David Serna, who spent seven seasons as Florida Atlantic’s running backs coach, remembers recruiting Alfred Morris out of high school. He remembers Morris’ high school coach telling him, “If he ain’t good enough for you, you’ll never find anyone good enough for you.” And Serna remembers thinking if Morris had been an inch taller or slightly faster, Florida Atlantic would have had no shot at him.
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But Serna is clearly thrilled that Morris wasn’t a little taller or faster. Then he would have missed out on a player he considers “the best character kid I’ve ever been around….He’s one of those young men where you say if you had a daughter and she brought him home you wouldn’t be disappointed.”
The Redskins, though, aren’t bringing him here to date anyone’s daughters. They want him to be productive, which is what Morris was in college. Some analysts consider him a potential third-down back in part because of his pass-protection skills.
“Not only is he a tough kid but he has a football IQ and he can understand it and he’s willing to embrace that role,” said Serna, who also coached three years at Texas El-Paso. “That’s a big transition for running backs, but it won’t be as big for him. He brings a workmanlike O-line mentality when he’s called upon to block.”
In the email report, Serna also talks about why he thinks Morris would have been as productive as some backs in BCS leagues, but why they would not have matched what he did at FAU. It comes down to intangibles, Serna said. He also talks about how Morris fits into the stretch zone and his toughness — mental and physical.
And, yes, he discusses Morris’ penchant for fumbling. After he was drafted, Morris said part of the reason he fumbled so often (16 times) stemmed from a lack of talent around him. Serna agrees.
“He could have done a better job of holding it high and tight, but the kid was trying to win the game and fight for every yard,” Serna said.
It’ll be difficult for Morris to win a roster spot, with Evan Royster, Roy Helu and Tim Hightower ahead of him. But Morris can also play fullback and that versatility ultimately could help.
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