Derrick Morgan

Derrick Lee Morgan (born January 6, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He was selected 16th overall by the Titans in the 2010 NFL draft after playing college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Early life Morgan was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended Coatesville Area High School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, where he played for the Red Raiders football team. As a senior he was named league Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-State after recording 47 tackles and 7 sacks at the defensive end position. He also rushed for 523 yards and 8 touchdowns as a running back.

College career Morgan attended the Georgia Institute of Technology from 2007 to 2009, playing for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Atlantic Coast Conference. As a true freshman in 2007 he appeared in 12 of 13 games, recording 9 tackles as a reserve defensive end. The following year as a sophomore he started all 13 games, contributing 51 tackles and 7 sacks while earning an honorable mention All-ACC selection. As a junior in 2009, Morgan was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors from Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, and Scout.com. He finished the season with 55 tackles (including 18.5 for a loss) and 12.5 sacks while helping his team to a conference championship.

Professional career

Tennessee Titans Morgan was selected 16th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL draft. He signed a six-year contract on July 31, 2010, which also included playing time incentives that later voided the final year. He signed a second contract (4-year, $30 million) with the Titans on March 13, 2015, after fielding interest from multiple teams as a free agent.

Morgan played at the 4–3 defensive end position his first four seasons with the Titans, then switched to outside linebacker in 2014 as part of the team's transition to a 3–4 defense. Morgan became a starter on the Titans defense during the 2011 season.

Morgan wore the uniform number 90 until changing to 91 prior to the start of the 2012 season.

2010 season Morgan played in the 2010 season opener, registering a sack in his first NFL game.

2011 season Morgan made his first NFL start on the seventh game of the 2011 season and remained a starter for the rest of the year. He led the team with 20 quarterback pressures.

2012 season In 2012, Morgan led the Titans with 6.5 sacks and 19 quarterback pressures while starting all 16 games.

2013 season Morgan was second on the Titans with 6 sacks in 2013.

2014 season During his first year at linebacker in 2014, Morgan led the Titans with 6.5 sacks while starting all 16 games. He also set career highs in tackles (82), quarterback pressures (26), tackles for loss (13), passes defensed (9), and forced fumbles (2).

2015 season Morgan had a notable start to the 2015 season, recording 4.5 sacks in the first four games. During the sixth game he suffered a shoulder injury, however. He played through the injury the next four games, then was shut down for the rest of the season. He had surgery on December 15 to repair a torn left labrum.

2016 season Morgan registered a team-high 56 quarterback pressures and career-high 9.0 sacks in 2016. The 9.0 sacks tied him for ninth highest in the AFC.

NFL statistics Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF FR 2010 TEN 4 0 5 3 2 1.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 2011 TEN 15 10 30 22 8 2.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 2012 TEN 16 16 59 35 24 6.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 5 1 1 2013 TEN 15 14 34 28 6 6.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1 1 2014 TEN 16 16 63 43 20 6.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 7 2 0 2015 TEN 10 9 24 17 7 4.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1 0 2016 TEN 15 15 33 24 9 9.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 2017 TEN 14 14 32 16 16 7.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 2 2018 TEN 13 12 25 19 6 0.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 0 1 Career 118 106 306 208 98 44.5 0 0 0.0 0 0 25 5 5

Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Total Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF FR 2017 TEN 2 2 5 3 2 1.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 Career 2 2 5 3 2 1.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0

Medical cannabis advocacy

Morgan has spoken publicly about the medicinal properties of cannabis that he believes could benefit NFL players, particularly in treating and preventing the serious brain injuries and diseases that have afflicted many players. Morgan has called on the NFL to conduct research on the neuroprotective benefits of cannabis, as part of the league's stated commitment to making player health and safety issues a top priority. Morgan has also donated money to help fund medical cannabis research. Morgan and Monroe appeared together in a June 2016 interview with Katie Couric, the first time Morgan had spoken on the subject.

In November 2016, the NFL Player's Association announced the formation of a committee to study issues of pain management among players, including the use of cannabis as treatment. Morgan was named as a founding member of the committee.

Also in November 2016, Morgan was among the signatories of an open letter addressed to the NFL, urging a change in the league's policy towards cannabis. The letter was penned by Doctors for Cannabis Regulation and signed by several other NFL players.

Morgan is a board member of Athletes for Care, a group that advocates for athletes on various issues of health and safety including the use of cannabis as medicine. Morgan is also co-chair of the Doctors for Cannabis Regulation NFL steering committee.

During a 2017 game against the Houston Texans, Morgan wore a pair of cannabis-themed cleats as part of the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign. The cleats promoted Realm of Caring Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting medical cannabis research.

Post-NFL career Having already began a career as a real estate investor during his playing career, Morgan created the KNGDM Impact Fund, an Opportunity Zone fund to help investment in marginalized communities. He is also a brand ambassador for Beyond Meat.

Personal life Morgan graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in business management. In 2016 he graduated from the University of Miami's Executive MBA for Artists and Athletes program. Morgan is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

After Morgan's wife, Chef Charity Morgan, helped him to transition to a plant-based diet in early 2017, the couple convinced several other Tennessee Titans into making the change as well. Both Derrick and Charity appeared in the 2018 documentary about athletes who turn to a plant-based diet, The Game Changers. Morgan delivered his second child at home in April 2015.

In 2011, Morgan participated in a 24-day charity mission to deliver 22,000 hearing aids to children and adults in need across Africa.