Kirk Morrison
Encyclopedia
Kirk David Morrison is an American football
linebacker
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at San Diego State.
Morrison has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars
.
which is also in Oakland, California
. He won varsity letter
s in football
and track & field
. In football, he led his team to two HAAL championships and two Northern California section 3A championships, was a two-time All-HAAL honoree, and as a senior, was the HAAL Defensive Player of the Year.
and had an outstanding playing career. While at SDSU, he was two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Morrison played in all 16 games as a rookie
, ending the season with 116 tackles and two pass deflections.
He finished the 2006 season
with a team leading 128 tackles
, a sack
, a defensive touchdown
, and two interceptions.
Morrison started the 2007 season
with an interception in each of his first three games, joining Thomas Howard who had an interception through each of his first 4 games. He led the Oakland Raiders
with 120 tackles, and tacked on 10 passes defended and a quarterback sack to his totals.
In 2008, Morrison ranked fifth in the NFL with 135 tackles. He also forced two fumbles and had one sack.
He finished the 2009 season
tied 6th in the NFL with 133 tackles. He forced three fumbles, recovering one, and had two sacks while playing most of the season with a dislocated elbow.
along with a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
for the 108th pick in the same draft. Morrison's first game against his hometown and former team, the Oakland Raiders, was held in Jacksonville on December 12, 2010, the Jaguars won 38-31.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at San Diego State.
Morrison has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Morrison attended elementary school at Sacred Heart, now called St. Martin de Porress, in Oakland, California. After 8th grade graduation he went to Bishop O'Dowd High SchoolBishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, James T. O'Dowd . About 44% of students are non-Catholic...
which is also in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. He won varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football, he led his team to two HAAL championships and two Northern California section 3A championships, was a two-time All-HAAL honoree, and as a senior, was the HAAL Defensive Player of the Year.
College career
Morrison attended college at San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
and had an outstanding playing career. While at SDSU, he was two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Oakland Raiders
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, ending the season with 116 tackles and two pass deflections.
He finished the 2006 season
2006 Oakland Raiders season
The 2006 Oakland Raiders season, which was supposed to improve on a lackluster 4–12 record from 2005, ended with the Raiders suffering through a 2–14 campaign, the worst record in the 2006 NFL season, the worst season since the club went 1–13 in 1962 and their worst since the National Football...
with a team leading 128 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, a sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, a defensive touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, and two interceptions.
Morrison started the 2007 season
2007 Oakland Raiders season
The 2007 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-eight season overall. The team finished the season with a 4–12 record. It began with the team's fourth head coach in six seasons. By virtue of the team's 2–14 finish in 2006 , they acquired the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft...
with an interception in each of his first three games, joining Thomas Howard who had an interception through each of his first 4 games. He led the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with 120 tackles, and tacked on 10 passes defended and a quarterback sack to his totals.
In 2008, Morrison ranked fifth in the NFL with 135 tackles. He also forced two fumbles and had one sack.
He finished the 2009 season
2009 Oakland Raiders season
The 2009 Oakland Raiders season is the 50th season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL. On September 6, 2009, The Raiders traded a 2011 draft pick to the New England Patriots for 5x Pro Bowl Defensive Lineman Richard Seymour. With their loss to Dallas on November...
tied 6th in the NFL with 133 tackles. He forced three fumbles, recovering one, and had two sacks while playing most of the season with a dislocated elbow.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Morrison was traded to the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
for the 108th pick in the same draft. Morrison's first game against his hometown and former team, the Oakland Raiders, was held in Jacksonville on December 12, 2010, the Jaguars won 38-31.