Fighting for his life

After a year off from his impressive tackle record, senior cornerback Cheatham Norrils has returned to the field as co-number 1 in the 2015 preseason.

Norrils was redshirted last season as a result of a life-threatening, unknown viral illness.

“It was a life or death situation,” Norrils said. “For the first ten days I was in the hospital, I was more worried about surviving than football.”

Until that moment, Norrils played football for three years and started for two. In high school he was named Northwest Ohio’s “Player of the Year” by The Blade.

Norrils’ illness was sudden and put a huge pause on his football career.

“The first four or five days, he was critically sick,” said Head Coach Matt Campbell. “It was really scary for him and his family, as well as us coaches.”

For more than ten days Norrils was stuck in a hospital bed, and his doctors were unable to diagnose what was plaguing him.

“They narrowed it down to a viral infection,” Norrils said. “But there were no specifics on what it was, or where it actually came from.”

As one can imagine, spending more than a week in the hospital diminished a lot of Norrils’ strength.

The illness caused him to lose nearly 40 pounds, which put him at a weight that would prevent him from playing football.

After things began to get better for Norrils, he had to go through a long, grueling process of rehab.

“I had to take care of my health,” Norrils said. “The way I was eating, even sleeping. Everything had to change just to stay healthy.”

Norrils was at a battle with his body to recondition himself to football standards — which meant regaining lost muscle mass and lost weight.

“I had to be more careful about what I did,” Norrils said. “I didn’t really workout much, and when I did, it was more body weight and resistance type things.”

After nearly half a year of recovery and rehab, Norrils was able to get back on the field for the Rockets’ spring game this past April.

“He has a new appreciation for the game, after being told by some people he might not play again,” said Defensive Backs coach DK McDonald. “He had a newfound joy to be back on the football field; it was contagious and infectious throughout our secondary.”

In his first true game action since his illness, he made a remarkable comeback and picked off a deflected pass in the second quarter in UT’s Spring Game.

“He’s played really well for us this year and it started in spring practice,” Campbell said. “How quick he was able to bounce back was impressive.”

His notable performance in spring carried over into fall camp and Norrils was able to secure a starting cornerback spot.

“He has god-given ability,” Campbell said. “He’s a really special athlete.”

Norrils’ peers agree that he was hardworking before the illness, and has only worked harder after.

“Last year at this point I was really worried about living,” he said.

Now, with his mysterious illness behind him, Norrils can focus on football again.

“Cheatham is a heck of a player and even better competitor,” McDonald said. “I knew that once he stepped back on the field, he would be a better version of what he was.

“He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached.”

The improvement is already beginning to be seen throughout the defense since his return.

While Toledo has given up their fair amount of yardage so far this season, they’re only allowing 17.5 points per game, compared to 30 last season.

The improvement shouldn’t solely be attributed to Norrils, but if the Rockets want to continue making noise at a national level, they’re going to need him around.

“When he steps on to the field, he doesn’t want anyone to catch a ball over him; he wants to make every tackle,” McDonald said.

“That’s what makes him who he is.”