A.D. "Sandy" Morgan (1965) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

A.D. "Sandy" Morgan

Induction:
1965

A.D. (Sandy) Morgan played for the Reed Green coached Southern Miss teams of 1938 and 1939 and during his short two-year career he earned a spot among the best tackles that the school has ever produced.
       He was a strong and powerful tackle on those two Southern Miss teams. On offense he was difficult for the opposition to get around and Morgan consistently opened up holes for an outstanding group of running backs to run through. More times than not he would flatten a defender, keeping him from getting to the quarterbacks and ball carriers.
       On defense Morgan was simply superb. At 6-1, 195 pounds he not only had the strength and agility to play in the line, but the speed and quickness to terrorize the other team's backfield. Throughout the 1938 and 1939 season it was a common sight to see Morgan sacking the quarterback or dropping a running back for a loss.
       Morgan's first season at Southern Miss in 1938 would see the team record a brilliant
7-2 record and the big tackle out of Liberty, Mississippi, should get a lot of the credit for
the team's play that season. His blocking up front on the offensive line was one of the keys to the team four times that year scoring over 32 points, including back to back games when they defeated Delta State 44-0 and Millsaps 47-0.
       The defense that season with Morgan as one of the key ingredients gave up only 20 points all season long and recorded six shutouts. Morgan was among the team leaders in tackles that year.
       Morgan would have a sensational 1939 season, although the team would not have the kind of success it had enjoyed the year before. One of the bright spots that year though was the play of Morgan. Although the offense struggled somewhat that year, it had nothing to do with Morgan's play, because he continued to be a dominant force in the interior line. The team's lack of success that season had more to do with injuries and lack of depth than anything else.
       The defense that year was still solid and Morgan led them to three shutouts and they held four other opponents to a single touchdown.
       An indication of Morgan's play during the 1939 season was that at the end of the year he was an honorable mention selection to the Little All-American team.
       Few players have been as dominant on the front lines as Morgan was during his career at Southern Miss. He had the ability to sometimes take over a game, tough to do as a lineman. But Morgan aggressive play would make the opposition change what they wanted to do. On offense they had to try to run away from him, because if they didn't he would disrupt their attack. On defense the opposition knew they would have a tough time getting around Morgan, so they had to find other ways to attack the Southern offense.
       He was a key to creating the strong and rich football tradition at Southern Miss and he did it through hard work and dedication to be the best and most effective player he could be.
       Morgan also lettered in basketball during the 1937-38 and 1938-39 seasons.