Lehigh University Athletics
Long rehab leaves Morgan aching for a new beginning
8/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
of The Express-Times
That's a big reason why he worked so hard pushing himself.
"We could put a mark on Lehigh football this year," Morgan said during Saturday's annual Lehigh Media Day. "This could be a very special year."
Especially if Morgan can remain healthy.
The super-quick 6-foot-1, 254-pound defensive tackle got off to a banner start last season when he recorded a team-leading 2 sacks and eight tackles in the opening two games. Then it happened.
During that second contest, Morgan got hit with a block he never saw coming while chasing a running play against Villanova. The result was a fractured right fibia and dislocated ankle that put him on crutches and knocked him off the field for the rest of the season.
"The tackle tried to cut-block me," Morgan said. "He cut-blocked right into my leg."
"A somewhat controversial block," Lehigh coach Pete Lembo called it. "It was unfortunate."
That Lehigh would be a little upset over the play is understandable, considering that Morgan had five tackles and 1.5 sacks on the day as Lehigh appeared primed for an upset of Villanova.
"I was definitely putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback," said Morgan, a senior who will apply for a medical redshirt and an extra season of eligibility next year. "As far as (the block being) intentional, I can't say. I would definitely hope it wasn't."
Before Morgan was carted off the Goodman Stadium field, Lehigh had a 16-7 lead. After he left, Lehigh dropped a tough 22-16 decision.
"I'd like to believe poor technique wasn't being coached," Lembo said. "Sometimes those types of things happen. It's an unfortunate part of the game. That was a blow to our defense at the time."
Yet, the hit wasn't nearly as jolting to Morgan as the inactivity that followed.
He spent 10 weeks in a cast, then nearly four months undergoing strenuous rehab. Worst of all, he was forced to watch as Lehigh finished 9-3, losing at Lafayette in the regular-season finale to share the Patriot League title and then dropping a 14-13 NCAA Division I-AA playoff game to eventual national champion James Madison.
"I just think the hard part was standing there," Morgan said, "knowing you could be out there, knowing you could help out and knowing you could make a difference."
He plans to make up for it this time around.
"I'm very happy with how Royce has handled his rehab in the offseason," Lembo said. "It seems like he's running very well in practice."
"I think I'll be a lot quicker," Morgan said.
Just in time to give a major boost to Lehigh's defensive front.
Gone are fierce-rushing defensive ends Tom Alfsen (who had 10 of Lehigh's 36 sacks last season) along with Tristan Lawrence (who finished with 6.5 sacks). Interestingly, Morgan's 2.5 finished sixth among Mountain Hawks -- despite the fact he didn't even get through two full games.
"His quickness has always been one of his best assets," Lembo said. "If you have a quick defensive tackle that can line up on a guard and be a good pass rusher, that's certainly a huge asset to the defense."
And it's an advantage Morgan plans to bring all season this time.
"I got through it," Morgan said of last year's ordeal. "I'm feeling pretty good. I think I have a little more of a chip on my shoulder, on a personal level. I'm ready to get after it."
This story appeared in the Sunday, August 21, 2005 edition of The Express-Times. Used with permission.
