After college Morris never let go of football, and he finally found a niche teaching. He used his knowledge accumulated in all those practices and games under David Cutcliffe, watching Manning do work, to become a quarterback tutor down in Mobile, and he's given personal instruction to a bunch of kids over the years, including some guy by the name of A.J. McCarron (recent recipient of the Johnny Unitas Award).
Morris maintains a workspace in the back of his father Skeeter’s real estate office, a single-story, brown-brick building on Dauphin St. in Mobile. There is no name on his door, but hints of a career in transition dot the room. Section maps of Mobile line a wall across the hallway; a metal filing cabinet is covered with a master schedule of every SEC game scheduled for the 2011 season. Atop a pile of papers is a glossy photograph of Eli Manning playing in his first Super Bowl. Manning gave the photograph to Morris as a gift for being in his wedding. There is a note scribbled in black marker across the print.
To Dave, “D-Mo”Thanks for all the signal tests. You’re the best backup QB ever!
Morris acknowledges Manning’s readiness to needle him, but the old backup developed thick skin over the years. His understated nature and relatively compact size — 6-feet, 180 pounds — caused McCarron’s father, Tony, to question whether he had found the right tutor for his son when he first met Morris nine years ago. When Tony and A.J. arrived for their first session, Tony eyed Morris on the soccer field at Spring Hill College. He took the measure of Morris, then turned to A.J.
“Looks like I could out-throw him,” Tony said. “He’s an itty-bitty guy.”
Pleasantries exchanged, Morris tossed a ball hard and deep. A.J. turned to his dad. “That’s gonna be tough to beat,” A.J. said.
“Yeah,” Tony said. “Maybe back in my day.”Read the rest of the story.