Chalmette Star Weese Dies Of Cancer At 43
01-22-1995 Times Picayune

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Norris Weese, who excelled on the playing fields from Chalmette
across the South to the Super Bowl, died Friday in Denver of
Ewings sarcoma, a bone marrow cancer. He was 43.

Weese, who succeeded Archie Manning as quarterback at Ole Miss
after guiding Chalmette High to some of its greatest athletic
achievements, will be inducted posthumously Thursday night into
the St. Bernard Parish Sports Hall of Fame.

"I spoke with him three months ago; he was ecstatic," said
Ronnie Kornick, chairman of the the Hall of Fame committee. "He
said if everything worked out for him physically, he was looking
forward to setting up the trip to come home and get the honor."

According to Kornick, a high school classmate, Weese telephoned
close friends Monday night to say his goodbyes. Doctors
apparently told him he'd live only a few more days.

Weese is survived by his wife, Sandy, and three children.

Coming out of high school the same year as other highly regarded
Louisiana quarterbacks Joe Ferguson, Bert Jones and Terry Davis,
Weese signed with Ole Miss and followed Manning as the starter
in 1971. He guided the Rebels to a 10-2 record in 1971,
highlighted by a 24-22 upset of LSU.

After college, Weese played with Hawaii of the World Football
League and with the Denver Broncos. In Super Bowl XII, played in
New Orleans, Weese replaced Craig Morton in the third quarter
and guided Denver to its only touchdown in a 27-10 loss to
Dallas.

Weese retired in 1981 and became a certified public accountant
in Denver. He was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma in 1993. Tumors
pressing on his spine eventually paralyzed him from the waist
down.

"He was a man of great courage," Morton said. "We cried
together. He loved his family so much. He knew he was going to a
better place. I think we can all be comforted by that."

Weese led the Chalmette football team to an 11-2 record in 1968,
when Chalmette won the District 4-3A championship, losing 13-0
in the state semifinals to Woodlawn, quarterbacked by Ferguson.

Weese returned kicks and punts and punted in addition to being
the quarterback. Chalmette coach Bobby Nuss said years later: "I
know Ferguson is a great quarterback, but I still give the edge
to Norris, because he was a triple threat."

Weese won All-District, All-City and All-State honors. He was an
All-District catcher on the 1968 and 1969 4-3A baseball
championship teams.

"He was just the epitome of the student athlete," said Louisiana
State Rep. Tommy Warner, one of Weese's high school coaches. "He
was a hard worker who excelled in everything he did. He wasn't
egotistical; he wasn't boastful. He was just an everyday kind of
guy. He was everything you'd want in a young man."

Bobby April, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach and a high
school teammate of Weese, said: "He knew how sick he was. I
spoke to him two or three weeks ago, and his exact words to me
were, 'I fought the good fight.' He wanted to go home and spend
the rest of his time with his family, to be with them as long as
he could.

"It's a sad day for anybody associated with Chalmette."