Undersized 09 LB packs a punch

At 5-foot-8, 210 pounds, Class of 2009 linebacker Deshawn Morton has heard the critics. Rarely do you see football players with similar statures suiting up at the Division I level. Nonetheless, the rising junior from Mifflin, Ohio has made a name for himself in the talent-rich Buckeye State with a sort of toughness that you just can't measure.

Morton participated in the Nationalunderclassmen.com combine in New Jersey earlier this summer and will head back up to the Garden State before long for another combine. He has run the 40-yard dash in about 4.8 seconds and believes an emphasis upon speed and agility training will help him get that number down over the course of the next year. How much that speed improves and how much he grows will likely determine whether Morton receives offers in the next year.

"I'd like to play linebacker in college," Morton said. "I know I'm a lot smaller than some of the other guys out there, so there's a chance I might play fullback or even safety. My favorite player is [b]Buster Davis[/b], because he had to answer a lot of questions about his size too. He just proved people wrong. That's what I feel like I always have to do."

Morton did just that last year. As a sophomore at Mifflin he recorded 89 tackles (47 solo), 13 tackles for loss and two interceptions as one of the most productive players in his conference.

Morton recently switched home addresses so he isn't sure if any schools have attempted to send him mail over the past few weeks. He believes if he has the sort of junior season he's capable of having recruiting will take care of itself.

"I basically do everything well," he explained. "The only thing is my size. I run pretty well, I block well, I'm good in coverage, I'm good against the run and I can rush the quarterback. Hopefully I'll start hearing from more schools once our season starts."

While Morton is taking a wait and see approach on recruiting he did mention that Iowa, Wisconsin and Florida State were three schools he is interested in. He grew up an Ohio State fan but would rate the Buckeyes just below the other three if he were making a list of favorites. What exactly is he looking for in a college?

"I'm going to look academics, coaching and the prestige of the school," he said. "Then I'll look at the team's depth at linebacker or whatever position I would be playing. I want to try to play early on, not just sit on the bench."