Bucs Rookie Benjamin Morrison Goes From Forgotten To Found

TAMPA — The dream board still hangs on the wall in his childhood bedroom, a handwritten manifesto of what Benjamin Morrison willed himself to become.

“The definition of a dream is a future you want to happen but has not happened yet,” Morrison said.

They are white letters on a blackboard, arranged in chronological order.

Start as a freshman. Freshman All American. Start a church group. Passion outside of football. Become a two-year starter. Become a player young kids dream to be. Play my third year as a starter. Declare to the NFL.

Morrison was fulfilling those fantasies, checking off all the boxes as a future first-round pick at Notre Dame.

The son of former Washington defensive back Darryl Morrison, Benjamin had six interceptions as a freshman and three as a sophomore.

But fate and faith can sometimes be rivals. Last season, Morrison sustained a torn labrum in his left hip, ending his year after only six games. More than that, it altered the trajectory of his NFL future.

“My faith has really catapulted me through all this,” Morrison said Friday at the Bucs’ rookie minicamp. “It was really tested. You can say you’re a Christian and all that but until your face is planted in the ground and all the people that were cheering for you are criticizing you, giving you names. At the end of the day, it’s football. My dad says injuries are part of the game, but they’re never planned.

“I mean, going into the year, understanding I was one of the top corners. Then you get injured and then you think you’re forgotten about.”

Had Morrison not had a similar injury to his right hip five years earlier, had it not been something that couldn’t be corrected until his growth plates developed, the experience might have been devastating.

But Morrison’s faith and hard work enabled him to become a second-round pick of the Bucs.

Shortly before he was drafted, when Bucs general manager Jason Licht telephoned to inform him of their impending pick, Morrison broke down and bawled his eyes out. Coach Todd Bowles, who had played with his dad in the Redskins secondary for a couple seasons in the 1990s, tried to regain his composure.

“I’m not going to let you down!” Morrison bellowed. “I promise you, man. Thank you so much.”

On Friday, Morrison began his NFL career with the Bucs. He showed no signs of injury or impairment and navigated the 90-minute workout smoothly.

“It’s good to see him move around,” Bowles said. “I think he’s okay. I think he just needs to get in shape now. We (know) long-term where he is and what program he needs but I think he’ll be fine.”

The Bucs are taking a risk. They needed to upgrade their cornerback position primarily because the ones they had couldn’t stay healthy. It’s why they traded Carlton Davis to the Lions a year ago. It’s why they have lost some faith in Jamel Dean, who has missed nine games the past two seasons due to injury.

But they believe the gamble on Morrison will pay off. He’s a rare defensive back who is just as good with his back to the quarterback as he if facing him, a certified “ball hawk” that Bowles covets.

“He’s got very good ball skills,” Bowles said. “He’s got very good awareness and that’s what you like about him. ... I look forward to that challenge of him getting out there every day and seeing it to fruition.”

Morrison believes Tampa Bay is where he belongs, with his dad’s former teammate, wearing No. 21 and beginning his pro career with doubters still on his doorstep.

“There are so many things behind closed doors that people don’t know I had to go through last year,” he said. “Just the uncertainty of my hip, the combine process and all that stuff. It honestly felt like a lot of people gave up on me and I’m still growing up and I had those growing pains, so it was tough.”

There are some new items that will be on Morrison’s dream board.

Lead the NFL in INTs. Be Man of Year. Pro Bowl multiple times. Super Bowl champ and Hall of Fame jacket.

If you’re the Bucs, it would be hard be hard not to close your eyes and see him running through end zones with the football.

A dream for Morrison, a living nightmare for opponents.

“God doesn’t make mistakes,” Morrison said. “I ended up at the right spot and it kind of validated when I walked through the doors that this is the place I’m supposed to be in. My mom was like, ‘You’re on a mission. God sent you here for a reason and go attack it.’ ”

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