Morgans Second Chance
Advertisement
As brief as it might have ultimately been, former Virginia Tech safety Davon Morgan has already reached the NFL once. In 2011, Morgan, a rookie, made it through training camp with the New York Jets, but was ultimately one of the final players cut.
He played last year in the Professional Indoor Football League with the Richmond Raiders, but Morgan still wanted one more shot at the NFL. At the Hokies' pro day, March 19, Morgan got the chance to work-out in front of NFL scouts and even a pair of head coaches in Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly.
Following the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday, Morgan hopes to get a chance from an NFL team. Back in Blacksburg April 25 for Virginia Tech's spring game, Morgan took part in the second David Clowney charity bowl. It was a night of fun, but Morgan maintained his desire to get back to where he once was.
"I feel great about my chances," Morgan said. "I'm sure you heard, Chip Kelly and Jim Harbaugh were at the pro day. They really took to me and they told me they liked my pro day and I had a great pro day. I'm just waiting to see what's gonna unfold for me after the draft."
Morgan signed with the Richmond Raiders again this year, but decided to take his chances on getting back to the NFL by taking part in the pro day.
"That was a great turnout, being that Kyle Fuller and Antone Exum are heavily recruited going into this year's draft," Morgan said. "There were a lot of scouts there and I felt like this was really my last big shot at getting an opportunity to play. I went up there and showcased my talent and it's looking really good for me. I'm just looking forward to after the draft and finding a home on somebody's team."
Morgan said he's just thankful for coach Frank Beamer and associate athletic director John Ballein for helping him become a part of the pro day. While it's not the same level or even type of football, Morgan said he believes his time playing arena football will help him towards his NFL goal.
"The talent level is definitely different than the NFL, but the game is a lot faster," Morgan said of arena football. "In arena, everything happens fast. Being that it's happening fast, it causes me to speed up my thinking process. I noticed, when I got back on the field and I started doing one-on-ones with guys, the game was a lot slower to me. I'm sure in the NFL is still fast, but I've been there, as I was in the Jets in 2011. I'm just looking forward to the opportunity. I'm gonna show everybody what they've been missing out on, bring all the big play-making ability, all the big hits, everything."
Over the past few years, Morgan has worked to keep himself in shape, while also helping others. He's spent time as an in-home counselor for Youth Development Counseling Agency. Morgan said it's been a humbling, but worthwhile experience.
"Honestly, it's about your passion," he said. "It's about your heart. My heart is still in football and it's just your determination, what you wanna do with yourself. I started working at the school, doing tutoring and everything like that and I still do that. I do counseling with some of the inner-city youth and I'm doing that to maintain and stay afloat. But my passion is still in football and that's what I continue to strive for until that happens."
It's been a few years since Morgan got this close. And even more so than last time, Morgan hopes to take full advantage.
Click Here to view this video.