Sophomore Uses Combine To Get Name Recognition
Published:Jun 28, 2004
TAMPA - Injuries haven't allowed DeAndre Morgan to show off his football skills during his brief high school career. So Morgan put on a show during a combine held by Pro-Motion Sports USA on May 22 at Raymond James Stadium. Morgan, who will enter his junior year at Riviera Beach Suncoast High this fall, believes his 4.38 40-yard dash is enough to have scouts salivating for the next two years.
After recording the time - the best of the camp's 400 participants - Morgan was approached by six college scouts, including representatives from Auburn, Mississippi, Georgia Tech and Clemson.
``They told me they couldn't say much,'' Morgan said. ``But they all said they'd be in touch and they'd send letters saying how good the performance was.''
Since the combine, Morgan has received a questionnaire from Florida State and information regarding summer camps at the University of Michigan and Rutgers University.
The attention comes despite the fact that Morgan has been more phantom then phenom on the field.
He missed half his junior varsity games with knee injuries in 2002. Last year he sat out six games after being injured in a car accident.
``I thought it was important for him to go [to the combine],'' Suncoast football coach Jimmie Bell said. ``He missed some time, and the proof is in the pudding.''
Morgan suffered a concussion in the Aug. 22 accident and felt pain throughout his back, knees and neck. He spent five weeks going to a chiropractor.
Morgan wowed more than the scouts with his speed. His brothers were equally impressed.
That might say as much as any college scout. His oldest brother, DeJuan, earned a scholarship to play at North Carolina State this year, despite failing to play a down in 2003 because of injuries sustained in the car accident.
DeAndre Morgan ran 4.5 and 4.49 before his blazing third attempt.
After the third run, a scout asked Morgan to run a fourth time, but brother Darren Haliburton, who signed with USF, stopped him.
Haliburton was concerned a result similar to his first two performances would tarnish his third.
Morgan's speed came as a shock to no one. He had spent the spring season running track under Bell.
Morgan failed to make the state championships but held his own against Florida's fastest runners.
What was good for Morgan might not be good for most high schoolers. Bell said he has cautioned many from following in Morgan's fleet footsteps. Like Morgan, many players coming off injuries look to show off in combines, but unless they have run track or played football all spring, they arrive out of shape.
``I've seen it help a lot of kids out,'' Bell said. ``But it's a weeding process. A bad performance, and that can be the end of you as far as some schools are concerned.''
In Morgan's mind, though, the $75 fee to participate in the combine was a small fee for the recruiting envelopes filling his mailbox.
``I got my name out,'' Morgan said. ``Before this, no one knew my name. Now, they know who I am.''
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