Day 1 In The Fire For Benjamin Morrison
May 10th, 2025
Rookie second-round pick cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
Back on Sept. 3, 2022, Bucs rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison was in a unique football situation.
He was making his college debut on the road against No. 2-ranked Ohio State. Morrison, not even 18 1/2 years old, was donning his Notre Dame uniform and playing on a huge stage.
Morrison finished the game with three tackles and a pass defensed while some guy named Egbuka led Ohio State in receiving (9 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.). Morrison finished that season with six interceptions a national reputation for excellence.
Yesterday at One Buc Palace, Tampa Bay’s second-round picked noted that he’s been in pressure situations since Game 1 of his college career and has been preparing as a professional for years.
Morrison talked about “the man that Notre Dame molded me to be” and said he’s been treating football as a job and a career for years and that won’t change for him in the NFL.
Morrison’s father was a teammate for a season with Todd Bowles 32 years ago on the Redskins. So it’s understandable that he had a clear mindset on football as a profession. The rookie said he’s admired his parents work ethic and its driven him to success.
Joe asked Bowles about his relationship with Morrison’s father. Bowles downplayed it saying they were very close as teammates but didn’t keep in touch. They texted after the draft, per Bowles, who said the elder and younger Morrison are each “a heck of a person.”
May 10th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
Let’s go Big Mo!!
May 10th, 2025 at 1:45 pm
Let’s go!
May 10th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Rooting for him!!!
May 10th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Nice stuff.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:34 pm
I hope that both rookies, Morrison and Parrish, are cross trained like Izien and show that they can bring quality play at every DB position.
May 10th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
Regardless of any friendship/relationship the head coach and Benjamin’s father may have, Benjamin is a fine young man and a heck of a football player.
Listen to his interviews and watch his highlights.
He’s a perfect fit for our locker room. Now he just needs to show he can play at the NFL level.
I have no doubt he’ll make every effort to give 110% in order to make the team.
May 10th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Morrison has clear 1st round talent and would have been a top 15 selection if not for the hip surgery. Very excited for this draft pick and to watch him develop into a starting CB over the next couple years….
May 10th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Pickgrin, I don’t know what to think about Morrison but I know what I think of all our other draft picks. If Ed Reed had the same hip surgery I feel better and the shoulder surgery gives me pause. Maybe Licht let Bowles make this pick? He has to have a ton of potential. But if our organization feels he’s wothy of our second pick and you say he’s a first rounder I’m going to have to lean in favor of. I’m just not as confident as you guys are- yet.
May 10th, 2025 at 8:05 pm
Licht and Bowles are married in who they want. I can’t see the GM telling the coach who is being drafted with no input, I think Licht has made it clear that it is a team effort and that it must stem from the coach’s, plural, standpoint of weakness and strength and what is needed and they thrash it out and go from there. I think it is one of the best relationships of direction in the NFL.
May 10th, 2025 at 9:33 pm
Kenton Smith Says:
“the shoulder surgery gives me pause”
The shoulder “surgery” was arthroscopic so not very invasive – it was last spring and he was good to go in a matter of weeks. It was not a big deal….
The hip surgeries have by now been well documented as necessary to correct a bi-lateral birth defect of the hips. Ed Reed and Brett Favre had the exact same conditions/surgeries and their careers turned out pretty well……
Morrison is practicing from day 1 of Rookie Camp so he’s obviously near 100% at this point or they wouldn’t let him on the field….
Numerous draftniks had pegged Morrison as a first round talent who would have been drafted as such if it weren’t for the fact that he missed the last half of the 2024 season….