Bryce ‘Mr. SEMO’ Norman tabbed Big South-OVC DPOY

Southeast Missouri State linebacker Bryce Norman during a game last year at Houck Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Big things are expected out of Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Bryce Norman.

Not just locally, but conference wide.

Norman was announced on Wednesday, July 17, as the 2024 Big South-OVC Association Defensive Player of the Year.

While he seemed appreciative of the preseason honor during his virtual media day press conference on Wednesday, Norman emphasized his focus on helping the team win this year, which will be his last as a collegiate player.

“I’m just excited to get to the season,” Norman said. “I can’t believe this is my last one as a Redhawk.”

Norman was recruited out of Jackson after leading the Indians to their first state championship in school history in 2020. Redhawks head coach Tom Matukewicz dubbed Norman as “Mr. SEMO” because of both his family’s connection to the school, as well as his impact on the program.

“He’s a great football player, a great teammate,” Matukewicz said. “It’s hard to believe this is Year 4 and this will be the last year with him. It feels like he just got here.”

Norman became SEMO's first Preseason Defensive Player of the Year since Zach Hall in 2019 by earning First-Team Big South-OVC honors for the second-straight season last year. Norman led the Redhawks with 87 tackles and had five sacks. He was ranked third in the conference in tackles and 10th in sacks.

Even more impressively, Norman recorded recorded double-digit tackles in five of his 10 starts, which earned him the No. 8 ranking among returning FCS linebackers by HERO Sports and No. 10 by Sports Illustrated.

Mr. SEMO is a fitting title for Norman, one that makes him a prime example of how local talent can thrive in Division I college football. Norman’s father once played for SEMO, and his family and friends fill the stands every home game.

“It just feels awesome to have the community support and family support around me,” Norman said.

However it’s not a title that is not without pressure.

“It gets a little hectic every once and awhile, just dealing with a little bit of pressure around here,” Norman said. “It does feel nice to have their support but it adds a little pressure on your shoulders.”

There is also the pressure of leadership to contend with. As the senior linebacker, Norman is expected to be the leader of the defense, and adapting to that role comes with it’s own challenges.

“I’ve always kind of been a quiet guy so being a leader hasn’t always been my strong suit,” Norman said. “I kind of let my play do the talking has kind of worked my way into being a leader of the team. So just having a good defense around me and the people that I’ve been around on the defense, I know better than other years, so being able to step up and say something isn’t as hard as it’s been in the past.”

Despite going 4-7 last year, SEMO was picked to finish in third place in the Big South-OVC Preseason Poll, with 51 points and two first-place votes. It was a pleasant surprise to the Redhawks.

“I was shocked. I would’ve voted myself 10th,” Matukewicz said. “I can’t watch the film, it looks so bad. Fundamentally, stupid penalties, it made my eyes bleed.”

“I don’t even want to think about last year,” Norman said. “Good thing that’s over and we have a new book to write this year.”

The Redhawks start the season early with a road game to North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff on August 24, at Montgomery, Alabama.