Natrone Means facts for kids

Natrone Jermaine Means (born April 26, 1972) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers from 1993 to 2000.

Means played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Chargers picked him in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft. In 1994, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl. This was during the San Diego Chargers' Super Bowl season. He is also a member of the San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team.

Some people called him "Natrone 'Refried' Means." Later, ESPN's Chris Berman gave him the nickname "Natrone Means Business." Today, he works as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels.

College Football Days

Natrone Means went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his college career, he ran for 3,074 yards. He also scored 34 touchdowns. He caught 61 passes for 500 yards.

He ran for over 1,000 yards in both his second and third years.

• In 1990, he ran for 849 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes.
• In 1991, he ran for 1,030 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
• In 1992, he ran for 1,195 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

Playing in the NFL

Means played for the San Diego Chargers from 1993 to 1995. In 1994, he was picked for the Pro Bowl. He helped his team reach Super Bowl XXIX. They played against the San Francisco 49ers but lost the game.

In that Super Bowl, Natrone Means scored a touchdown. He was 22 years old at the time. This made him the youngest player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl. Later, Jamal Lewis broke this record at age 21.

After 1995, Means left the Chargers. He then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played for them in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, he returned to the San Diego Chargers. He played there until 1999. In 2000, he joined the Carolina Panthers. He retired from playing football at the end of that season.

In 2009, Means was named to the San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team. In 2012, he was a finalist to join the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Natrone Means became a football coach. In 2005, he joined Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He started as a running backs coach. In 2006, he became the offensive coordinator. The head coach, Robert Massey, had played with Means on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Means also learned more about coaching through the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program. He worked with the Atlanta Falcons in 2003 and 2006.

In 2007, Means was the offensive coordinator at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also worked with the running backs for the Carolina Panthers during their training camp in 2008. This was part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program again.

In 2014, Means became the running backs coach at Winston-Salem State University. He later became the associate head coach and offensive coordinator there.

Since March 2021, Natrone Means has been an offensive analyst for the North Carolina team.