Mark Dantonio’s Lucky #13 Commit for the 2014 Recruiting Class: Athlete Matt Morrissey

Mark Dantonio’s Lucky #13 Commit for the 2014 Recruiting Class: Athlete Matt Morrissey The Spartan Family welcomed one of its own to Mark Dantonio’s 2014

Mark Dantonio’s Lucky #13 Commit for the 2014 Recruiting Class: Athlete Matt Morrissey

The Spartan Family welcomed one of its own to Mark Dantonio’s 2014 recruiting class. Son of humble Spartan parents, Matt Morrissey is more excited than he can say to make East Lansing his home next summer.

The Morrissey family is one with deep Green and White roots. Matt’s dad, Jim, played linebacker for Michigan State in the 1980’s, delivering bruising hits to numerous Big Ten backs. Matt’s mom, Amy, is an alum of the school just like his dad. Matt’s older sister is currently a junior at Michigan State and an All-Academic Big Ten player on the women’s basketball team.

But the youngest of the Morrissey clan did not decide simply based on family history. His parents did not push him to become a Spartan. After a long recruiting process, the Illinois native chose MSU himself, for a number of reasons.

Matt recently joined Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr. on Spartan Nation Radio to talk about his recruitment and why he chose Michigan State.

Michigan State was not Morrissey’s only choice. Thanks to his talent at multiple positions (safety, wide receiver, etc.), the youngster attracted scholarship offers from many other schools, such as Illinois, Boston College, and Syracuse. Matt has an older brother who attends Boston College, so some were thinking that a family connection there might have led him to become a BC Eagle.

The recruiting process can be a grueling one. Twitter’s growing popularity allows countless “fans” to hound players, while pundits try to pick a recruit’s final destination. All the while, the hunt for top-notch recruits has intensified, causing some recruits to shy away from the intense spotlight suddenly shining on top prospects. But with an amazing family behind him, Matt’s recruitment process went smoothly. “It’s been a great process. It’s nice to get it over for sure and I feel that I’ve made the right choice and the best fit for me,” Morrissey said. “I’m pretty excited about joining the Spartan family.”

Raised in a Green and White family, Matt was exposed to Michigan State at a young age. His parents could have easily induced him to follow in their footsteps. But they did not attempt to influence him, allowing him to come to his own conclusion. Said Morrissey, “They helped me the whole way through the recruiting process, letting me make my own decision and letting me go through all the different schools and by the end of it. It was a clear choice for me that I wanted to become a Spartan.”

When Matt decided that MSU was the perfect fit for him, the Morrisseys were obviously psyched. “I don’t know who was more excited. I think my sister definitely showed it more than my parents. She was jumping off the walls: she was very excited. I think that all three of them were excited, but really my whole family was excited for me,” Matt revealed. “My older sister went to Indiana and my brother went to Boston College, but I think they were just as excited for me as the other three were. It’s a great time for our family.”

The Spartan coaching staff is just as eager to welcome Morrissey to the program. The 6’3, 195 pound prospect can deliver bone-crushing hits just like his dad did, while also having the ability to adeptly catch passes, intended for him or not. The incoming senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School has seen time at both wide receiver and safety, and has displayed amazing ability wherever he has lined up. “My ball skills are probably the best part of my game. Tracking the ball and making plays. I’m always working on different things,” Morrissey said. “I think I’ve got good size and length for a safety, but they strictly have me as an athlete right now, so if I play on the offensive side of the ball, I hope I can contribute to them that way as well. Whatever Coach [Dantonio] tells me to play, I’d like to contribute to the team and hopefully have them win.”

Dantonio and Co. have not yet chosen where Morrissey best fits, and will hold off on that decision until the youngster finishes growing. “As I grow and develop, they will evaluate me more as I move into camp next summer,” Matt explained. But the most likely destination for him would be wide receiver or safety. “They talked about outside or slot receiver: I don’t think I’ll be able to get big enough for a tight end spot,” Morrissey said. “Either that or on the defensive side of the ball at safety. Also if I grow, and get a little bit bigger, as an outside linebacker.”

Matt holds a significant advantage over one-way players. After seeing the field from both perspectives, the recruit can get inside the minds of players who line up against him. “I think playing both sides of the ball is going to help me out a lot just knowing what defensive players are thinking and what offensive players are thinking,” he said. “I think overall it’s going to help me become a better player on either side of the ball.”

But Morrissey’s hidden advantage might just be his coachable nature, not his propensity for laying down crushing hits and snagging passes. Every coach craves players who are open and willing to learn. Morrissey is one such player. “That’s coming from how you grow up and the way your parents raised you,” the newest Spartan explained. “I think any player has room to grow, whether you’re in high school, college, or even in the NFL. Every player can get better each year: that is what my dad has taught me throughout my life and throughout my career. It’s definitely a big attribute that all players should have.”

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio will certainly come to love Morrissey for this characteristic. Matt already loves the veteran leader and is excited to play for such an accomplished, yet caring, head coach. “I just have so much respect for Coach Dantonio and the way he runs this program. It was a great chance to meet with him today and he’s such a great guy, overall. He’s a great coach, but an even better person,” Morrissey said. “Just spending time with him, I felt so comfortable talking to him about football and just about life. I think that was a big thing. Our relationship, I’m sure, will grow from here on out. A big thing he told me was that our relationship won’t just last through these next four or five years, our relationship will last forever. That really stuck with me and that was a big thing in recruiting for me.”

Morrissey also added, “He’s definitely a family guy. We talked about a lot more than just football. I definitely appreciate that. He’s an upfront guy and he’s a real guy that I really appreciate. I’m just blessed and honored to play for him and excited to join his program and work as hard as I can for him.”

The Spartan Nation is glad to have Matt Morrissey as a new member of the family and have him join Dantonio’s quest to take Michigan State to the promised land. With his versatility and talent, Matt has heaps of potential that could allow him to not only continue the Morrissey family legacy, but to take it to new heights. As for right now, though, Matt is just happy to be a Spartan. “It’s a great feeling driving home with my parents from East Lansing and knowing this is going to be my new home,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, I can’t really describe it. There’s not a happier kid in the world than I am right now after committing.”