Antonio Morrison

Last updated

Antonio Morrison
Antonio Morrison (American football).JPG
Morrison with the Colts in 2016
No. 44
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1994-12-06) December 6, 1994 (age 29)
Bellwood, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:241 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school: Bolingbrook
(Bolingbrook, Illinois)
College: Florida
NFL Draft: 2016  / Round: 4 / Pick: 125
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-SEC (2015)
  • Second-team All-SEC (2014)
  • Freshman All-SEC (2012)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:209
Sacks:1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Antonio Morrison (born December 6, 1994) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Florida, and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Contents

Early years

Morrison lived in Bellwood, Illinois, and Romeoville, Illinois, before settling in Bolingbrook, Illinois, where he attended Bolingbrook High School. [1] He was a three-year varsity starter for the football team. As a senior linebacker in 2011, Morrison was named 1st Team All-State after leading Bolingbrook to an IHSA Class 8A State Championship. After the season, Morrison participated in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. He was named a USA Today 2nd Team All-American.

Rated a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com, Morrison committed to Florida in August 2011 shortly before his senior season. He chose the Gators over numerous offers that included Alabama and Oregon.

College career

In July 2013, Morrison was charged with interfering with a police animal after barking at a police dog. The charge was dropped after it was determined that Morrison acted without malice. He was suspended for 2 games for the incident by Florida head coach Will Muschamp. [2]

On January 3, 2015, Morrsion played in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl, but left the Gators 28–20 victory over East Carolina in the second quarter after he suffered a knee injury while making a tackle. [3] While covering a screen pass to an East Carolina running back, Morrison and a teammate playing defensive lineman both converged the East Carolina player to make the tackle. Morrison's teammate accidentally collided with his planted left leg. He immediately crumbled to the ground, clutching his left leg and began screaming in pain uncontrollably. The following day, Morrison was diagnosed with torn ligaments and a torn ACL in his left knee. His injury was described as devastating and Morrison was told he may never normally walk again, let alone return to football. The injury, dramatically changed Morrison's initial plan to forgo his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL Draft. He had two surgeries on January 9, 2014 and February 23, 2015. Morrison was given a ten-month timetable to fully recovery, but managed to return in six months and was given the permission to return to football the following month in August. [4]

In four seasons with the Florida Gators, Morrison compiled 315 total tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 forced fumbles. [5]

Professional career

Pre-draft

On December 8, 2015, it was announced that Morrison had accepted his invitation to play in the 2016 Senior Bowl. [6] On January 30, 2016, Morrison played in the Reese's Senior Bowl and was part of Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley's South team that defeated the North 27–16. He was one of 38 collegiate linebackers that was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. [7] He failed to appear which initially cause speculation, but Morrison stated at Florida's pro day it was due to an infection. [8] On March 22, 2016, Morrison attended Florida's pro day and performed all of the combine and positional drills as over 70 scouts and representatives from all 32 NFL teams looked on. [9] Morrison also attended private workouts and visits with a few teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Chicago Bears. [10] [11] [12] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Morrison was projected to be a seventh round pick or priority undrafted free agent by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was also ranked the 11th best inside linebacker prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com and was ranked the 15th best linebacker by Sports Illustrated . [13] [14]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1 in
(1.85 m)		232 lb
(105 kg)		30+3⁄8 in
(0.77 m)		9 in
(0.23 m)		5.10 s1.82 s2.99 s4.60 s7.69 s30 in
(0.76 m)		9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)		23 reps
All values from Florida's Pro Day [15]

Indianapolis Colts

2016

The Indianapolis Colts selected Morrison in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. [16] Morrison was the 18th linebacker selected in 2016. [17] On May 6, 2016, the Colts signed Morrison to a four-year, $2.85 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $519,906. [18] [19]

Throughout training camp, Morrison competed against Sio Moore, Nate Irving, Amarlo Herrera, Junior Sylvestre, and Edwin Jackson in an open competition for the vacant starting inside linebacker role after Jerrell Freeman departed during free agency. [20] [21] Head coach Chuck Pagano named Morrison the fourth inside linebacker on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind D'Qwell Jackson, Moore, and Josh McNary. [22]

