Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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18 NOV. 27, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE N yles Morgan didn't realize how fortunate he actually was when his father, Thomas Mor- gan, unfortunately showed up to one of Nyles' high school foot- ball practices, yanked his son off the field and loaded him up. As a lesson in responsibility, fa- ther provided Nyles an unexpected and embarrassing early practice dis- missal and trip home to complete the chores that were neglected that day before school. "I love that about my father, and that's where I get my drive from," Morgan said of the tough but fair par- enting approach he was raised with. "He's not all business, but when it's something serious, you know not to cross him because he's not playing." As a lesson in dedication, Thomas — a former college linebacker at Western Illinois — used to partici- pate alongside his son in grueling 5:30 a.m. workouts during Nyles' time at Crete-Monee High School near Chicago. "Dad knew life can get tough," Nyles said, "and he wanted to pre- pare me for those tough times." As a lesson in humility, father and son would regularly volunteer together at a homeless shelter in downtown Chicago, cleaning rooms, mopping floors, making dinners or helping in any way they could. "It gave me a different perspec- tive of how to live life," said Morgan, now a star linebacker and a senior captain at Notre Dame. "It made me more appreciative of what I have." Thomas and Velma Morgan raised Nyles and their 11-year-old son, Ty, on a foundation of humility, spiri- tuality, charity and choices. It's not always an easy course, but to this family, it's the true and only one. "Your decision making is vital ev- ery single day, and it's habitual," said Thomas, a wise and dedicated high school principal who has spent the last 25-plus years as an educator and school administrator. "Whatever you decide, make cer- tain that you fall into the habit of making those good decisions. They build on other decisions that you've made in the past." The virtues and beliefs that were passed onto Morgan by his parents were put to the test during their son's first two years at Notre Dame. As a freshman in 2014, Morgan held his own when he was thrust into a starting linebacker role after ju- nior Joe Schmidt was sidelined with a leg injury about halfway through the season. He finished his rookie year with 47 tackles and a spot on Sporting News' Freshman All-America squad. Not a bad launch point for a career, right? Well, the progression plan stalled dramatically in 2015 during Mor- gan's sophomore season. Fiercely loyal to his veteran play- ers, then-Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder favored a coaching style that leaned toward using his experienced players, oftentimes lim- iting game-day reps for the younger backups. Morgan said he often became the target of VanGorder 's coaching wrath during practice — "Every- thing I did was wrong." His coach was routinely telling him that he had no business even being on the field. "That was a regular occurrence day in and day out, and it would make most young men weep," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly con- firmed. "But Nyles would come back the next day with a smile, wanting more." Even if it wasn't always easy to do so. With Schmidt recovered and ready in 2015 to reclaim starting linebacker duties for his senior season, Morgan returned to his reserve role as a soph- omore and played only 41 snaps at linebacker — recording 17 tackles for the season — and was relegated to mainly a role on special teams. "It was tough because I got a taste my freshman year, and then I had to pull back some," Morgan recalled. "At times I would be down, but I would just try to find ways to moti- vate myself, pick myself back up and always stay positive and ready." Not one to sulk but obviously dis- appointed that playing time had di- minished, Morgan returned to his roots for support and frequently leaned on his parents for a crash course in perspective, commitment, trust and faith. "You just don't jump at the first whim that comes your way," was the message Thomas delivered to his son during these turbulent times. "If you go somewhere else that you didn't want to go to in the first place, and you turn around and make that deci- sion, now you're in a worse way. "We're very proud, and all the peo- ple that support Nyles are proud, that he stayed the course." Morgan's decision to keep the faith and remain at Notre Dame finally paid off in 2016 during his junior season when he became a full-time starter and led the Irish with 94 tackles, and his improvement hasn't stalled since. Despite playing most of his senior season with a dinged shoulder and splitting duties in a more depth- friendly scheme under first-year Irish defensive coordinator Mike Elko, Morgan has been at or near the top of the team tackles chart all season. Through 10 games, he ranked second on the unit with 71 stops (five for loss). And as the cornerstone of the Irish defense readies for his last regular- season game Saturday against Stan- ford, he is filled with appreciation and amazement. "It definitely flies by," Morgan said in retrospect. "I knew Notre Dame was a special place. I came here for that reason, but I didn't know how special it really was until I was into my senior year and I looked back at all the growth and development that I have been through." Where Morgan ends up after grad- uation remains to be seen, although it will likely be on an NFL roster. But where he has come from will make THE HUMBLE LANE Senior linebacker Nyles Morgan stayed the course during his time in South Bend