Bucknell University Athletics
The Two Sides of Marques Morgan
9/22/2008 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 22, 2008
By Becky Hart, Bucknell Athletic Communications
There are two sides to Marques Morgan. On one hand, he is a quiet, easy-going Californian, studying psychology and leading his team by example. On the other hand, he is an aggressive, hard-nosed linebacker, making a name for himself by wreaking havoc on opposing offenses.
Sports have played a part in Morgan's life since he was a child. At age four, he began playing soccer and made the switch to football four years later. As a high school student, he paired his football career with track and field and became a successful hurdler. It has been football, however, that is in his blood - or at least his name.
"I remember watching the professionals on TV, like the Oakland Raiders, and I loved them," says Morgan. "My mom actually named me after Marcus Allen, the running back for the Raiders, but she didn't like how he spelled it so obviously she changed it. I've been involved in a football family, so as soon as I got the opportunity at eight years old, I was playing."
Morgan played both offense and defense during the formative years of his football career, but believes that he is better suited for defense, which he now plays exclusively at Bucknell.
"I played both sides of the ball back then, but as I think as I got older, my aggressiveness - that kind of a mean streak that I try to have - I think it's better suited with defense," Morgan explains. "I prefer defense more than offense. I like the offense, blocking for your quarterback and protecting him and making sure no one gets to him and scoring points," he continues. "It's fun, but I feel like on defense, there's an attitude - an attitude that you can have on offense, but it's more shared with the entire defense. Everybody on the defense feels the same way."
Considered one of the Bison's most improved players from last year, Morgan has transformed himself into a key player for Bucknell. He totaled 36 tackles, one sack and two fumble recoveries last year while playing in 11 games and starting five. In the first two games of the 2008 season, Morgan had already recorded nine tackles and a sack from his defensive end position.
At this time last season, Morgan was still trying to find his way at Bucknell and in the East. Hailing from Sacramento, Calif., it took time for Morgan to adjust to the small-town atmosphere of Lewisburg and the below-freezing temperatures in the winter. It wasn't until he became more familiar with his new surroundings that the West Coast native came into his own and improved his confidence on the football field.
"I think my first year was a lot of culture shock. Coming from the West Coast, it's so different out here - seeing snow for the first time, worrying about classes, where to go and how to do things. What's the etiquette here? What's the etiquette there?" describes Morgan. "All of those things took a really big toll on me, so in the beginning of the year it took me a while to get into the role of what my place on the team was and after learning the defense and improving my technique, over time I just got better."
Despite his heightened confidence and his aggressive on-field play, the senior's laid-back personality comes to the forefront when leading the Orange and Blue to another win.
"My leadership style is to lead by example. I've never been much of a vocal leader, but I try to say what I need to say through my actions by showing up to meetings on time, talking to guys on the side quietly encouraging them," mentions Morgan, who saw his uniform number change from 55 to 99 prior to the season opener against Duquesne. "I don't get too excited before games. I just try to be focused and hopefully that rubs off on some of the other guys.
Morgan also recognizes that although he is the veteran on a relatively young defensive line, there are still plenty of opportunities for him to learn from and follow others on the squad.
"I think some of the guys look up to me and there are other guys who I look up to also. I think part of being a good leader is being a good follower and noticing when there are other people who have better leadership skills than you do," Morgan continues. "I try to learn from them and implement those into my own leadership style."
The tendency to look for others with important lessons to share was prevalent throughout his path to Bucknell. As a little-recruited player out of high school and someone who was unsure of what he wanted to do in life, Morgan began his collegiate career at Sacramento City College. After two years and an all-conference selection, he began looking for schools with outstanding academics that also had football programs. Unable to find the right combination of academics and athletics at California schools, Morgan looked east and found Bucknell.
"In California, it's really hard to find an academic school with football. ... I feel like in California, if you're not as good academically but you're a better athlete, they'll find a way to get you into USC or Cal Berkely or UCLA or Stanford, whereas here, it's academics first and football second," Morgan explains. "On the East Coast, there are so many different schools - there's the Ivy League and the Patriot League - that are dedicated to people who have great academics but are also athletes at the same time."
While Bucknell had the right balance of academics and football, it is the relationships with teammates and the university's administration that has meant the most to Morgan. The time spent with teammates during his initial visit to Bucknell was a major reason for his ultimately selecting the school as was the faculty's genuine interest in him.
"One of the things I noticed was the support of the faculty and the administration," praises Morgan. "There was a genuine niceness and they seemed like they were very willing to help you. I went on recruiting visits to other schools, not that they were bad, it was just different. You could tell that it was genuine here."
Faculty obviously have continued to play a major role in his time as a Bison, but one professor in particular has helped him become more involved with the Lewisburg community. Morgan is a counselor in the Near Peer program that allows Bucknell students to work with students at Lewisburg Area High School and provide support by listening to their everyday concerns.
"We go there during our lunch hours or our free time, and kids are allowed to come in and talk to us about what's going on in their lives, at school or at home or even about their future college plans. All we do is sit there and listen," says Morgan. "We don't give them advice, but we listen to what they have to say and ask them questions about their decision making. `Have you though about this? Have you thought about that? What are the consequences of making this choice or that choice?' We let them make their own choices, but we just want them to think about what they're doing."
As a psychology major, Morgan plans to continue working with kids. Next time, however, he hopes it is after he earns his doctorate degree and becomes a physical therapist.
"Physical therapy has always been a goal of mine," mentions Morgan. "I also want to do athletic training and possibly own my own gym one day, and I figure physical therapy is a good umbrella to fit all those things under.
"As far as (the transition from) psychology to physical therapy, I think that rehabilitation is just as much mental as it is physical," he continues. "Understanding what people are going through and how they're feeling and being able to communicate with people, with a psychology background, will help me have better relationships with my clients."
As a soon-to-be graduate looking toward the future, Morgan cannot help but name his mother, Rhonda, as a major influence on all he has accomplished in the past.
"It's probably a typical answer for a lot of people (to say that their mother influenced them), but she's an amazingly strong woman, a phenomenal woman. She has taught me everything I know," lauds Morgan. "She took over and was my mom and dad. She taught me how to throw a baseball when I was younger."
Morgan is also grateful for the sacrifices his mother made for him and his four brothers in order for his to be as successful as he is.
"She really has done everything," says Morgan. "There would be nights when she made sure we had something to eat, and she didn't eat. She always made sure that I had what I needed. She instilled all the morals I have right now. I respect her and I love her for it."
As his final season at Bucknell continues and with those morals that his mother instilled in him, it comes as no surprise that Morgan would like to be remembered for the way he conducted himself both on and off the field.
"I want people to remember me for how far I've come," Morgan offers. "I want people to remember that I was a good guy, a stand-up guy, honest. I want them to remember that I was thankful for the opportunity to come here and play football and graduate from here. I realize that it's not an opportunity afforded to a lot of people and it is a privilege to go to a school of this prestige."