He made his professional regular season debut in the Colts' season-opener against the Detroit Lions and made one solo tackle during their 39–35 loss. Morrison made his first career tackle on tight end Eric Ebron after he caught a 13-yard pass from Matthew Stafford in the second quarter. [23] On December 11, 2016, Morrison earned his first career start in place of Jackson after Jackson suffered a concussion during a Week 13 victory over the New York Jets and was placed in the concussion protocol. [24] [25] He finished the Colts' 22–17 loss to the Houston Texans with nine combined tackles. [26] On December 24, 2016, Morrison collected a season-high 11 combined tackles as the Colts' lost 33–25 at the Oakland Raiders. Morrison finished his rookie season in 2016 with 52 combined tackles (33 solo) in 16 games and four starts. [27] The Indianapolis Colts finished the 2016 season third in the AFC South with an 8–8 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Morrison the third most efficient tackler among rookies in 2016 with a tackling efficiency grade of 12.3. [28]

2017

Defensive coordinator Ted Monachino stated the Colts would hold an open competition during organized team activities and training camp to name a new starting inside linebackers to replace longtime veteran D'Qwell Jackson, who was released after the 2016 season. The competition included Morrison, Jon Bostic, Sean Spence, Luke Rhodes, Edwin Jackson, and rookie Anthony Walker Jr. [29] [30] Head coach Chuck Pagano named Morrison and Jon Bostic the starting inside linebackers, along with outside linebackers John Simon and Jabaal Sheard. [31]

He started the Colts' season-opener at the Los Angeles Rams and recorded four combined tackles as the Colts were routed 46–9. The following week, he was inactive due to a groin injury and missed the Colts' 16–13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. [32] On October 22, 2017, he recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles during a 27–0 loss to the Jaguars. In Week 15, Morrison made 12 combined tackles in the Colts' 25–13 loss to the Denver Broncos. [33] He completed his second season with a total of 109 combined tackles (64 solo) and one pass deflection in 15 games and 15 starts. [27] Head coach Chuck Pagano was fired after the Colts finished 4–12 and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Colts' linebacker corps was weakest part of their defense. PFF gave Morrison an overall grade of 35.8 and it ranked 83rd among all linebackers in 2017. [34]

Green Bay Packers

On August 26, 2018, Morrison was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins. [35] He recorded his first career sack on November 4, 2018, on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

On March 8, 2019, the Packers waived Morrison. [36] [37]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
TotalSoloAstSckSFTYPDefIntYdsAvgLngTDsFFFR
2016 IND 1645233190000000000
2017 IND 151510969450010000000
2018 GB 1684727201.0000000000
Total4727208124841.0010000000
Source: NFL.com

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Hawk</span> American football player and sports analyst (born 1984)

Aaron James Hawk is an American sports analyst and former American football linebacker who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers fifth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft and he would later win Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also a member of the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned All-American honors twice and won the Lombardi Award as a senior. He won the BCS National Championship with the Buckeyes as a freshman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Qwell Jackson</span> American football player (born 1983)

D'Qwell Jackson is an American former professional football player who was an inside linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquand Manuel</span> American football player and coach (born 1979)

Marquand Alexander Manuel is an American football coach and former safety who is the safeties coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and as an assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks. After playing college football for the University of Florida, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played for eight seasons in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Detroit Lions. He was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vontae Davis</span> American football player (born 1988)

Vontae Ottis Davis is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He made two Pro Bowls in his career. Davis retired from the NFL in the middle of the Bills' second game of the 2018 season, removing himself from the game at halftime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Dunlap</span> American football player (born 1989)

Carlos Dunlap is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida where he won a National Championship in 2009. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Irvin</span> American football player (born 1987)

Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round with the 15th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. Irvin won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos, and also played in Super Bowl XLIX where he became the first player ever to be ejected from a Super Bowl. He played college football at West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Bostic</span> American football player (born 1991)

Jonathan Earl Bostic II is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Bostic has also been a member of the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lerentee McCray</span> American football player (born 1990)

Lerenteé Zavonne McCray is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at Florida. McCray was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Kirksey</span> American football player (born 1992)

Christian Paul Kirksey is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played for the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton Geathers</span> American football player (born 1992)

Clayton Geathers is a former American football strong safety. He played college football at UCF, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Bullard</span> American football player (born 1993)

Jonathan Bullard is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keanu Neal</span> American football player (born 1995)

Keanu Neal is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Martinez</span> American football player (born 1994)

Blake Edmon Martinez is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Canyon del Oro High School in Oro Valley, Arizona before attending Stanford University on a scholarship. At Stanford, he was a two-year starter at linebacker for the Cardinal where he was named to the first-team All-Pac-12 team in 2015. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has played in the NFL for the Packers, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders.

