Ken Norton , Jr . Kenneth Howard Norton , Jr . ( born September 29 , 1966 ) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League and the current linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks . Previously , he was a linebackers coach and Assistant Head Coach for defense for the USC Trojans . He was the first NFL player to win a Super Bowl ring in three consecutive years . He is the son of the former heavyweight boxing champion , . College career . Norton Jr . is a graduate of Westchester High School in California , where he played as a running back averaging 8 . 8 yards per carry as a senior . He went on to play at UCLA from 1984 - 1987 . He was converted to linebacker , the position he would play for the remainder of his football career . He was a member of the 1985 conference championship team , and helped the Bruins to four consecutive bowl wins Norton led team in tackles in 1986 with 106 and did it again in 1987 with 125 . He ranks sixth in school history with 339 career tackles . He earned All - American honors in 1987 . At only 6 ' 1 " he was short for a linebacker , but played at a formidable 254 pounds . In 1987 he was also a finalist for the Butkus Award and was named the team ' s defensive MVP . In 1998 he was inducted in the UCLA Hall of Fame . Professional career . He was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys . He spent most of his rookie year on injured reserve with a broken thumb . In 1989 Norton and Jesse Solomon shared the weakside linebacker position . He played the first and third quarters , Solomon the second and fourth . In 1990 , he became a full - time starter when Solomon held out and was eventually traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . A knee injury sidelined him for the last two games of the season . In 1991 , he bounced back from knee surgery and was used at strongside linebacker and middle linebacker during that season , eventually settling in at the middle linebacker spot . In 1992 , he blossomed as a player and became the leader of the defense , leading the team in tackles with 120 and helping the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in the 90 ' s . That year the Cowboys had the number one defense in the league , but no player was voted to the Pro Bowl . He also started doing his trademarked punching of the goal posts or the air , after making good plays . A tribute to his father , the one time boxing Heavy Weight Champion of The World , Ken Norton . In 1993 , he had to play through a torn biceps injury , but still managed to lead the team in tackles with 159 , helping the Cowboys win their second straight Super Bowl . He was also selected to his first Pro Bowl . Norton is also notable for his part in ending the career of Napoleon McCallum . In the first game of the 1994 season , Norton , along with Bryant Young , tackled McCallum during a rushing play . While he was being pulled to the ground , McCallum ' s knee collapsed backwards into an unnatural position , almost at a 90 degree angle . After the play , Norton remained under McCallum while medical staff attended to McCallum . He played in Dallas between 1988 and 1993 , assisting the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII . Norton scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII , helping to seal a Dallas victory . In 1994 when a salary cap was instituted in the NFL , the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft , without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap , so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr . , Darrin Smith , Dixon Edwards , Robert Jones and James Washington to leave via free agency , instead of signing them in to long - term contracts . During the first year of free agency , he joined the San Francisco 49ers from 1994 to 2000 , becoming the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls ( Super Bowl XXIX ) . Norton was selected to his second Pro Bowl in 1995 . Norton was also named to the NFL All - Pro Team following the 1995 season . Norton finished his 13 NFL seasons with 12 sacks and 5 interceptions , which he returned for and 2 touchdowns ( both in the same game against the Saint Louis Rams in 1995 ) . He also recovered 13 fumbles and returned them for . Along with ex - teammate Deion Sanders , Norton won consecutive Super Bowls on different teams . Coaching career . After retiring from the NFL , Norton Jr . served as a radio and television commentator and analyst , and coached football at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles , California . In 2004 , he joined the coaching staff of the USC Trojan football team under Head Coach Pete Carroll . From 2004 - 2009 , he served as the linebacker coach for the Trojans ; while at USC he helped recruit and develop NFL - bound linebackers such as NFL Pro Bowl er Lofa Tatupu , Dallas Sartz , Keith Rivers , Brian Cushing , Kaluka Maiava , Clay Matthews III , and Rey Maualuga . In January 2008 , Norton declined offers by UCLA ' s new head coach , Rick Neuheisel , to join the Bruins coaching as an assistant head coach . On January 7 , 2009 , Norton was promoted to USC Assistant Head Coach for Defense . A form of recognition of his continuing work with the USC linebacker corps , he has developed three consecutive Rose Bowl MVPs : Brian Cushing ( 2007 ) , Rey Maualuga ( 2008 ) and Kaluka Maiava ( 2009 ) . Attending the player evaluations of the by - invitation - only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine were all four of Norton ' s Trojan senior class linebacker protégés : Brian Cushing , Kaluka Maiava , Clay Matthews III , and Rey Maualuga . On January 11 , 2010 , it was announced that USC linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr . would be joining head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle to fill the same role with the Seahawks , reuniting him with his protégé , Seahawks defensive standout Lofa Tatupu . Personal . Norton is the son of Ken Norton , former world champion heavyweight boxer and one of the few to ever beat Muhammad Ali . He and his wife , Angela , have 3 children : Brittney , Sabrina , and Ken III .