How Nicholas Morrow went from Division III to a 3-sack game with the Eagles

Nicholas Morrow was mostly aware of what he signed up for when he committed to play football at Division III Greenville University.

Among the list of experiences included paying his own tuition, training at a small facility shared with the local elderly community, playing in front of sparse crowds, and partaking in up to 12-hour bus rides for road games.

There was one caveat, though, that caught Morrow off guard upon his arrival to Greenville’s campus, located in rural central Illinois with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students.

When Morrow first opened the door that led to his modest 200-something-square-foot dorm room, he made a quick observation.

“This is a two-person room, like, this is room for only two people … and there were three beds,” Morrow recalled. “That’s the kind of living situation I was in. We were really crammed in.

“You only go to a program like that if you truly love the game.”

During a recent phone interview with Morrow’s college coach, Robbie Schomaker prefaced the conversation: “I think it’s hard to really articulate how outlandish this whole story is in terms of where he came from, and where he is now.”

Morrow credits his humble beginnings for playing a large factor in his ability to carve out an impressive six-year pro career with the Raiders, Bears, and Eagles. He is the only alumnus from Greenville to play in the NFL, and he is one of only a handful of Division III players in the league.

“I’m proud to have that part of my journey,” Morrow said. “Just grateful to go through those types of things.”

After he started all 17 games and led the Bears with 116 tackles last season, Morrow signed a one-year deal that included no guaranteed salary with the Eagles in free agency. He initially appeared to be a top candidate to be Nakobe Dean’s running mate at off-ball linebacker. However, the Eagles released Morrow at the conclusion of training camp, as they elected to keep just three linebackers — Dean, Christian Elliss, and newcomer Zach Cunningham – on the 53-man roster.

It was crushing news for Morrow and his wife, Megan, who recently gave birth to the couple’s first child this summer.

“He wouldn’t be defined by getting cut,” Schomaker said. “He’s had to earn everything.”

Morrow later returned to the Eagles’ practice squad, and he was promoted to the active roster after Dean sustained a foot injury during the season opener at New England. With Dean being placed on IR, the Eagles had a glaring need at the middle level of the defense.

Fortunately for defensive coordinator Sean Desai, Morrow has provided the unit with a steady veteran presence. He’s coming off a career game against the Commanders; Morrow is the first linebacker to record 10-plus tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble since James Harrison in 2007.

“Nick has done a good job taking that coaching and really taking ownership of this role we’ve asked him to step into,” Desai said. “He’s communicated really well on the field and that’s a big job for the green dot guy to make sure the calls get out — he’s doing a good job of that. He’s taking ownership. He’s being loud and he’s reacting well. He’s trusting his instincts and trusting the game plan and trusting the coaching.”

Morrow also is the second-highest graded NFL off-ball linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus. His 84.9 grade on PFF’s scale is second on the Eagles behind rookie Jalen Carter.

“Not making the initial roster to having three sacks last week, that’s somebody that has taken advantage of his opportunity,” coach Nick Sirianni said Friday. “That’s somebody that hasn’t let the ups and downs of the season affect him…I think that speaks a lot to the character of Nick. It’s easy to feel good when you’re on top, but how do you keep working when you’re not.

“[I’ve] got a lot of respect for him.”

Schomaker became elated this past week when he watched Morrow’s from Greenville, where he has served as head coach for the past decade with Morrow starring there between 2013-2016.

“He’s an amazing representation of our university,” Schomaker said. “He would go so far above and beyond here. A lot of weeks, he’d be watching more film than my staff. He would overcome our lack of resources. We don’t have a speed trainer, so he would work with the track coach. We don’t have a nutritionist, so he was friendly with the cafeteria workers. He would just find ways to get better.”

Presumably, Dean will return sometime in the near future. The second-year linebacker is eligible to return from IR after Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. At that point, Desai will need to decide between pairing Dean with either Morrow or Cunningham for a large portion of his base packages.

Whatever is headed in his direction, Morrow plans to apply the same mindset that was rooted from his time at D-III Greenville.

“I paid to play there, I got into debt. I had to pay my student loans back. I play because I love the game,” he said. “There’s no incentive. No matter what circumstance it is, I’m approaching it like it’s the highest level of football.”