European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Kiib amp Ista thursday january 12, 1995 sports the stars and strikes Page 29 pfc championship game Norton 92 tackles has adjusted Norton by Dennis Georgatos Santa Clara Calif. A Ken Norton or. Turned his season around in november a regular season matchup against his former Dallas cowboys team mates. They meet again in sundays pfc championship game and a driven deter mined self confident Norton is out to beat them again. Quot there a so much More at stake in this game a said Norton who after a slow Start became the run stopping Force the san Francisco 49ers wanted when they made him a Cornerstone of the free agent fortified defense. A not Only is it my former team Quot not Only is it the pfc championship which is pretty much Why they brought Alt of us defensive Guys in Here. Not Only that but the Winner goes to the super bowl which is what we re All striving for a Norton said. A nah of us Are try ing to do everything we can to do everything right get All our plays in do All our studying so we can let it All hang out a Norton whose 92 tackles led the 49ers, was All Over the Field in san Francisco a 21-14 regular season win making eight tackles and helping to limit Emmitt Smith to 78 Rushing Yards. He also Vire vented Smith from turning any of his six receptions into Long gainers. It was the Start of a Strong second half of the season for Norton who struggled Early on while adjusting to a new system and the new players around him. A i remember when he first came Here he was real loud and boisterous a cheerleader on the Field Quot said Gary Plummer a fellow free agent who joined Norton and Rookie Lee Woodall to make up an entirely new Lin backing corps. A then when he was struggling he became very very quiet. During the Dallas game he was trash talking As Well As anyone in be heard during my career. And be Hasni to stopped since. That game turned turned this around for  Norton endured some harsh Media criticism during the season and admitted the week before the Dallas game that his adjustment problems had taken the fun out of the  come through against Dallas lifted his sagging Confidence and he enters sundays encounter off some impressive outings including a spectacular Effort in grounds Capers remove the tarps tuesday afternoon and begin to prepare the turf at san Francisco a candlestick Park for sundays pfc championship game. Over a week of steady rain has saturated the san Francisco Bay area. Dallas of san Francisco 10 . Get sunday on an to and radio san Francisco a 38-15 win at san Diego on dec. 11. He had a team High seven tackles an interception knocked Down another pass and again was exceptional on covering backs out of the Backwick a 49ers weakness in past years. In san Francisco a 44-15 playoff win Over Chicago Norton added another seven tackles. A it was just a matter of understanding where i fit in on this defense understanding where everybody is Quot Norton said. A now in a to a Point where in a telling people where to go. Its just a Comfort zone i needed a Comfort zone that this whole team and defense needed. A it was a situation where we had a Bunch of new Guys it Wasny to just me but a Bunch of Guys not where they were supposed to be. But i was taking All the heat which is  time a clearer understanding of his role and the 49ers�?T decision to a turn me Loose a Little bit were the key factors in his resurgent play said Norton a pro Bowler for the cowboys in 1993. A the Way in a used now is very similar to the Way i was used in Dallas Quot Norton said. A live been Able to run around make plays line people up things like that. Being vocal. And just being Able to Fly around and make tackles and just cause  and Norton does no to need anyone telling him the 49ers defense better be at its Best sunday because the cowboys offence has the kind of explosiveness that is similar to san Francisco Stop scoring unit. A at this Point right now we re playing Well on All cylinders a Norton said. A i just think if we keep our attitude going its going to be one no Kuva game. A you have two Fine offences on the Field but everyone knows defences win championships. The Best defense this week is going to win the  49ers plan to answer Back on the Field Santa Clara Calif. A i Chad Irvin has put the Dallas cowboys Back in the prediction business guaranteeing another win Over san Francisco in the pfc title game. The 49ers say their answer will come on game Day. A the might be trying to take one of those pages out of Jimmy Johnson Shook a san Francisco linebacker Ken Norton or. Said a they pulled something like that last year. Apparently it worked. So hey Why not try it again Anorton who joined san Francisco As a free agent was a member of the Dallas team that backed Johnson a Brash guarantee by beating the 49crs 38-21 in route to a second straight super bowl Victory. Barry Switzer is now coaching the cowboys in place of Johnson who quit in a falling out with club owner Jerry Jones. But i a Vire did no to hesitate to turn to the psychological ploy saying the cowboys a would beat san Francisco period when the teams meet sunday at candlestick in a third straight title matchup. _ a they can talk we can talk until we re Black and Blue in the face a Norton said. A if there stalking going on on the Field that a one thing. But As far As talking during the week that Sall Good for writing things like that but we know the game is played on the  last year the 49ers did not react with such aplomb. They seemed taken Aback by Johnson a remarks and san Francisco players looking for a Way to respond uncharacteristically lost their Cool in a pregame trash talking match with some of the cowboys. This time the 49crs say they wont let. The cowboys talk get them riled. A it does no to matter. Nothing matters until sunday when we play a san Francisco a Steve Young said. A i could just laugh at it a 49ers fullback William Floyd said. Quot i mean we played those Guys once this season and everybody knows what happened. A 21-14 san Francisco Victory nov. 13. I think when you talk and try to overdo it its a sign of  not going to do All the talking.  do the talking and Well do the  a Floyd a Rookie who has played with Confidence and flair to become a team Leader said he thought the cowboys bravado would ultimately work to the 49ers�?T advantage a a a ,. A a a a i thank them for All that they re saying because All they re doing is fueling this team that much More a he said. Norton said he a not surprised by Irvine a statements or those of safety James Washington who has vowed the cowboys will punish Young somehow if the 49crs�?T scrambling quarterback starts making like a Hallback. Quot. Quot Dallas has always done some talking a said Norton who also is known for his on Field trash talking. �?o1 think Jimmy Johnson in the past has always been Able to maybe curtail a Little bit too much talking. The fact that they re talking so much now is just the difference in the Way Barry is letting them be a Little More Loose. A a. A. A everybody approaches games differently a Norton added. A some people approach them louder. Some Guys go within themselves. You talk about Michael Irvin and James Washington those Are two Guys who Are More Voca that s the Way they get themselves ready. It does no to make them better or worse. Its just their. Way of approaching big games.�?�. Young who took a couple of shots during san Francisco a 44-15 playoff win Over Chicago including one late hit that set off an end zone Brawl said he a not worried about any head Hunting. A a everybody a after quarterbacks a he said. A a you be got to protect yourself. We be been through this analysis for Many years