Greenville alum Nicholas Morrow makes Raiders' 53-man NFL roster
*Material contributed from Oakland Raiders, San Fransico Gate and Greenville University athletics.
Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif.---Late Saturday night, the Oakland Raiders made final moves to
set the squad's initial 53-man roster prior to the NFL deadline and one surprising name was left on the list – 2016 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Defensive Player of the Year and former Greenville University football linebacker Nicholas Morrow.
Morrow made history Saturday as Greenville and the UMAC's first football player to make an NFL 53-man roster. During this preseason, Morrow caught the attention of the news media as an underdog from a Division III school trying to make the final cut.
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When the announcement of waivers came late Saturday, Morrow had defied all odds as he avoided the names of players who had been released by the Raiders. The NFCA All-American was impressive for Oakland in the preseason leading all defenders in tackles with 15. In his final showing before cuts on Thursday, Morrow narrowly sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin forcing an interception.
Morrow first caught the attention of NFL scouts during the 2016 season in which he recorded 66 tackles and 11 for a loss. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in May giving him an opportunity to prove he was capable of competing at the highest level of the sport.
In an interview
last week with the San Francisco Gate, Morrow indicated playing in front of large crowds didn't make him nervous because it hadn't really sunk in yet that he was competing in the NFL. “Everyone is obviously bigger than me, but my speed translates at this level,” Morrow said in the interview. “I can still outrun some people and make some plays.”
Morrow continued to garner attention throught the preseason as a Division III player who was making an impact on the field – something he became accustomed to during his time at Greenville. The former Panther defensive back was a versatile player who three times earned All-UMAC honors. He finished his career with 151 solo and 71 assisted tackles over 34 games adding five sacks and 38 tackles for a loss.
The NFL regular season kicks off for the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 10 as they face off against against the Tennessee Titans on the road – another opportunity for Morrow to prove himself and shine a light on Division III athletics.