Matt Morton: Special Teams Leader

[sdcyfan]

This is long overdue but wanted to give out some props for Matt Morton and his special teams play this year. He is without a doubt our special teams unit leader and is always making plays. His excitment and passion on cover units is a real positve for this team and want him to be recognized. Give some love to Matt in this thread!

 

[Creed]

I agree, he's always flying around the field being a kamikaze. Making big hits and recovering fumbles. Nice to see him making an impact.

 

[xboxfever]

Last night, Jansen Watson made almost every special team tackle. He was outstanding.

 

[isulive2train]

Loved his hit on TexAgs kick returner.

 

[isuno1fan]

Matt is a great kid with a great family. Had the pleasure of meeting his Mom in KC at their hotel last year and she was a wonderful woman.

 

[Cyclonepride]

This is long overdue but wanted to give out some props for Matt Morton and his special teams play this year. He is without a doubt our special teams unit leader and is always making plays. His excitment and passion on cover units is a real positve for this team and want him to be recognized. Give some love to Matt in this thread!

Excellent point, and I think it goes for all of our coverage teams. This was one area where I used to constantly wait for the gaming changing return by the other team, and never really hoped for one on ours. They're doing a great job.

Last night, Jansen Watson made almost every special team tackle. He was outstanding.

I saw that.....#2? He was everywhere.

 

[stateofmind]

His parents ride the fire truck every week. Great Cyclones! I saw his Dad on TV last night.

 

[wright4cy]

Matt is a great player and has really been a good leader this year !Great to see him really having a good year out there .Thanks Matt for all your hard work!Go CyclONEs

 

[Clone5]

Morton and Watson have been difference makers on special teams this year.
I had class with Morton's mother. He is a great story from a strong family.

 

[Cyclophile1]

Agree. Morton has been outstanding as has Watson last few games. Those guys are the backbone of the team - real unsung heroes.

Cheers

 

[intrepid27]

Agree. I was thinking the same thing when I watehd the TTU tape. Great hustle and energy on special team plays by lots of different guys.

 

[ianoconnor]

Matt is a great kid with a great family. Had the pleasure of meeting his Mom in KC at their hotel last year and she was a wonderful woman.

Yup, he is a great guy. He was a resident in Buchanan when I was a CA there and was very much involved with the community. Typically you'd think most football players would be "too cool" for floor/residence hall activities, but he showed up and participated all the time. I want to say he was on his floor cabinet as well.

 

[copenhagen]

He has been great all yr. I recall the Conn game with his many blasts. Iowa State's Billy Bates.

 

[mustangcy]

Huge Morton fan here as well. Dude just rips it up on Special Teams. Our whole Special Teams units have be outstanding this year and I think it starts with guys like Matt. I kind of expected to see more of Jovan(sp) Miller this year on ST though...

 

[SwirlingFloater]

Not trying to derail this thread, because I have been loving Morton's play as well. The special teams talk got me thinking back to a fond memory from many years ago when I was in high school.

Our head football coach would have one of our biggest/meanest/smelliest defensive hitters line up closest to the tee on kickoffs and instead of dropping back to return block in the wedge, he would have him run up and blast the kicker immediately after kicking the ball off. (Basically lay him out with a block, not a tackle or anything too cheap.) Coach's logic was that if the kicker knew he was going to get knocked on his keyster pretty good after every kick, he wouldn't be as focused on kicking the ball well and it would benefit us with better field position. In today's world it would probably get flagged and not be allowed, but it was always fun to watch back then and it usually did work pretty well after the initial kickoff.

Has anyone else seen something similar happen before? Would it be considered unsportsmanlike and be flagged these days?

 

[Kitkat]

I will second all that has been said and add that he is a fine instructor, too. Yep, he was an intern in a fitness class at Forker last semester; my wife and all the others who were in his group thought very highly of his ability as a teacher of exercise science. All thought he was a great guy who will do well in whatever he takes up as his life's work.

 

[bfross]

Huge Morton fan here as well. Dude just rips it up on Special Teams. Our whole Special Teams units have be outstanding this year and I think it starts with guys like Matt. I kind of expected to see more of Jovan(sp) Miller this year on ST though...

Don't be so quick to sell Jevohn short. He's a big reason why our special teams has improved after it had slumped in 2010 from our great 2009 coverage teams. He is the wedge buster (even though wedges are technically against the rules anymore, but they're still there) this season and a lot of times clears the way for Morton and Watson to get in there and make a play. His job is not necessarily to get to the return man, but rather to make way for guys like Watson and Morton. Watch the next kickoff and 55 will be doing his job and blowing up the wedge, I'm sure. I'm excited to see him get a bigger role next season.