Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Morrissey finds his focus for WCU
Golden Rams linebacker starting to shake off his past to shine on the field
“He has always been a good football player and he’s always had crazy things happen that have prevented him from getting on the field. Now that he is, he is playing well for us.” – West Chester coach Bill Zwaan
WEST GOSHEN » An imposing figure on the football field, Tyler Morrissey has been an enigma since he began his college career all the way back in 2013.
At 6-foot-3, 256-pounds, the Springfield, Delaware County, native possesses the size of an NFL linebacker, but until this season he’s had all kinds of trouble actually getting on the field for West Chester.
“We have guys who just can’t get healthy, and Tyler’s been one of them,” said WCU head coach Bill Zwaan. “He is in the training room now, and it’s not serious, but whenever something happens to him, you expect the worst.”
Morrissey has such a big upside, however, that the West Chester coaching staff has hung with him in hopes that he’ll come around. And their patience is paying off this fall.
“He has always been a good football player and he’s always had crazy things happen that have prevented him from getting on the field,” Zwaan said. “Now that he is, he is playing well for us.”
Through three games, Morrissey is leading WCU in tackles (20) and sacks (two), and has been a force at inside linebacker for the 2-1 Golden Rams. When he got the starting nod for the opener against Bentley, it was Morrissey’s first in five years.
“It felt great, but it was actually my first start since my senior year in high school in 2012,” he pointed out. “It was quite a surreal feeling. I was super nervous.”
An intriguing prospect out of Springfield, Morrissey started his college career like many freshmen, as he was redshirted his first season in 2013. He did not play a down the following season due to a myriad of factors, including weight issues, some nagging injuries and academic factors.
In 2015, he missed five games with a shoulder injury but did play in eight games and logged 15 tackles as a reserve. Along the way, Morrissey exhibited a feel for the game and a nose for the football.
“We noticed that right away when we were recruiting him in high school,” Zwaan recalled. “He is a big kid and a lot of people wanted him to be a defensive end, but his feel for the game made us feel like, maybe he is a linebacker. He can just see things happen.”
Expected to challenge for a starting job last fall, Morrissey showed up for summer camp out of shape, played sparingly in one game, and then took a leave of absence.
“I got sick, combined with some other stuff,” Morrissey explained. “I thought it was in my best interest to take some time off from football and come back when I was fully prepared.
“I talked to coach Zwaan and he fully supported me. I can’t thank him enough for that.”
Clearly at a crossroads, Morrissey dropped out of school and began working full-time for a trucking company. It was tough, physical work, and his hours fluctuated.
“I had to wake up at all hours of the day and do jobs all across the state,” he said. “It was lifting heavy materials in and out of trucks. It was no fun.”
It was also the kind of sobering experience Morrissey needed, and the kind his parents had envisioned. He returned to WCU last spring and grabbed an interception in the Purple-Gold Spring Scrimmage. And he showed up for summer workouts in the best shape of his life, and earned his way onto the field.
“He came back in great shape this summer,” Zwaan said.
“I knew that working for a trucking company was something I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life,” Morrissey acknowledged. “I wanted to get back to school, play football and get out of here with a degree. I wanted to do something I could be proud of.
“There were times when I came to camp heavy, like 10-15 pounds overweight. But (Zwaan) and (defensive coordinator Mike) Furlong always said that if I can play, I would play.”
Against Bentley he had two sacks. A week later, he amassed 10 tackles at Slippery Rock. And last weekend, he led West Chester in tackles and pounced on a fumble.
“Tyler is an All-Conference-caliber guy because you never have to take him off the field,” Zwaan said. “He can defend the pass and he runs well enough to run down guys with the ball.
“Statistically, he will put numbers up because he will be on the field a lot. And I think we will see him make a lot of big plays — interceptions or sacks here and there — because he can see the offense coming at him.”
Morrissey credits his turn-around, on and off the field, to prioritizing — and it all started with more focus and effort in the classroom.
“One thing I learned is that school is very important,” said Morrissey, a criminal justice major. “Grades were a factor in my whole situation. When I got back and put my mind into my studies, everything sort of clicked.
“When I had a goal, something to work towards every day, football just kind of fell into place.”
There are challenges ahead, and Morrissey still has to navigate the last three-fourths of the season. But he has another year of eligibility, he has become a valuable defensive performer, and he is making progress academically.
“It feels good to know that coach Zwaan and the rest of the coaches were willing to stick with me, and ride it out through all of the ups and downs of my college career,” Morrissey said.
“I’ve told my story to a lot of my younger teammates. When I left, I had to get a job for a year and pay my own way. I guess I just had to learn some things the hard way.”