FIU QB James Morgan Heads Into The NFL With A 'Big Chip On My Shoulder'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Florida International University's James Morgan is headed for the NFL.
The Panthers' starting quarterback was drafted by the New York Jets.
CBS4 Sports Anchor Jim Berry has the story of how Morgan never gave up.
"I mean, it feels great. I'm very excited to be here," he said.
Morgan's family went bonkers the minute he got drafted in the fourth round this past weekend.
"So then I said something to the extent of, I'm sure it's on video, 'No, you won't regret this pick.' And then pretty much everybody started swamping me, so I may have hung up on [Adam Gase]," he said jokingly.
It was a proud moment for Morgan and for FIU, where he started for two years.
Last season, Morgan led the Panthers to their biggest win in school history – an upset over the University of Miami.
"You know, really helped me in terms of kind of getting me back on track a little bit and had a great support system that allowed me to do that," he said. "People and coaches were willing to work really hard to make kind of my dream reality."
Morgan grew up in Green Bay, wanting to be another Brett Favre. He tuck to that dream even when others didn't see it.
No major colleges wanted him, so he went to Bowling Green. Only FIU took him when Morgan wrote 60 schools seeking a transfer.
He wrote another letter to all NFL general managers saying he had the smarts and the skills to be on their team.
Only the Jets interviewed him at the NFL Combine. So when the team called, the QB with the Adam Gase beard donned the cap of Adam Gase's team.
"I'm really excited about that, taking all of that, you know, the trial period and then learning about myself using that now with a new classroom as well. So I'm very motivated. I got a big chip on my shoulder, always have," he said.