Playing in such a small program forced Morrow to play catch-up when he entered the NFL. He had to learn some of the nuances of the game that were already ingrained in teammates that had attended major colleges.
“It’s humbling, right?” Morrow said. “The first thing you realize is that I came from Division III football. A lot of the schemes, I didn’t understand. So, I had to take a lot of time to study. I started getting to the facility early. My rookie year I came in and I would just take a couple plays and I would study them, I would break them down. I would do that every day, and by the end of the year I just started to understand, because it was a whole different language to me.”
Morrow quickly discovered that the key to not only earning a roster spot but remaining in the NFL was all about work ethic and preparation.
“It’s not necessarily about talent once you’re in the league; it’s about staying in the league,” he said. “You do that by knowing a lot of football and being able to play hard and fast.
“I’m confident in my abilities, but I think more than anything, what I’m confident in is my preparation. The time I use during the offseason watching my film, in the weight room, on the field, that’s what I’m confident in the most is just the preparation I take, and I take pride in that.”
That mentality helped Morrow play four seasons with the Raiders. He appeared in 62 games with 29 starts, compiling 254 tackles, 20 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks, two interceptions, 20 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Morrow blossomed in 2020, establishing career highs with 11 starts, 78 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks and eight pass breakups. Unfortunately, last summer he sustained an ankle injury in a joint training camp practice with the Rams that caused him to miss the entire season.
“It was hard,” Morrow said. “The most frustrating thing was I was there for five years and we made the playoffs [for the first time] and I wasn’t able to be a part of it….