The Pittsburgh Power's first player in team history is a quarterback from Marshall. Is it Byron Leftwich? Not quite.
QB Bernard Morris, who played at Marshall from 2003-2007, officially became the team's first player under contract when he signed with the team on Monday.
Undrafted out of college, Morris landed with the af2 Arena League's Arkansas franchise in 2008, then made the jump to Arena Football 1 in January of this year when he signed with Jacksonville. It was in Arkansas that he played for current Power coach Chris Siegfried, who was the team's offensive coordinator at the time. When Siegfried got the job as Jacksonville's head coach, Morris once again joined him. It sounds as if they've become sort of like a player/coach package deal, a modern-day minor-league version of Bill Parcells and Richie Anderson if you will.
Morris goes 6'4", 215 pounds, and played QB, LB, WR, and special teams for Jacksonville last season. He started at Marshall for three seasons, throwing for 3,149 yards and 17 touchdowns in his senior season.
Morris will go forward as the team's starting QB, although they will add competition when training camp rolls around. But for now Morris is the man, especially when listening to the people in charge of such decisions:
Power co-owner Lynn Swann: "We are adding a quarterback not only poised to be a productive player, but with the personality to be a team leader."
Coach Siegfried: "When I signed him [to Pittsburgh] we kind of joked around, he said, 'Coach, I guess my special teams days are over,' " Siegfried said. " 'For right now, yeah, you're the quarterback. That's what I want you to do."
Undrafted out of college, Morris landed with the af2 Arena League's Arkansas franchise in 2008, then made the jump to Arena Football 1 in January of this year when he signed with Jacksonville. It was in Arkansas that he played for current Power coach Chris Siegfried, who was the team's offensive coordinator at the time. When Siegfried got the job as Jacksonville's head coach, Morris once again joined him. It sounds as if they've become sort of like a player/coach package deal, a modern-day minor-league version of Bill Parcells and Richie Anderson if you will.
Morris goes 6'4", 215 pounds, and played QB, LB, WR, and special teams for Jacksonville last season. He started at Marshall for three seasons, throwing for 3,149 yards and 17 touchdowns in his senior season.
Morris will go forward as the team's starting QB, although they will add competition when training camp rolls around. But for now Morris is the man, especially when listening to the people in charge of such decisions:
Power co-owner Lynn Swann: "We are adding a quarterback not only poised to be a productive player, but with the personality to be a team leader."
Coach Siegfried: "When I signed him [to Pittsburgh] we kind of joked around, he said, 'Coach, I guess my special teams days are over,' " Siegfried said. " 'For right now, yeah, you're the quarterback. That's what I want you to do."
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Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com
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