Alumnus Levi Norwood Puts Baylor Skills to Use November 15, 2021
Posted by Mia Moody-Ramirez in : Uncategorized , trackback
Working for Uplifting Athletes allows Baylor JPR&NM alumnus Levi Norwood to put to use the skills he developed as a student-athlete, PR major and Sport Management graduate student at Baylor University– for something that is inspiring and changing/saving lives.
“Since finishing undergrad and leaving the Journalism, PR, New Media program, I have been everywhere it seems,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to get a small taste of life as a professional football player with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers before changing courses and returning to Baylor to pursue a masters in sport management.”
Norwood majored in Journalism, PR, New Media and played football and basketball. Like the children of many coaches who move a lot, Levi Norwood does not consider one place home but currently resides in Denver.
He was a part of the winningest class in Baylor football history and helped the school win its first two Big 12 Conference Championships in 2013 and 2014. As the primary punt returner, he holds the school record in career punt return touchdowns and as a receiver caught 128 passes with 11 touchdowns. He also has one career point for the Baylor University basketball team.
After graduating from Baylor, Levi spent a short stint in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers, then returned to the university to receive his master’s degree in Sport Management. Norwood works full-time for the Rare Disease Community for Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit agency that uses the platform of college football to shine a spotlight on the rare disease cause while providing our student-athletes a valuable leadership experience as well.
His introduction to Uplifting Athletes was made many years ago.
While at Baylor, Norwood developed a relationship with a local high school student battling Cerebral Palsy and, in the Spring of 2014, founded the Baylor Uplifting Athletes Chapter. And in 2015, he was an Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award finalist.
Norwood spent time as a graduate assistant in the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence until he graduated in 2018. His focus was working with Baylor student-athletes as an assistant academic coach and mentor to students across multiple sports. From there, life took him to Albuquerque to serve as a full-time academic advisor in the athletic department at the University of New Mexico.
“An opportunity in the Alliance of American Football League took me away from UNM but that door was swiftly shut when the league folded after only a few months,” he said.
He returned to Baylor in April 2019 to work as the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement before joining Uplifting Athletes in the winter of 2019. In a relatively short period of time, he has served in many roles and places for the non-profit organization.
“All these changes came with ups and downs emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially but all have led me to where I am now,” he said. “Being able to tie together my love for athletics and love for loving people, especially those in the Rare Disease Community, has been special.”
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