A familiar name is making headlines around Bank of America stadium. That's because former Panthers linebacker and university of Miami star, Dan Morgan has been hired president of football operations and general manager of the Carolina franchise.
"By putting Morgan in this position, it allows them to tap into his football background and capitalize on his relationships with players, coaches, and agents throughout the league, with the context of the toughness he brought to the game," the Panthers announced last evening.
Morgan now steps into his new front office role and will get ready to dig into rebuilding the 2-15 team. Here's how Morgan's impressive experience can lead the team to success.
In short, he has lived what he will bring to the organization. After amassing 532 tackles as a star linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes, Morgan was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 NFL draft. After eight seasons in the NFL, Morgan had to retire due to nagging injuries. Shortly after, he was inducted into University of Miami Hall of Fame. Throughout his playing days, Morgan was known as a relentless worker. In fact, he totaled 25 tackles in the 2004 Super Bowl. However, it may be the work he has been in post-football that is the most impressive.
From Super Bowl To Intern
In 2010, Morgan began his new career outside of the locker room. He was hired as an intern for the Seattle Seahawks in their scouting department. Quickly, Morgan was able to have an impact relating to players, building culture, and finding quality talent. He would spend five years in Seattle. During this time, the team played in two Super Bowls and won once vs. the Denver Broncos.
Then, Morgan spent three years as the Director of Player Personnel with the Buffalo Bills before the Panthers brought him back. Morgan has been in the building as Assistant General Manager since 2021.
Yesterday, Panthers owner David Tepper gave Morgan a ringing endorsement. Publicly he assured #55 is the leader to bring Bryce Young and the team to where they want to go. "We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player," Tepper said.
Upon being a professional athlete, where you endure fame and an incredible spotlight, not many people would embark on starting over all the way down at the intern level. The Carolina Panthers see the natural grit Dan Morgan exudes and have high hopes he can now embed that attitude into the entire team.
