It took two tries, but Morgan State sophomore cornerback Darren McKahn made the right choice.
McKahn, a native of Miami, spent last season at the University of Connecticut before transferring to Morgan this year. The sophomore is one of 18 Bears players originally fro Florida and one of 17 who transferred to The Baltimore school from another university.
“Morgan State just felt like the right place for me to be,” McKahn said. “There were already a lot of guys from Florida here and Coach [Donald] Hill-Eley provides a great environment. We’re going to make history here.”
The 6-foot, 185-pound McKahn has already made his presence known on the field for Morgan (4-3, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). Entering this afternoon?s game at 2 at conference rival Delaware State (5-1, 4-0), McKahn has 12 tackles and an interception.
McKahn is also part of a defense that is one of the best in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bears rank fourth nationally and first in the MEAC in total defense, allowing 263.8 yards a game.
Hill-Eley said McKahn has made a smooth transition to Morgan State and to his coaching philosophy. Hill-Eley said it’s not always easy for players to quickly adjust to a new team and new school, but also knows many players come to Morgan State looking for a fresh start and proper guidance.
“My goal whenever I recruit a player is to not only make them the best football player I can, but make them a better person as well,” Hill-Eley said. “Darren has been a positive influence on the team so far. He’s been able to step right in and contribute wherever we’ve needed him.
“There’s a lot of changes players have to deal with when they transfer from a big-time program to a smaller school like Morgan. But when players arrive here, they understand what we are selling, which includes a quality education, visibility from playing time that they might not have had elsewhere, a chance to learn how to become a man and be successful off the field after they leave here.”
McKahn said Hill-Eley helped keep the team remain focused as the Bears? suffered three straight losses before winning their next three entering today?s game at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. That perseverance gives McKahn confidence that Morgan is a legitimate contender for the MEAC title, which would be the Bears first championship and FCS playoff berth since 1979.
“We learned we can battle back from adversity,” McKahn said. “Now we have the chance to control our own destiny and prove we are the best team in the MEAC.”
Hill-Eley said his team learned a lot during its losing streak and appears to be peaking at the opportune time.
“We’re winning games now like we were losing them earlier this season,” Hill-Eley said. “We have no excuses right now. We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position, and this week against Delaware State is our biggest opportunity of the year to make a statement about where we are as a program.”
MORGAN STATE (4-3) VS. DELAWARE STATE (5-1)
» KICKOFF: Today, 2 p.m.
» WHERE: Alumni Stadium, Dover, Del.
» TV/RADIO: 88.9 FM
» TICKETS: Available
