Dan Morgan
{{Short description|American football player and executive (born 1978)}}
{{About||the former football lineman|Dan Morgan (offensive lineman)|others of a similar name|Daniel Morgan (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Dan Morgan
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Carolina Panthers
| position = President of football operations/general manager
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|12|19|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Coral Springs, Florida, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 245
| high_school = J. P. Taravella {{nowrap|(Coral Springs, Florida)}}
| college = Miami (FL) (1997–2000)
| draftyear = 2001
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 11
| pastteams =
- Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2001|2007}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|2008|2009}})*
| pastexecutive =
- Seattle Seahawks ({{nfly|2010}})
Scout - Seattle Seahawks ({{nfly|2011|2014}})
Assistant director of pro personnel - Seattle Seahawks ({{nfly|2015|2017}})
Director of pro personnel - Buffalo Bills ({{nfly|2018|2020}})
Director of player personnel - Carolina Panthers ({{nfly|2021|2023}})
Assistant general manager - Carolina Panthers ({{nfly|2024}}–present)
President of football operations/general manager
| highlights =
- Pro Bowl (2004)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2001)
- PFW All-Rookie Team (2001)
- Dick Butkus Award (2000)
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2000)
- Chuck Bednarik Award (2000)
- Lambert Award (2000)
- Unanimous All-American (2000)
- First-team All-Big East (2000)
- Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2000)
;As an executive
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 390
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 7.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 3
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 6
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 5
| pfr = MorgDa99
| pfrexec = MorgDa0
| CollegeHOF = 2469
}}
Daniel Thomas Morgan Jr. (born December 19, 1978) is an American professional football executive and former linebacker who is the president of football operations and general manager for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the assistant general manager for the Panthers, the director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills and the director of pro personnel for the Seattle Seahawks.
Morgan played in the NFL for seven seasons and played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning multiple national awards. Morgan was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, and he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2004.
Early life
Morgan was born in Coral Springs, Florida. He grew up playing football for the Clifton Heights Rams of the Bert Bell Football League near Philadelphia.[http://www.cliftonheightsrams.org/main/history/alumni/morgan.html "CHBC alumnus Dan Morgan"]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at Clifton Heights Rams website. Retrieved April 23, 2009. After playing freshman football at Upper Darby High School in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Morgan attended J. P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida. As a senior, he was an all-county pick at tailback, linebacker, and strong safety for the Taravella Trojans. As a junior tailback, he rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Playing career
=College=
Morgan attended the University of Miami and played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 1997 to 2000. He began his college career playing as a fullback, but was switched to weakside linebacker one week before the season started. He became the first freshman linebacker to start for the Hurricanes since Ray Lewis in 1993. As a freshman, he was named second-team freshman All-American by the Sporting News after posting 105 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble.
As a sophomore, he became the first sophomore team captain in team history, and made the All-Big East Team, after leading the team with 150 tackles. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award and the Nagurski Trophy as a junior, and was rewarded with a second-team All-Big East for collecting 139 tackles and 5 sacks. He finally captured both awards, as well as the Bednarik Award, becoming the first player in NCAA history to win all three awards in a career (and the same year). He was recognized as a first-team All-Big East selection, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and a unanimous first-team All-American in 2000.2011 NCAA Football Records Book, [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120516105427/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Awards.pdf Award Winners], National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 24, 2012. Upon graduating, Morgan held the Hurricanes' team and Big East conference records for most career tackles with 532.
Morgan was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}
=National Football League=
==Carolina Panthers==
Morgan was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round, with the 11th overall selection, in the 2001 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2001 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2001/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In the 2001 season, he started 11 games at weakside and strongside linebacker, posting 75 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery.{{Cite web |title=Dan Morgan 2001 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MorgDa99/gamelog/2001/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In his second season, Morgan helped turn the Panthers from the worst defense in the 2001 NFL season to the second-ranked defense, becoming the first team to make such an improvement in one season. Morgan was also an integral part of the Panthers defense that led the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where he posted an NFL Super Bowl record 18 tackles (11 solo, 7 assists).{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/categorystats?tabSeq=0&statisticCategory=TACKLES |title=Super Bowl Stats: by Player Tackles |work=Nfl.com |access-date=July 3, 2017 }} For the 2004 NFL season, he collected 109 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and five sacks en route to being named the starting linebacker for the NFC in the 2004 Pro Bowl. In the 2005 NFL season, he was second on the team in tackles, behind Marlon McCree.
On November 6, 2007, Morgan was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers due to an ankle injury.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/transactions |title=NFL Transactions |work=Nfl.com |access-date=September 27, 2010}} The Panthers eventually released him on February 11, 2008.
