A Tale of two number 55s

“Going to a new place, a new beginning, a team that I felt like has a good tradition of hard-nosed football. A team that has been to the playoffs in the last couple of years; I couldn’t be more excited,” continued Morrison.

Kirk Morrison started all 79 of his career games in Oakland and led the team in tackles for four straight years. He is from Oakland and played his college ball at San Diego State University. He said the trip across the country was a long one, but when he exited the plane in Jacksonville he sensed it was like a new beginning for him. He said it felt like he was drafted all over again.

Morrison is pumped about the opportunity to play for a Head Coach who is a former NFL linebacker and linebackers coach, Jack Del Rio. “In 2005, I did visit with the Jaguars. I’m excited, because I feel like I have a new set of eyes. I’m going to be able to see what he sees out there on the football field and look for him to give me as many tips and things that I’ve never been able to see. It will help me out in this league.”

Morrison said his one goal this year is to make the playoffs this year, a feat he was unable to accomplish as a member of the Silver and Black. He talked of how frustrating it was sitting at home every January and watching the teams that were in the playoffs while thinking that he could actually play better football than some of the guys who were out there on the field with those teams.

“Winning makes you feel good, and it keeps a lot of people having jobs, I’ll tell you that,” Morrison said. “I want to compete, I’m a competitor. Just when I look around the locker room and talking with some of the guys, I think that everyone is hungry here. You look at people’s eyes, they want to win, they want to go to the playoffs,” Morrison said with conviction at the conference.

Just looking at the video, watching how Morrison’s face was reacting to what he was saying, you almost get the sense that he didn’t feel the same way when he was in Oakland. Feel free to form you own impression of the conference. You can watch it in its entirety by clicking here.

Morrison will surely be missed in Oakland, but perhaps not remembered as one of the greatest middle linebackers the team has ever had. He said that Jacksonville is going to give him the opportunity to play the middle linebacker position in their defense.

Raider’s rookie linebacker Rolando McClain looked so young in his press conference compared to the veteran Morrison. He almost had a deer in the headlights look on his face, like he did not know what to expect of the Alameda media on hand to ask questions.

“The day after I got drafted, I called, looking for a playbook, something to look over,” Rolando said with a bashful smile, “Some DVD’s and a playbook, so I didn’t waste any time.”

Coach Cable spoke of how he was surprised with the fluidity that McClain was able to call the defensive huddles with during the Raiders first practice, “I thought [he was] very poised and he seemed to adapt to being able to go in and call the huddle right away. He’s been here really less than 24 hours. It shows the level of intelligence this young has, his background. He was very impressive that way.”

McClain was asked what it meant to him to have the Raiders trade Kirk Morrison on day three of the draft to clear the path for the Alabama Crimson Tide run stuffer. “I mean, it’s an honor,” McClain responded, “but I just gotta take it for what it is. The job is not going to be given to me, I know I have to work for it; I’m prepared to do that. All I can do is step in and try to do what I did at the University of Alabama, that’s being a leader. Bring my leadership as well as my physical ability. Try to gel with the guys that have been here, the veterans, and just be me; that leader and that player that I know I can be.”

McClain proved himself as a leader in the National Championship Crimson Tide defense. He is a very smart player, who racked up over 100 tackles for the Crimson Tide en route to a NCAA National Championship. He is a field general who Nick Saban called, “Probably the best defensive football player in the country.”

He was a key contributor to a defense that ranked second in the nation in stopping the run, allowing only 68 yards per game in the SEC; a college division which is has produced some of the NFL’s top running backs such as Ronnie Brown, Frank Gore, and Broncos rookie Knowshon Moreno, who McClain has played against before.

McClain talked about the 4-3 defense actually having an advantage of his position, “I’m used to being lined up over a guard, but out here, I’m able to run free without so much trash in front of me. I have a good veteran D-Line and today, they did a good job keeping me free. I’m looking forward to playing the 4-3.”

Rolando went on to talk about his leadership capabilities; something which all the scouts who reviewed him prior to the draft were very fond of: “I think you’re either born with it or you’re not. For me, it was something I was born with. I wasn’t always a vocal leader, for the most part I was just a guy who led by example. But my last two years in college, coach needed me to be more of a vocal leader; it was something they pushed for me to do, and so I did it. Now it’s like second nature.”

The Raiders believe McClain is the guy who can come in and get everyone on the right page on this talented defense the Raiders have acquired. Last year, there seemed to be too much disorganization, but if you’ve ever seen the Crimson Tide defense play a game with McClain in the middle, then that is something you did not see, disorganization. A lot of times when I watched him play; I was stunned by how easily their defense was able to communicate with each other. There was a lot of one word coding that the teammates understood. At times, McClain could just give a head nod, or a hand signal to the different players and that was a signal to change their assignment. He was able to do these things because of the time he spent watching film of his opponents. Many times, McClain was able to anticipate what type of play, or even exactly what play, was being run based on the formations and motions of his opponents.

The Raiders players know his reputation, and they have welcomed the new addition to the defense, “At first when I got here, and they told me I would be the middle linebacker, I was nervous about the veteran guys not welcoming me in, but everybody’s welcomed me in. They want me to succeed because they want the defense to be better. Everybody’s kind of taking me under their wing and trying to make sure I’m in the right spot and I understand everything, so that as a defense, we’re good.”

McClain also said that he doesn’t feel the pressure of being a top pick for the Raiders. “Its football,”  he said, “it’s just practice; you go out and have fun.”

The changing of the guard was one that Raider Nation saw coming. While some may have wanted the Raiders to draft offensive line players with their top pick, others saw this as an opportunity to get the type of player who only comes around every so often. With some good old fashioned hard work and putting his nose to the grindstone, there is no doubt in my mind that the Raiders new middle linebacker could eventually achieve the status of a Ray Lewis or Mike Singletary. So while I have to say thank you and good luck to Kirk Morrison, I also have to say that this defense is officially upgraded with the addition of Rolando McClain.

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