New-look Morgan brings the same attitude

New-look Morgan brings the same attitude

By: Steve Reed
Gazette Sports Reporter

CHARLOTTE – There is plenty new about Pro Bowl linebacker Dan Morgan this season.
A new look. A new high-profile sports agent. And a new baby on the way.

Gone is the bleached-blonde, shoulder-length hair, replaced by a very short military-style haircut. He also has a new agent in Drew Rosenhaus, but he’s quick to add, “And no, I’m not holding out.” He seems to smile more these days, perhaps because he and his wife, Ashleigh, are expecting their first child in November.

When Morgan arrived in Carolina in 2001 after being selected 11th overall in the NFL draft, he was always serious, almost stiff, and rarely said anything of interest to reporters. But now, four years later, Morgan has developed into a leader on a defense full of leaders.

And, despite all of the changes in his life, he remains committed to doing anything he can to help the Carolina Panthers win a Super Bowl.

Morgan, who set an unofficial NFL record with 25 tackles in the team’s 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVII, is coming off his first Pro Bowl season and enters 2005 extremely optimistic about Carolina’s chances of making it to Detroit (the site of this season’s Super Bowl) and winning it all.

"The way I think we’re looking on defense right now I think we can dominate every game, no matter who we’re playing or how good the offense is that we’re facing,” said Morgan, who has approached this offseason with the same intensity as the previous four. “I just think we’ve got that kind of defense. I think it’s going to be hard to score on us. I think we’re going to have a really, really good defense.”

Off the field, Morgan has been through a series of emotional ups and downs this off-season.

He was among the first people to learn that teammate Mark Fields’ Hodgkin’s disease had likely returned, although medical tests at the time were inconclusive.

A short while later, he learned the health of linebackers coach Sam Mills had rapidly deteriorated. A week later Mills would succumb to intestinal cancer.

“Sam would have wanted us to move on and have fun like we’re doing now, and enjoy ourselves out here,” Morgan said. “Just enjoy the game. Because that’s what he did. He enjoyed the game and loved being around the guys — and I think that’s how our linebacker group is. We enjoy each other and we have a good time out there."

But out of a devastating offseason came some good news — he was going to be a father.

The Morgans plan to learn the sex of their child next week.

Although Morgan insists he doesn’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, he did say, “I think all of us men want a little boy so we can take him around to football practice and baseball practice. If not, I’ll just take my daughter to cheerleading practice."

Amidst this unusually busy offseason, the Panthers are trying to sign Morgan to a contract extension. He’s in the final year of his contract, but would like to continue his career with the team that drafted him.

But Morgan said he’ll wait to see how things play out.

Although he hired Rosenhaus, Morgan is content playing for the Panthers. He’s not seeking a trade and isn’t demanding a new contract like fellow Rosenhaus client Terrell Owens. But Morgan has made it clear he’d love to stay in Carolina, especially if the team re-signs close friend and fellow linebacker Will Witherspoon.

Off the field, the two are nearly inseparable.

Morgan said he hired Rosenhaus simply because of convenience. Both live in Miami during the offseason.

"It’s one of those things where they’re talking, but I’m not worried about it,” Morgan said. “I don’t even want to talk about it. Everything will take care of itself. I just want to play football. That’s really all I can control."



[News and notes:] Hal Hunter, a scout with the team since 1995, has retired after a 50-year career in football. Hunter, who is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame as a player and coach, joined the NFL in 1982 as a coach for the Baltimore Colts.

He also coached with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming a scouting consultant with the San Francisco 49ers in 1993 and 1994. Hunter spent 14 seasons as a college coach, working as an assistant at Maryland, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia as well as serving as head coach at California (PA) State University.

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He sure sounds down to earth about everything, which isnt exactly what I would have expected. I guess if it's not sincere (being sceptical) then it's good business. I met him briefly but he was distracted, so it's hard to say what kind of person he is, but when he hired Drew I wanted to puke. I like Morgan but if we had to chose between spoon and Dan I would chose Spoon although they should be looking at two slightly differant economic futures.

 

When has Morgan ever had Bleach-Blonde hair??

 

when he was hair farming he had some gay lookin blonde highlights

 

It still gets to me when I read about him.

51

 

I think the team isn't gonna do enough on opening day to show him the love. The perfect opportunity is there considering it is the Saints we're playing. There should be some sorta video montage and his family should be honored, in some way, in his memory. And his number retired.

 

Agreed. The video should end with a fade to his statue outside, with audio of the entire stadium (hopefully) clapping and saluting the man.

 

And after that video.... we kick the Saint's' asses up and down the field.

 

agreed. Still waiting to hear "Sam Mills Field", honestly.



Meanwhile, it's great that Morgan has the attitude. Now drop some fucking weight - he doesn't need to be 255 and running up and down hills till he vomits. He's too damn big, even if he did come down a bit from before. He really should play at about 235, especially if he's never going to knife through defenses the way I'd want a MLB to do, you asshole (so I don't end in a preposition).

 

For whatever reason i think I read somewhere that He was gonna play at around 240-245 this year.