Interview with 2012 Kicker Marshall Morgan (Archbishop McCarthy)

Sebastian Janikowski. Graham Gano. Dustin Hopkins…. Marshall Morgan?

Some in South Florida are talking about a kicking prodigy coming out of the 2012 class. That kicker is Marshall Morgan of Archbishop McCarthy high school. Marshall measures in at 6’3 194 lbs. As any fan of Florida State would know, a kicker is crucial to a team’s success. Marshall has carried Archbishop McCarthy to its most glorious times in football. McCarthy made it to the 3rd round of the playoffs and posted a 10-2 season. They eventually lost to Miami Norland, alma mater of FSU DB Xavier Rhodes.

Archbishop McCarthy located in Southwest Ranches, FL is the sister school to Archbishop Carroll. Some may know the high school Archbishop Carroll as the alma mater of FSU WR Rodney Smith. Since McCarthy’s inception in 1998, no football player has been more decorated than Marshall Morgan. When I asked how far he could kick, Marshall said: "I can kick 53 long in a game, and 64 long in practice." Morgan has received 3A first team all-state honors both in his freshman and sophomore year. Junior year accolades have not been released yet.

Recruiting has just begun for this young phenom. He currently has two offers from major D1 schools. Florida State and Georgia. Some of the other schools recruiting him are Florida, Oregon, Texas Christian, Alabama, Washington, Rutgers and Miami. The Florida State coach recruiting him is ace recruiter Eddie Gran. When asked about Gran, Marshall said: "Eddie Gran is very welcoming and a coach that I feel you can talk to. He seems confident in what he does which would make me comfortable if he were my coach." Not only can Marshall kick, he can punt as well. When I asked if he preferred kicking or punting, he said "I like punting and kicking equally."

Marshall is not only a star on the field but also a star in the classroom. He has a 4.17 GPA currently at one of the toughest schools in Broward county. His football coach preaches school to his players constantly. "Academics are everything. My football coach, coach (Tim) Conrad, is my English teacher and has taught me to make academics my first priority. I enjoy school and then football after," Morgan said. He plans on majoring in something sports related when he attends college.

What are Marshall’s plans for the future? His goals are to get stronger, faster, and smarter. This summer he plans to attend the big foot kicking camp run by coach Tim Conrad. Coach Conrad has worked with Brett Swenson, Michigan State’s all-time leading kickers, as well as Tennessee’s kicker Michael Palardy, former St. Thomas Aquinas student. Conrad's resume is pretty thick, and it's a great benefit to Marshall that he is the special teams coach at Archbishop McCarthy.

After the jump, you’ll see highlights with Marshall as well as a video interview with courtesy of the MiamiHerald.