A Conversation with Stephen Morris
March 26, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – After the sixth practice of the spring, we sat down with Canes quarterback Stephen Morris, who has embraced a new role during the spring season while he recovers from injury. Morris can now be seen donning a Miami cap and a whistle instead of a helmet and pads, but that doesn’t stop him from being any less involved. This spring has been an interesting experience, but it also hasn’t stopped Morris from continuing to work at his craft.
What is it like to move from the field to the sidelines? It hasn’t been too different as far as preparations go, I still study the practice script at night, and in the meeting room I’m just trying to make sure all the other quarterbacks are prepared and understand what’s going on. On the field instead of practicing I’m checking with the other guys to make sure they know what the whole play is and the purpose of the play is.
Do you feel it’s beneficial to the players to have another eye on the field? It’s definitely extra beneficial, because if you’re really serious about getting better, at quarterback the physical aspects of the game are important, but the mental aspects are more important. I’m trying to be the best I can be mentally so I know where the ball should go in different situations. The goal is for all of us to know these things and be on the same page.
Do you find yourself chomping at the bit to get going or are you cherishing your time off the field before you’re back out here every day? I just want to get back already. I know I don’t want to rush anything, but inside of me its killing me not to be out there. I’m always in the huddle trying to pump guys up to make myself still feel like I’m a part of it. But you got to do what the doctor says so I’m just following what he says.
Could you see yourself getting into coaching in the long run after this experience? It definitely opened my eyes to it. I can really see why coaches love doing this, but right now I’m just focused on getting healthy again and being back on the field and we can worry about coaching later.
What is your favorite part of your experience on the sideline this spring? There are definitely pros and cons to it, but the pros are you really get to see the game differently. I now get to see what Coach Fisch and Coach Golden see. It really helps me understand and be able to help Ryan [Williams] out seeing things from another angle.
How do you feel about the other QB’s progress so far? I’m very impressed with the way they’ve been handling themselves professionally on and off the field. Ryan’s been around for a year now, so he’s been around the offense, but he’s doing a great job of handling the offense and really commanding the best out of the other players. Preston [Dewey] and Gray [Crow] are supposed to still be in high school right now and we’re throwing a lot at them as far as protections go and knowing all the plays. They’re doing a great job of learning and getting all of their questions answered so I’m very impressed with how they’re handling this.
