Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison Mature Beyond His Years
Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison's maturity shined during his recruitment as the former four-star wasn't concerned about the bright lights and wanted to find the best fit for him.
Maybe it was because he's from a family of athletes, but nothing seemed to phase the 6-foot, 180-pounder and that has carried over to Notre Dame.
Morrison now has three starts under his belt as a true freshman and he's still the same person he was when he arrived in June.
"It has been a blessing," Morrison stated. "Grateful that God has put me in the position I am today. I give all the credit to him. It has been everything I ever wanted.
"As a kid, you dream of playing in the games I've played in so far. It's just a blessing. I'm grateful for my coaches for believing in me."
Every freshman has the dream of simply playing when they enter the world of college football. Morrison and fellow freshman cornerback Jaden Mickey did just that as they found themselves on the field in Columbus.
At that moment, Morrison knew he was entirely in control of his destiny.
"Probably the Ohio State game," Morrison said of when it became clear he could play. "That kind of made it clear. Just from my point of view, it was like, 'OK, I can play a little bit.' That was the moment I realized I may be able to contribute to this defense a little more."
And yes, Morrison fully believes it takes a unique makeup and mindset to play the cornerback position as there will be good and bad plays regardless of the player.
Fall camp was a turning point for Morrison as he learned from Notre Dame's veterans, but he also experienced success and failure.
"You can be up one day and down another," explained Morrison. "Having just that level mindset, I've adopted that seeing Clarence (Lewis), seeing Cam (Hart), seeing 'Riq (TaRiq Bracy) and I've been able to learn from there. I've been able to learn a lot from them.
"In high school, you're always that guy. It doesn't really matter who you go against, you're always confident. Here, you go against some of the best people in the nation in practice. This camp really helped me develop into the player I am."
The Arizona native had a great teacher growing up that helped develop that mindset as his father, Darryl, was a safety for the Washington Redskins in the 90s.
Morrison embraced his father's coaching and it gave him a headstart when it came to breaking down film, understanding concepts and offensive tendencies.
"In high school, I remember I was breaking down film by formation as a sophomore," said Morrison. "Stuff you really don't get to until you're in college. I felt I always had the advantage because of that. Coach Freeman speaks on it a lot, preparation, the way you prepare is how you're going to play."
And yes, Morrison is the first to admit there were days he didn't want to hear his father's coaching, but looking back, he wouldn't change it.
"I have those days today where I'm like, 'Dad, stop,'" Morrison stated. "It's little things. But if you truly want to get better, you have to seek that. A lot of people want to shy away from that, but at the end of the day, what's that going to do for you as a human? It doesn't have to be football. He pushes me to be a better man and in the classroom."
Those moments as a youngster have built Morrison into a player who can not only play as a freshman, but start in year one at Notre Dame.
The habits developed at an early age have certainly paid off and stick out to defensive coordinator Al Golden.
"The No. 1 thing, and I think I've said this to you guys before, is my office is right next to Mick's (Mike Mickens), and I just see him there all the time,” Golden said. “I see him with his lunch or coming from class when he's between classes and he's not afraid to be coached and he wants to be better. Sometimes I see him in there before a meeting watching film. To that room's credit, there's a culture of that right now. Ben walked into a culture where guys were doing that. Bracy and Cam and all that.”
With Morrison jumping into a starting role, it also means an experienced cornerback isn't getting game reps. In this case, it's junior Clarence Lewis.
Yet, Lewis has been the one who has helped Morrison grow into the role, which gives him more comfort he made the right decision to sign with Notre Dame.
"He's literally helped me in ways people wouldn't imagine," explained Morrison. "From day one, he has been one of my biggest supporters. I've been one of his biggest supporters. It has never been like that. That's what it's all about.
"You come to Notre Dame for that. You come to Notre Dame to be pushed in all aspects. There has never been any hate or anything. I don't like how people from the outside might make it seem like that. That's my dude. I ride with him. He's a tremendous player. He's going to be in the NFL one day. It's going to be cool to see all of us."
Off the field, Morrison has also been pushed more than ever as he's learning the balance of ball, school and social life.
"It's definitely challenging," stated Morrison. "Some days, you have to ask yourself, are you going to study more film or school? That's the reality of it.
"You have to apply yourself every single day, because if you don't, you'll be on the back hand playing catch-up. How I come with the same mindset to practice is how I have to come with the same mindset to school."
It's clear Morrison is thriving on and off the field, which once again goes back to his parents and his father.
"I don't really give him too much credit," laughed Morrison. "He has kind of molded me for this. He never forced this on me. I knew that if I wanted to do it, I had a great resource around me.
"Once I took advantage of the resource I had in my household, I felt my name go to another level. Not even just physically, but mentally. I'd say he played a huge, huge role in where I am today."
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