Brett Norfleet on training with George Kittle, sticking with football
When the opportunity to train with George Kittle, one of the NFL's best tight ends, was presented to Missouri tight end Brett Norfleet, the Mizzou sophomore couldn't pass it up for obvious reasons.
"I thought it was an opportunity that I couldn't not take and I asked Coach Drinkwitz (and) the strength staff if it's okay for me to go, and I went down there," Norfleet said. "It was just a cool experience. It was two hours of my day. My mom and dad were there. So, after we got done training with them, we went downtown (in Nashville) and just saw everything. So, it was awesome."
Norfleet said his workout wasn't a part of Tight End University, an annual camp hosted by Kittle, Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce and former Pro Bowler Greg Olsen. He ran through drills and received feedback from Kittle and a group of NFL tight ends.
"It was just a great experience. I hopped in their drills," Norfleet said. "So, three of the NFL guys went and then I went and then when I did my drill they all kind of helped me, taught me and coached me up which was a cool thing.
"They've obviously been in the NFL for a long time. So, it's always good to just sit back and watch them do the drills and then take mental notes while they're doing the drills because I took away a few things that could help me in my game. Then, I also called our coach at the time and just kind of told him what could help our group as a team, like what are some things that we might not have thought about."
It's been a bit of a whirlwind for Norfleet. This same time a year ago, he was entering his first fall camp and didn't know what to expect.
About a week after fall camp ended he played 14 snaps as the team's No. 2 tight end. A week later he recorded his first catch versus Middle Tennessee State. In Week 3 versus Kansas State, he had two receptions for 40 yards, and by Week 6 versus LSU he was the starter and caught his first touchdown.
Norfleet finished the season with 18 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns. By comparison, the tight end room in 2022 only had 10 receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.
Mizzou star receiver Luther Burden III said at SEC Media Days he expects players like Norfleet and Marquis "Speedy" Johnson to take a step forward and help the Tigers' 28th-ranked offense get even better.
"I think those two guys are definitely going to take a huge step going into the season because it's a longer season," Burden said. "We're going to need everybody on the roster and those guys have been doing great in summer workouts and great in OTAs and I can't wait to see them go out there and do what I know they can do."
When offensive coordinator Kirby Moore saw Norfleet this same time a year ago he understandably believed Norfleet wasn't as sure of himself as he is now. Norfleet wasn't an early enrollee last year so grasping the playbook for every freshman, especially the ones who come in the summer is always a bit hard.
That didn't stop Norfleet from being a major contributor last year and now with a year of experience, Moore sees Norfleet having a much bigger role.
"I would say the big word for me is just confidence. Sometimes Brett is walking around and he's got a little bit of that laissez faire," Moore said. "Then when he gets out there and he's playing fast, LSU right away he ended up playing over 50 snaps. But in line vertical pass game, stretching the field horizontally. I just think he's a little bit more sure of what he's doing, playing faster and then his talent and skill sets are able to take over."
After the team's Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, Norfleet posted on X that he would end his baseball career to focus on giving football his all. It was a difficult decision for Norfleet. He called baseball, "my sport." But the decision he made is what he felt he needed to do.
"I love to pitch but after going through a full year of SEC football, and then we get that week off or so, I would have had four days off," he said. "I just don't know if I could've done it. From football right into baseball. Yeah, it was tough, but I think it was going to happen sooner or later."
The extra time dedicated to football allowed Norfleet to focus on the things he and the coaching staff agreed he should work on, which is becoming better at sustaining and winning his blocks and becoming an even bigger threat in the passing game.
That shouldn't be too much of a problem for him, though. After being in Mizzou's system for over a year and training with one of the NFL's best pass catchers and run blockers it wouldn't be a surprise if Norfleet took a considerable step forward his sophomore year.
Are you…
Ready to leave the corporate Rat Race for the American Dream?
Looking for a side hustle while working your current job?
Wanting to diversify, build wealth, and/or leave a legacy?
Andy can help!!!
Andy is a franchise consultant (as well as franchise owner) and helps people find franchises that fit their skill sets, financial requirements, time to commit and more…. His services are 100% free and he’s here to help if you have any questions about business ownership.
Learn more about Andy and franchise ownership through these resources:
Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription
Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair
Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage