Morton becoming leader for Mocs
After Monday afternoon’s practice, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Tom Arth spoke highly of Bingo Morton’s development as a wide receiver in 2017.
He was equally effusive in his praise of Morton off the field.
“I think Bingo certainly made a lot of progress from this time last year to the end of the season,” Arth said. “I saw so much growth last year, and this winter was another period of time in which we saw a lot — not just as a player, but more in terms of his ability as a leader.
“That’s what really stood out to me. We’re only a couple of days into spring, so it’s hard to say how much improvement he’s made as a player at this point, but in terms of his leadership skills, he’s doing great.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder was the Mocs’ leading pass-catcher last season as a junior, with 39 receptions and four touchdowns. Always regarded as a prospect in-waiting, Morton started getting more opportunities during the 2017 season and was able to take advantage, highlighted by a 59-yard scoring catch against UT-Martin.
“After the first few games, I was able to get comfortable with the offense — in the flow of the game speed — and was able to get used to the coaches and the coaching style,” Morton said. “Once I started catching a lot of balls and getting a lot of looks, I started to get a lot more confidence and the ball started coming my way.”
The former three-star prospect waited his turn in the program over the years, being stuck behind players such as Xavier Borishade, C.J. Board and James Stovall in the pecking order. But despite his development, the Mocs struggled to a 3-8 record, although they were pleased with the 2-2 finish that included wins over then eighthranked Samford and East Tennessee State and an overtime loss to Wofford.
So entering 2018, Morton’s focus isn’t as much on taking the next step individually as seeing his final team make a run at the NCAA playoffs.
“I’m just focused on making this a great season for me, but I want to have a good season as a team and build on what we did last year at the end of the season,” Morton said. “Right now we’re just bettering ourselves. I want to have a great season, but I want the team to have a great season as well.”
Said Arth: “I think that’s the right mentality. Bingo knows he has to concentrate on being the best he can be, and he’s done that. He’s worked hard and pushed himself further than he has in the past, which is going to translate, but at the end of the day, what I’ve grown to love about Bingo is he’s a team guy and is about the success of our program.
“He’s willing to contribute in whatever role we ask of him. Whether it’s a major role or whether it’s not quite as big, he’s willing to take on whatever comes.”
The Mocs will be back at practice on Wednesday.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@ timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.