Former Eagle Morton makes impact at Baylor

From a surprised freshman starter in a state high school championship game, K.J. Morton grew into one of the important cogs in one of college football’s biggest stories over the past few years.

Morton was a part of two GHSA state champion football teams as a cornerback for the Northside High Eagles. After graduating in 2010 and spending one year in the junior college ranks, Morton transferred to Baylor University, which at the time was nowhere near the upper echilon of NCAA’s football bowl subdivision with just 18 wins from 2007-10.

Since then, Baylor Bear football was not only put on the map by a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, but stayed on the map with a team in 2013 that is still in the running for the Big 12 championship and at the very least an at-large spot in the Bowl Championship Series.

For Morton’s part in Baylor’s 10-1 record, he has 43 tackles, six and a half for a loss which includes a sack and a half. He’s intercepted one pass, broken up eight others and forced two fumbles.

The 2012 season was a tough one for Morton. As a junior, he missed half the season to a torn groin. That occurred while playing the University of Texas. Prior to that, he again forced two fumbles and made one pick.

But Morton made a huge splash upon joining the Bears in 2011. He played in 12 games, starting 11, and did enough to earn Honorable Mention for All-Big 12 teams by the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. He led Baylor with four interceptions and made 75 tackles (with a high of 11 against Texas A&M). When the Bears beat then No. 5-ranked Oklahoma, Morton had one interception. He had two in the ‘red zone’ during a victory against Texas.

Baylor’s bid for this year’s Big 12 championship is still alive despite the season’s first loss two weeks ago to Oklahoma State. Morton’s team needs OSU to fall to the Sooners while it beats the Longhorns.

“We’re looking forward to the next game,” said Morton during a telephone interview with the Houston Home Journal from Waco. “It’s big. I always like playing Texas. We look at them as a rival.”

Originally, Morton signed to play for Georgia State University out of high school in 2010. But instead, he enrolled at The College of the Sequoias in California. He said Phil Bennett, the Baylor defensive coordinator, was watching film while recruiting one of his Sequoias teammates.

“I kept coming up (in the plays),” said Morton. “So he asked to see some of my film. After seeing it, they offered me on the spot.”

Morton is basically overjoyed that he chose to play for Baylor, citing both Bennett and head coach Art Briles as great coaches and men who have looked out for his best interests, had faith in his abilities and allowed him to grow in numerous ways.

That first season, 2011, was a turning point for Baylor football. The 2010 team did play in a bowl (losing to Illinois in the Texas Bowl), but in Morton’s sophomore season the Bears won 10 games, including the Alamo Bowl against Washington.

Much of that success will be credited to the Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III. Morton said it was fun seeing the player known as RG3 in action up close. He added that he practiced against the Baylor offense every day, and he believes he and his fellow defenders made Griffin III and the offense better, and vice versa.

That continued over the next two seasons, including 2013 where the Baylor offense under quarterback Brad Petty has dazzled the nation with an average of more than 635 yards and 55 points per game. Morton said he knows for certain he doesn’t face any receivers faster or who run better routes than what he sees in practice.

“I’ve had a good year,” said Morton. “I’ve made the plays I’m supposed to make, got in the right places at the right time.”

Even if Baylor can’t get the Big 12’s automatic BCS bid, Morton said he feels Baylor still deserves to get a look for an at-large bid. The Big 12 champion has been projected to play in the Fiesta Bowl, and there is an open at-large spot for the Orange Bowl.

“The only thing we can do is win out and give it our all,” he said. “We want to show everyone how hard we’ve worked.”

There are two games left in college football for Morton, and when it is all done he plans to prepare himself for the NFL Combine and other workouts prior to the draft.

“That’s my main goal,” he said about professional football. “And I want to have a lot of memories of Baylor.”

Last season, Morton made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, something he was as proud of as any football accomplishment. He is majoring in communications with the aim – if the NFL doesn’t work out – of being a television commentator.

It all started, though, back in 2006 and Northside was preparing for a state championship game with Marist at McConnell-Talbert Stadium.

“I had a good week of practice, and I found out from coach (Kevin) Kinsler I was going to start at cornerback,” said Morton. “I had five tackles, a big third-down stop and two pass break-ups. It was backyard football. A lot of the older guys said they had confidence in me.”

Northside won its first football championship on that night and repeated at Ware County in 2007.

“It’s good to see Baylor (football) rise,” said Morton. “I knew we had it in us if we got on the same page. When you do that, it’s amazing what God can do.”

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