How Mitch Morse’s ‘Dad’ persona helps the Bills through thick and thin

Even Morse knows he can’t outrun his natural ‘dad’ persona. So instead, he embraces it.

“I’m more of the dad of this group,” Morse admitted with a smile. “Not so much just as a paternal figure, but I hate being a strait-laced guy, but it in the workspace it is what it is. We got a bunch of great personalities in this offensive line, so for me, it’s just trying to get everyone on the same page so they can let their personality show while I just try to get everything in order.”

Sounds like a dad, right? Getting things in order behind the scenes and making sure everyone knows what’s going on.

I have to admit I’m laughing as I’m writing this because I’ve known Morse for more than 10 years. I had the privilege of attending college with him at the University of Missouri. We graduated in the same class, and I got to cover his collegiate career at Mizzou.

The both humorous and genuine fatherly traits that his teammates in Buffalo have used to described him are the same ones that were evident during his four-year career playing for the Tigers.

Now as a freshman, you don’t take on the role of a dad right away. That’s something that has to be earned, which he did. But he’ll admit he started off as any college freshman – wide eyed at the road ahead.

“(I was) full of anxiety, but still found a way to have the father title,” Morse said of his college days. “But just I think much like now, I really relied on my teammates, offensive linemen and the guys I held to high regards to get me through every day and strive to be the best person he could be.”

From very early on in his time at Mizzou, it was easy to notice that Morse was an incredible teammate and person. I was lucky enough to see it from afar covering his team in college, and I’m lucky enough to see it more than 10 years later covering the Bills.