushing: 112 Att 574 Yds 5.1 average 15 TD 57.4 YPG
Passing: 45/109 605 Yds 3 TD 9 INT 61.5 YDP QBR 81.2
Defense: 46.5 Tackles
40 Solos 13 Assists
1 Sack 4 TFL
Norby hanging in there in the pocket.PRZ: Now tell us a little bit about your sophomore 2018 season as well as West Central Area’s! What were some highlights and lowlights and what did you learn from the season?
Norby: “Sophomore season was the first time I started on the offensive side of the ball at the running back spot. First game was against Breckenridge and I was having a pretty good game. Early in the 3rd QTR my ankle got tweaked and was forced to leave the game early. My ankle bothered me most of the season as each game I came to play it would get re-injured and head back to square one. My older brother Christain Norby recently tore his ACL in basketball the year before football season. Halfway through the season he was cleared to play and he was moved to running back and I was moved to Tight End. Right away I wasn’t sure about being put there because blocking was not my thing. Shortly after playing at the position in practice for a while, I started to like it. Pancaking guys and helping the backs get through a huge hole is a really good feeling. That injury may have been a setback but it set me up for what I will most likely be playing in college and turned it into a positive.”
PRZ: Well said. What were expectations like for the 2019 season? What were some things you did to better your game in the offseason and what do you love the most about the Knights program?
Norby: “Our expectation for the 2019 season was to get to the section championship game. From the year before we were a young team but with a lot of talent and in the offseason a lot of guys started getting in the weightroom and did a lot of 7 on 7 camps together which helped a lot in the 2019 season. What I did to help better my game is lift a lot of weights but at the same time stay I needed to stay athletic. Playing AAU basketball and summer baseball helped me with that. My favorite thing about the Knights program is when we combined with them 4 years ago they came with open arms and made the transition really easy and I love playing those guys!”
PRZ: Tell me about your first eight regular season games in 2019? Who’d you play? How’d they go? What were some big games and some of the best games for you? You guys had some big wins against Pillager and Hawley, what were some of the biggest reasons for your guys winning those games? And what can you guys do to get those tough wins against teams like Barnesville and Staples-Motley next season? Also, what was it like playing against Barnesville and Iowa State commit Hunter Zenzen Hunter Zenzen LB Barnesville | 2020 State MN ? Will you be following his college career at all?
Norby: “The first 8 games of our season started out great by beating some teams by a ton then we hit a 2 games losing streak but always bounced back after a loss. Some of the biggest games we played last year was against Pillager and Barnesville. Pillager had a very well coached team and a very high powered offense led by a talented running back. In the game it was one of my better passing performances with help from the O-line maintaining their blocks and the wide receivers catching everyball, it helped us beat a very good team. Barnesville has been one of the better teams in the past years and always comes to play. They run a power T offense and sell fakes hard which makes it a lot harder if you don’t see Tonsfeldt (their QB) hand it off. That game was one of my better tackling games which I had about 11 total, but it was a hard loss. To beat a team like Barnesville you have to take everything seriously from workouts in the summer, to practices, schooling and every snap in a game. Playing against Hunter Zenzen Hunter Zenzen LB Barnesville | 2020 State MN was pretty cool to get a chance to play someone with that much talent committed to a high caliber school is insane. In the game he didn’t have any big plays until I threw a quick pass to my younger brother in the flats. Usually when D-End bats down a pass it goes to the ground, but for Zenzen he caught it and ran it back for 20 yards. After that I could tell how he separates from the average player. I’m not sure if I will follow his career at ISU as that was what fit him best and my goal is to find the school that fits me best.”
Norby with the stiff-arm.PRZ: Also, who are your favorite teams to play against and why? What’s a big rivalry game and how’d the rivalry begin? Any good competition you’ve gone up against that stands out?
Norby: “My favorite team to play against is Staples because it’s always a close game with them and always a grind. The biggest rivalry game is OTC because we play Henning and Battle Lake for basketball since we were younger and it’s always been really competitive. Best Competition to play is Barnsville hands down.”
PRZ: And then talk about sections as well. How was the LPGE win and how’d you play? And then share a little bit about the Osakis game? They had a tough squad this year, what did that game help you learn and how are you guys using that to motivate you for next season?
Norby: “The LPGE game was our first playoff game and I came off a game where I rested an ankle injury so I was pumped to play. It was one of those games where you can feel like you can keep running and running. The Osakis game was our next playoff game and we knew we were playing a really good team. Despite losing it gave insight of how a really good team plays and you can tell they have been in the weightroom, plus a lot of team stuff in the offseason.”
PRZ: Now we’ll talk North Dakota! What was getting that offer like? Were you expecting it? How did it feel? Also who else was recruiting you at the end of the line before you committed? What stood out to you about the Fighting Hawks?
Norby: “The UND offer surprised me. I didn’t think that it would ever happen but I scheduled a call with them thinking they were just checking in but then the coach told me I was getting offered. I went to a junior day invite in November and enjoyed it there and got to know the coaches some more. The other school offers were from Bemidji, Concordia, and Hamline… For me the main thing was to find a school that fits me best in academics because if my football career ends after college I have a career to go to and hopefully live a great life.”
PRZ: Forsure! What can you add to the UND program and what do you do well as a player?
Norby: “I think the best thing I can offer is my ability to get better everyday but at the same time make my teammates better as well on and off the field.”
Go Fighting Hawks, baby!