C.J. Mosley may not be quite as big as retired Baltimore Ravens linebacking great Ray Lewis, but Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jay Norvell sees perhaps a more important similarity with the Alabama linebacker, who is projected as a first-round draft pick next May.
"He's similar in his ability to communicate, his sense, his football senses, the way he sees the field, gets everybody lined up," Norvell said of Mosley, the 2013 Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker, according to newsok.com. "He's a really good football player and as good a linebacker as we've seen this year, and we've gotta do a great job of understanding where he's at and making sure we block him."
Mosley made 102 tackles for the Crimson Tide this season as the anchor of one of the nation's top defenses. He delivered nine tackles for loss and broke up five passes as Alabama's most effective linebacker in pass coverage.
"When we played Ray Lewis when I was in National Football League, I was just amazed where he always seemed to be in the right position all the time," Norvell said. "That's the way Mosley is."
Norvell coached as an assistant in the NFL for six years from 1998-2003 with the Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders.
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