Norcross started in television as an engineer at WFSU-TV in Tallahassee, Florida while in college, moving to WXIA-TV (then WQXI-TV) in Atlanta as a maintenance engineer/technical director after graduation in 1972. At that station he was promoted to acting Production Manager in 1974 before being transferred to KUSA-TV (then KBTV) in Denver in 1975 as the evening director of the station's newscasts. In 1976 Norcross was assigned to produce (and for over a year direct as well) the 10:00 pm news which became the market's highest rated news program. In 1977, Norcross was promoted and transferred to WLKY-TV in Louisville as News Director. While on a house-hunting trip to Louisville in January 1978, a massive snow storm hit the city. He was the only news person able to get to the television station and went on the air with the help of two overnight engineers, providing the city the only TV coverage of the storm. In 1979 he returned to Florida State University for a masters program.