Oh Captain, My Captain: One of the Greatest to Wear an AFL Uniform
Joe Couch
Tuesday March 26, 2019
I have been following the Arena Football League for more than fifteen years now. I remember watching games when I was younger, trying to find a favorite player to root for that was not on my team. There were so many standout athletes, but known really caught my eye like Donovan Morgan.
In 2010, I remember vividly watching a Tulsa Talons game. I loved watching their offense go to work. Wide receiver number two really caught my attention. I can remember thinking to myself that this guy will become my favorite player in the league because of his skill set and passion for the game.
Number two ended up being Donovan Morgan, a wide receiver from Louisiana-Lafayette University. I loved the way he played the game and his talents that he brought to the table every week. I instantly went and started watching all of his highlight clips and all of his games from there on out. I did not miss a Tulsa Talons game the rest of the year.
Morgan ended up leading the league in touchdowns that year and was instantly a star. I remember reading about all of his accomplishments up to that point of his career. He spent 2004 through 2006 in the NFL with the New York Jets, the Houston Texans, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught four passes in 2005, with the Texans, for 42 yards. Morgan also played for the Tulsa Talons in 2005 when they were in the af2. Records were set that year by Morgan with 346 points, 57 total touchdowns, and 54 receiving touchdowns. Donovan Morgan won Rookie of the Year that year in the af2.
Morgan ended up going back to the NFL and joining the Buffalo Bills in 2007 for a short stint. In 2008, he signed a contract in the AFL to play with the Chicago Rush. He put up big numbers, on his way to earning AFL Rookie of the Year. Morgan became the first player to win Rookie of the Year in both the AFL and the af2.
Like I said previously, he became a Tulsa Talon again in 2010, putting up record numbers. The Philadelphia Soul signed him in 2011 before he was traded in 2012 to the New Orleans VooDoo. He stayed their two years, catching touchdowns and racking up the yards, until he was traded once again to the Los Angeles Kiss in 2014. He got traded again, in 2014, to the Las Vegas Outlaws before getting traded back to the LA Kiss in 2015.
A sad day came upon me and all of Arena Football Nation in 2016, as Morgan retired from the game that he loved. He was one of the best receivers to ever wear a uniform in the AFL. He is ninth all-time in receptions, seventh all-time in receiving yards, and fifth all-time in touchdowns! He has one of the most remarkable careers in AFL history.
When I found out on March 5th that my favorite team, the Columbus Destroyers, signed one of my favorite all-time players, I was ecstatic. Not only will he be coming out of retirement, but he will be wearing my favorite team's jersey. All of Columbus should be truly excited to have one of the legends of the game play for this city. It is going to be a blessing to watch Donovan Morgan suit up once again in the AFL, especially with that Columbus Destroyer name across the front of his jersey!
