Josh Norman is known as the brash, outspoken leader of a very solid Washington Redskins secondary.
Yet, at one point, he was an unproven rookie looking to find a way to stick on a talented Carolina Panthers roster led by star wide receiver Steve Smith.
As many know, Steve Smith is not one to play nice, especially when lined up against a rookie cornerback from Coastal Carolina.
So day in and day out, Norman and Smith fought relentlessly. “Lion against lion, dog against a dog, beast against beast,” is how Norman described his practice matchups against Smith.
“We had tussles here and there,” Norman said, via ESPN.com. “It was expected. But that guy will take your heart away if you allow him to. He will be hunting to get one over you, and if he does, he’s going to let you know about it. For me, I just have to be smart and keen and cunning and play the game.”
Now that the two warriors are on opposing teams, you can fully expect things to be ramped up to another level
With their practice tussles still fresh in Norman’s mind, Norman has been very vocal in saying that Smith taught him how to compete, and compete even harder than ever.
Smith himself has voiced that he views Norman as a “little brother,” so you can fully expect the matchup to be very physical and action packed.
Definitely keep an eye on the Washington-Baltimore game this Sunday.