Jatavis Brown is a former American football linebacker. He attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida and would later play college football at Akron. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Walker Jr.</span> American football player (born 1995)

Anthony Laron Walker Jr. is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Northwestern and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincy Wilson (cornerback)</span> American football player (born 1996)

Quincy Wilson is an American football cornerback for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson Ebukam</span> Nigerian American football player (born 1995)

Nnamka Samson Ebukam is a Nigerian–American football defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaquille Leonard</span> American football player (born 1995)

Darius Shaquille Leonard is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina State and was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. In his rookie season, Leonard led the league in tackles and was named a First-Team All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year; he was also voted into the NFL Top 100 the following offseason. Leonard has been informally nicknamed "The Maniac" due to his energetic and productive on-field play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Henderson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1998)

Christopher "C. J." Henderson, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars ninth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Shawn Davis is an American football strong safety who is a free agent. He played college football for the Florida Gators.

References

  1. ↑ Adam L. Jahns (January 27, 2016). "Bolingbrook's Antonio Morrison has Bears', NFL's attention". chicago.suntimes.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ↑ Goodbread, Chase (July 23, 2013). "Antonio Morrison charge for barking at police dog dropped". NFL.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Jordan McPherson (January 6, 2015). "Notebook: Antonio Morrison injures knee in Birmingham Bowl". alligator.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ Edward Aschoff (December 3, 2015). "How Antonio Morrison came back from a devastating knee injury to lead Florida's defense". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Antonio Morrison profile". floridagators.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  6. ↑ Colin Lindsey (December 8, 2015). "Senior Bowl invites". GBNReport.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  7. ↑ Christopher Gates (February 29, 2016). "2016 NFL Scouting Combine Workout Results: Linebacker". dailynorseman.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ Brian Stultz (April 25, 2016). "Report: Antonio Morrison Missed NFL Combine Due To Infection". watchstadium.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  9. ↑ Fox Sports (March 23, 2016). "Florida players work out for NFL execs during Gators pro day". foxsports.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ Terry McCormick (March 21, 2016). "Titans examine pair of Florida draft prospects". titaninsider.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ Joe Buscaglia (March 31, 2016). "Source: Bills to host LB Morrison on draft visit". WKBW.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  12. ↑ Sam Householder (March 25, 2016). "Which draft prospects have the Bears met with?". windycitygridiron.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Antonio Morrsion, DS #11 ILB, Florida". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  14. ↑ Chris Burke (April 12, 2016). "2016 NFL Draft Positional Rankings". si.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  15. ↑ "NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles – Antonio Morrison". National Football League. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  16. ↑ "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  17. ↑ Josh Wilson (April 30, 2016). "Colts draft Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison in fourth round of NFL Draft". stampedeblue.com. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Indianapolis Colts sign fourth round draft pick LB-Antonio Morrison". blogs.colts.com. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Spotrac.com: Antonio Morrison contract". spotrac.com. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ Mike Chapelle (July 20, 2016). "Colts linebacker Nate Irving looking for more in 2nd season". fox59.com. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ Josh Wilson (July 26, 2016). "Ted Monachino on Colts inside linebacker competition: "We've got three really good players there"". stampedeblue.com. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  22. ↑ Kevin Bowen (September 6, 2016). "Colts Release 2016 Regular Season Depth Chart". Colts.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  23. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week-2016: Detroit Lions @ Indianapolis Colts". NFL.com. September 11, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  24. ↑ Fox Sports (June 30, 2016). "Colts Injury Update: D'Qwell Jackson, Denzelle Good Enter League's Concussion Protocol". FoxSports.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  25. ↑ Josh Wilson (December 11, 2016). "Colts inactives vs. Texans include several injured starters". stampedeblue.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  26. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 14-2016: Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts". NFL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  27. 1 2 "NFL Player stats: Antonio Morrison (career)". NFL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  28. ↑ Kevin Hickey (July 13, 2016). "Colts' Antonio Morrison among most efficient tacklers in 2016". coltswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  29. ↑ Kevin Hickey (August 31, 2017). "Colts' Antonio Morrison seeing a lot of work with first-team". coltswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  30. ↑ Stephen Holder (February 17, 2017). "Colts release linebacker D'Qwell Jackson". indystar.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  31. ↑ Stephen Holder (September 6, 2017). "Insider: Breaking down the Colts' depth chart". indystar.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  32. ↑ Andrew Ites (September 13, 2017). "Colts Injury Report: Morrison, Walker Day-to-Day, Rogers Returns". horseshoeheroes.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  33. ↑ "NFL Player stats: Antonio Morrsion (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Pro Football Focus: Antonio Morrsion". ProFootballFocus.com. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Packers acquire LB Antonio Morrison in trade with Colts". Packers.com. August 26, 2018.
  36. ↑ Nash, Anthony (March 8, 2019). "Packers release linebacker Antonio Morrison". PackersWire. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Packers release LB Antonio Morrison". packers.com. March 8, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.