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Buccaneers share incredible NFL Draft call with Benjamin Morrison
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Buccaneers defenders have carved out their own legacy recently with heroic names like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch, just to name a few.
And now Tampa Bay has given another defensive player that very chance. He’s former Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who could’ve been drafted a lot higher but was more than grateful to be selected at No. 53 by the Buccaneers on Friday night.
Morrison probably would’ve been one of the top cornerbacks taken in the draft if not for a brutal hip injury last fall that cut his last season in South Bend short. He had bilateral hip surgery, which limited his 2024 season to 6 games. Notre Dame made it all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship game without Morrison, but that doesn’t mean the Fighting Irish didn’t miss his elite skills.
Still, Morrison was taken in the second round by Tampa Bay and was the fifth player selected at his position despite the uncertainty coming off the major surgery. Morrison may yet do big things for the Bucs, and if his draft call is any sign of his future, well, he’s got greatness ahead of him.
When Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made the call to Morrison on Friday night, it was time to bring out the tissues because the emotions were flowing for Morrison.
“I’m not going to let you down. I promise you, man,” said Morrison, who also thanked the Buccaneers for believing in him while fighting back tears.
Here is the video of the unforgettable call:
When the call was over, Bowles and general manager Jason Licht shook hands, knowing they got themselves a special player and a special young man.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
