Posted on Thu, Sep. 02, 2004
KILLIAN
Morley is Bahamas' gift to Cougars
Demetrice Morley grew up on an island. Now he plays on one as the Cougars' star cornerback, a player with 4.39 speed and a gift for big plays.
BY MANNY NAVARRO
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It's a routine drill on a hot, summer afternoon at Killian.
There are no college recruiters in attendance -- just an exhausted football team worn out by the first day of school and a three-hour practice under the watchful eyes of coach Billy Rolle.
Demetrice Morley, a 6-1, 200-pound cornerback with 4.39 speed, is tired, too -- but not enough to let an overthrown pass fall uselessly to the ground.
With the ball on its way down, Morley races 15 yards in a flash, running past teammates to snare the ball with one hand, inches from the ground. He then spins around and returns it for a touchdown.
It's typical Morley, according to Rolle.
''That right there,'' Rolle says of Morley's play, ``is why everyone in the country wants him. Closing speed. Guts. Intensity. He doesn't give up on any play. He's the best player in the state.''
LOST IN SHUFFLE
A year ago, Morley wasn't even the best player on his team in the eyes of recruiters. Most were too busy chasing the team's three big stars -- running back Bobby Washington (N.C. State), cornerback J.R. Bryant (Florida State) and tight end Dane Guthrie (Florida).
''It wasn't really until basketball season that he became as big a star as he is now,'' Killian basketball coach Bob Kaufman said. 'One night, [UM assistants] Don Soldinger and Mario Cristobal came in to watch Dane play basketball. I told them: `Dane is a great athlete, but if you want to see somebody real special, go talk to the guy at the end of the bench.' ''
Before the game, Morley put on a show for UM's coaches, according to Kaufman.
''He grabbed a basketball, stood in front of the rim and dunked the ball without a running start,'' he said. ``Two weeks later, after Miami started talking to him, he was getting letters from everywhere.''
Among the schools to take notice was Florida. Morley says he fell in love with UF's campus and coaches on his summer trip. He gave the Gators a verbal commitment but says: ``My options are still open.''
Should he decide against the Gators, there are plenty of other Top 25 schools offering him a scholarship, including Miami,
Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Florida State.
LIVING IN THE BAHAMAS
Football wasn't always in his plans. Five years ago, when Morley lived with his father in Nassau, Bahamas, the closest he thought he would ever get to football was watching DirecTV.
''I grew up swimming, playing basketball and running track,'' Morley said. ``I loved football, but the only place I could see it was on DirecTV. Michigan became my favorite team because I really liked watching Charles Woodson. He's the reason I wear No. 24.''
Morley got a chance to play football when he moved in with his mother, who lived in Homestead.
After his freshman year at Homestead High, he transferred to Killian and became a track standout, helping the Cougars to a second-place finish at state in the 4x100 relay as a sophomore. As a junior, he finished second at state in the long jump. This year, the Cougars expect him to blossom in football, too.
''With three other Division I-A prospects in our secondary [cornerback Antwan Cox and safeties Corey Parks and Chris Canidate], Morley is going to be freed up to make some plays,'' Rolle said. ``He's going to be special.''
