Norman Feels Right at Home on Offense : Sugar: Former defensive standout at Ocean View has blossomed into one of Notre Dame’s most versatile linemen.

The sign at the city limits read South Bend, Ind., but as far as Todd Norman was concerned, his heart was still in Southern California when he first arrived at Notre Dame three years ago.

Norman, then a redshirt freshman, had problems acclimating to his new environment in the Midwest. The California kid from Ocean View High School was ready to quit before he got started.

“I made six trips home my first year,” he said. “I flew home two weekends in a row. But I also expected that I would get to that point (of quitting) when I signed with Notre Dame.

“I knew there would be tough times, but I kept telling myself that if nothing else, coming here would pay off with a degree.”

Norman’s career continued downhill when he suffered a partial ligament tear in his ankle and strained his Achilles’ tendon early last season.

“I couldn’t walk or practice for 6 1/2 weeks. For three straight Mondays, I’d go out on the field and four minutes into a drill, I had to quit. It was very frustrating.”

Norman played in one game, against the Air Force Academy, as a reserve defensive tackle. His playing time amounted to a whopping minute and a half.

But in the final month of the season, offensive line coach Joe Moore suggested that Norman switch to the other side of the line. Moore, who has sent every starter he’s coached to the NFL in four years at Notre Dame, reasoned that Norman wasn’t quick enough to be an effective defensive lineman.

The move paid off this season as Norman blossomed into one of the Fighting Irish’s most versatile offensive linemen. Norman has played in 10 of the Irish’s 12 games, starting against Michigan State, Purdue and Navy.

Norman helped No. 18 Notre Dame (9-3) rank among national leaders in scoring, rushing and total offense. Norman has played right and left tackle and started one game at guard.

Tonight, Norman will fill in wherever necessary when Notre Dame meets third-ranked Florida (10-1) in the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome. The Irish are seven-point underdogs.

Notre Dame comes into the bowl with two losses in its past three games. Tennessee beat the Irish, 35-34, and Penn State followed with a 35-13 victory a week later. Notre Dame ended the year with a 48-42 victory over Hawaii.

Norman’s move to the offensive line has revitalized a career that once was going nowhere in South Bend.

“Now that I’m playing, I feel like I fit in,” Norman said Monday from his hotel room in New Orleans. “I red-shirted my freshman year and spent half of my sophomore season in the training room. I got a good taste of playing this year, and I know I can definitely play at this level.”

Ironically, Norman credited his decision to remain in South Bend last summer to participate in a weightlifting program for much of his newfound success. He has added 30 pounds since he enrolled at Notre Dame and is listed at 6 feet 6, 289 pounds.

“The smartest move I’ve made since I came here was taking two classes and lifting four days a week last summer,” Norman said. “I made some sacrifices to stay in South Bend, but it paid off.

This week, Norman and his teammates have been enjoying the sights and sounds of New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street. Bowl organizers played host to a joint team meal Monday night and then Notre Dame was scheduled to have a walk-through at the Superdome Tuesday.

“We’ll have pregame meetings most of the day on Tuesday and then Mass on Wednesday morning,” Norman said. “We’ll watch bowl games most of New Year’s Day and then go to the Superdome.”

Norman admits that playing in a major bowl game was a longshot three years ago when he was Super Prep Magazine’s Far West high school defensive player of the year.

“I talked to my parents a lot . . . they understood what I was going through,” he said. “I owe a lot to my mother and father. They supported me through the tough times and encouraged me to stick it out.”