==New Orleans Saints==
Morgan was signed by the New Orleans Saints for the 2008 season. However, on May 19, 2008, Morgan announced his retirement from the NFL, citing the slow recovery of injuries, particularly a partially torn Achilles tendon suffered during the 2007 season.
After sitting out the 2008 season, Morgan filed reinstatement papers with the NFL in 2009.[https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3862212 New Orleans Saints Linebacker Morgan Plans Comeback After Retirement] ESPN.com, January 26, 2009 He worked out with the Saints through the off-season before retiring again following a calf muscle injury suffered during minicamp.Pat Yasinskas, [https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4241955 "Agent says Morgan decision final"], ESPN.com, June 8, 2009.
=Career statistics=
Regular season
| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="0" ID="Table3" | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| ! rowspan="99" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="6"| Defense | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! style="text-align:center;"| Season ! style="text-align:center;"| Team ! style="text-align:center;"| League ! style="text-align:center;"| GP ! style="text-align:center;"| Tack ! style="text-align:center;"| Sack ! style="text-align:center;"| FF ! style="text-align:center;"| INT ! style="text-align:center;"| TD | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center;" | 2001 | Carolina | NFL | 11 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2002 | Carolina | NFL | 8 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center;" | 2003 | Carolina | NFL | 11 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 2004 | Carolina | NFL | 12 | 101 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center;" | 2005 | Carolina | NFL | 13 | 75 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center;" | 2006 | Carolina | NFL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center;" | 2007 | Carolina | NFL | 3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" | Regular season totals ! style="text-align:center;"| 59 ! style="text-align:center;"| 386 ! style="text-align:center;"| 7 ! style="text-align:center;"| 3 ! style="text-align:center;"| 5 ! style="text-align:center;"| 0 |
Playoffs
| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="0" ID="Table3" | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| ! rowspan="99" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="6"| Defense | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! style="text-align:center;"| Season ! style="text-align:center;"| Team ! style="text-align:center;"| League ! style="text-align:center;"| GP ! style="text-align:center;"| Tack ! style="text-align:center;"| Sack ! style="text-align:center;"| FR ! style="text-align:center;"| INT ! style="text-align:center;"| TD | |||||||||
| style="text-align:center;" | 2003-04 | Carolina | NFL | 4 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center;" | 2005-06 | Carolina | NFL | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" | Playoff totals | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 71 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 |
Executive career
=Buffalo Bills=
In May 2018, Morgan was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their director of player personnel.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/bills-hire-dan-morgan-as-their-director-of-player-personnel|work=NBCSports.com|title=Bills hire Dan Morgan as their director of player personnel|first=Josh|last=Alper
|date=May 4, 2018|accessdate=January 22, 2024}}
=Carolina Panthers=
On May 8, 2021, Morgan was hired by the Carolina Panthers to be their assistant general manager.{{cite news |author=Gantt, Darin |title=Panthers hire Dan Morgan as assistant general manager |url=https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-hire-dan-morgan-as-assistant-general-manager |website=Panthers.com |date=May 8, 2021 |access-date=May 8, 2021}}
On January 22, 2024, the Panthers appointed Morgan as their president of football operations and general manager, replacing Scott Fitterer.{{Cite web |last=Puente |first=Nathaniel |date=January 22, 2024 |title=Panthers hire former player Dan Morgan as GM |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/sports/nfl/panthers/dan-morgan-panthers-gm/275-f9125c6e-b56b-4aa7-af83-e280b83fb964 |website=WCNC.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.panthers.com/news/dan-morgan-named-president-of-football-operations-general-manager|work=Panthers.com|title=Dan Morgan named President of Football Operations/General Manager|date=January 22, 2024|accessdate=January 22, 2024|first=Darin|last=Gantt}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.panthers.com/team/ownership_business/dan-morgan Carolina Panthers profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090726002502/http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/morgan_dan00.html Miami Hurricanes profile]
{{NFL general managers}}
{{Navboxes|title=|list=
{{Dick Butkus Award (collegiate)}}
{{Bronko Nagurski Trophy}}
{{Chuck Bednarik Award}}
{{2000 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{2001 NFL Draft}}
{{PanthersFirstPick}}
{{Panthers2001DraftPicks}}
{{Carolina Panthers general manager navbox}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Dan}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Buffalo Bills executives
Category:Carolina Panthers executives
Category:Carolina Panthers players
Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:J. P. Taravella High School alumni
Category:Miami Hurricanes football players
Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:People from Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania
Category:Players of American football from Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Category:Seattle Seahawks scouts
Category:Players of American football from Coral Springs, Florida