Carolina Panthers: CFB Hall of Famer Dan Morgan was exceptional
By Dean Jones
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan has been selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Those who saw Dan Morgan play for the Carolina Panthers won’t soon forget it. The linebacker was a dominant force at the second level and more than lived up to his billing when the organization took him with the No. 11 overall selection back in 2001.
Not only was Morgan a force to be reckoned with at the pro level. But his exploits during his time in college were nothing short of phenomenal and came with some deserved recognition this week.
Morgan was selected as a member of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame class following a sensational spell at Miami that saw him go down as one of the prestigious program’s greatest-ever defenders.
Speaking to the Miami Herald shortly after finding out about the news, Morgan was typically humble regarding the honor.
"“Honestly, out of all the players they could choose from, it’s obviously a great honor. I’m getting so many messages now that it’s overwhelming and humbling — just a really cool experience. It’s unreal to think about how many great players we had who could easily be in the College Football Hall of Fame. Even guys I loved as a little kid still aren’t in it.’’"
The Carolina Panthers were fortunate to have Dan Morgan.
Grateful as Morgan is, few would say he isn’t deserving of such an accolade.
He was the first player in CFB history to secure the Butkus Award, Nagurski Award, and Bednarik Award in the same season before heading to the NFL, which came as a result of 139 tackles and two interceptions.
Not bad for a player with a broken hand for most of the season.
It didn’t take long for Morgan to acclimatize to the next level. His boundless energy and high football IQ ensured the player was around the ball constantly and the Panthers didn’t hesitate to give him plenty of responsibility from the word go.
Morgan’s career will always be tinged with sadness.
Through no fault of his own.
A couple of serious injuries forced Morgan to call it a day with Carolina after the 2007 campaign and even though he tried to give it one more shot with the New Orleans Saints soon after, the damage had already been done.
Morgan will always be fondly remembered by the Panthers and finished his pro career with 390 tackles, seven sacks, 18 tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, 17 passes defended, and five interceptions. His legendary performance in Super Bowl 38 saw the linebacker record 18 tackles and he was named to the Pro Bowl in 2004.
What the Panthers would give to have someone like Morgan anchoring the second level right now. Carolina missed the presence of perennial All-Pro Luke Kuechly an untold amount and although Jermaine Carter played well when he was eventually put into the starting lineup, the decision-makers might look to bring in additional reinforcements this spring.
As for Morgan, he has carved out a role for himself in retirement behind the scenes as a front office staff member, similar to what Kuechly is trying to achieve. It was a surprise to see him not get at least an interview for Carolina’s vacant general manager position after securing an enormous amount in his personnel director role at the Buffalo Bills. But this might not be far in the offing.
His playing career was sensational from start to finish. And even though he claimed others deserved it more, Morgan rightfully takes his place in College Football immortality.