Last year, the Redskins finagled arguably the steal of the draft, selecting running back Alfred Morris in round six. This year, another Morris faces even longer odds to stardom.
Shawn Morris, a Division III college running back at Birmingham Southern, is Alfred’s brother. The younger Morris spent the weekend with his brother’s team on a tryout basis.
“Same personality, for sure,” coach Mike Shanahan told reporters on Sunday regarding Shawn Morris. “I’m not sure they both run the same. But what a quality young man.”
Shawn Morris is among more than 40 players who have gotten a chance to get one of 90 offseason roster spots.
“What we do is have our scouts look at these players and if they think somebody has an attribute where it gives them a chance to make our football team, then we bring them in,” Shanahan said. “We brought in, like I mentioned, I believe it was 47 guys and either a scout or a coach saw something that they thought they should be in our camp and have a chance to make our football team.”
The five-foot, eight-inch Shawn Morris talked about his NFL prospects while taking part in the UAB Pro Day workout in March. “I’ve always been small and I’ve always excelled because I have the heart of a lion,” Morris said.
He may have the heart of a lion, but he’ll need to do a lot to have the uniform of a Redskin come September.
[Photo credit: Birmingham Southern Athletics]