Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410280010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Tony Morrison isn't opening the Bible as much he'd like these days, but the Virginia Tech freshman is doing some heavy reading.
Morrison, who has been reciting the 23rd Psalm before football games since his sophomore year of high school, was a year ago directing offenses as the quarterback at Chesapeake's Indian River High School. Now he is reading offenses as a linebacker for the football Hokies.
At Indian River, Morrison led his team to an 11-2 season and its first Division VI Eastern Region crown before losing to Pulaski County 24-7 in the state semifinals. He was considered one of the state's top five players after throwing for 1,664 yards and 24 touchdowns his senior season. Morrison set 17 school passing records and had his No.8 jersey retired - he now wears the same number for the Hokies, who will play at No.6 Miami on Saturday.
But Indian River's most prized recruit since Alonzo Mourning says his passing days are over.
``Nobody on [the Hokies'] defense started out that way,'' Morrison said. ``Waverly Jackson, defensive tackle, was a fullback and Ken Brown was a running back. I really don't have the feel of [quarterback] anymore. I'm starting to like defense - now.''
Morrison threw for 4,112 yards and 52 touchdowns at Indian River, but his play at free safety was legendary. In a loss to Norcom last season, Morrison knocked the helmet off a wide receiver with a hit in what Norcom coach Joe Langston said was one of the hardest-hitting games he'd ever seen.
``I wouldn't call it my best hit,'' he said. ``I knocked his helmet off, but he still got right back up; he wasn't hurt.''
His ``best hit'' knocked Pulaski County quarterback Andre Eaves out of the game for one play. Morrison, playing defense for the first time since he was a freshman, earned second-team All-Tidewater District honors as a safety last year.
At Tech, Morrison has moved from strong safety to backing up senior Ken Brown at inside linebacker and sophomore Brandon Semones at outside linebacker.
``We put him in at strong safety when he first got here because we wanted to see his coverage skills,'' said Bud Foster, Tech's inside linebackers coach. ``He's doing a lot of things well as a freshmen. We're very, very pleased with him. We felt from the get-go, we could move him into the whip [outside linebacker] position. Our depth at both linebacker positions is thin right now.''
Injuries that took Semones and Brown out of a few plays during the Oct.8 win over Temple made the coaching staff realize another athlete was needed to play both positions. Morrison fits that mold and could be the Hokies' backer of the future. Foster refers to the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Morrison as a ``physical specimen'' who's only going to get bigger and stronger.
``The thing about it is, we kind of tease him, because he's going to have a good understanding of the entire parameter structure of our defensive plans playing all those positions,'' Foster said. ``He's an intelligent young man, he's a good athlete and he's tough as nails. There's no question in my mind that he's going to have a bright future here at Virginia Tech.
``He understands his role right now. We're not trying to mess with the kid's head by moving the kid around. We're just trying to get him in the best position to play for us.''
``I had him for four to five weeks [solely],'' outside linebackers coach Rod Sharpless said, ``and he was getting himself comfortable. He's going to be OK. He's like a brand new pair of shoes - you have to break them in before they feel just right.''
Morrison, whose best asset is his strength, said he enjoys playing both linebacker positions. He has 16 tackles, one sack and one interception thus far. His best game was against West Virginia, when he made five tackles and his first collegiate sack.
All of those years at quarterback weren't for naught, Morrison said.
``I can pick out combination routes and read the quarterback's eyes. You don't see players giving the play away [at the line of scrimmage] as much in college as in high school. In college, quarterbacks will give dummy checks so you can't steal the play.''
Morrison will play Saturday at Miami, but he missed Tech's last big game, a 28-20 loss to Syracuse on Oct.1. The freshman was held out for an unspecified reason.
``That's personal,'' Morrison said. ``I just found out that I needed a little more discipline than I had expected. I found out that they [the Hokies coaches] are real serious about the repetition of the team. It won't happen again.''
by CNB