Georgia Tech DE Morgan shaping up for NFL draft

The moment Derrick Morgan's collegiate career ended, he officially banned fast food from his diet.

Well, almost.

The Coatesville native admits he snuck away to McDonald's a couple times. But other than that, he's clean.

"I can eat that double cheeseburger but I'm going to feel it in the morning," the Georgia Tech defensive end said. "That's the mind-set you take to losing weight."

He slimmed down, got faster and now is considered the best defensive end prospect in this year's NFL draft. We've seen this rerun before. Every year, a bionic defensive end like Morgan comes along. Some - think Vernon Gholston - flop. Others - think DeMarcus Ware - become lifetime Pro Bowlers. There's little gray area. Morgan realizes this. So the 6-3, 266-pound end shaved excess weight to market himself as a player capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.

Doing the little things is the secret, he says.

"If you approach it with a professional mind-set, I think that really separates a lot of people," Morgan said. "Doing your due diligence and perfecting your craft and then going above and beyond what is asked of you."

Morgan stormed through his junior year at Tech, totaling 12 1/2 sacks and winning Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. So far, his decision to turn pro a year early looks like a smart one. Most of the mock drafts pin Morgan in the top 15. By now, he can't ignore the hype, can't flip past ESPN. Like everyone, he's tracking the rumors. One day last week, Morgan heard that he was bound to join the Cleveland Browns. That was new.

Still, this is all out of his hands. With daily reminders tattooed on his arms, Morgan stays centered. On his right arm is Jesus Christ. On his left is an illustration of the Second Corinthian. His mom broke out crying when she first heard about the ink. But the tattoos have helped Morgan stay focused.

Through his breakout junior year and frenetic predraft whirlwind of visits and workouts, the former Coatesville High star developed a calorie-conscious sixth sense.

Cornerback Michael Peterson, Morgan's sidekick at Georgia Tech, saw the change firsthand last year. Morgan went from being "never not hungry" to eating half a hamburger with one slice of bread, Peterson said.

And on the beach, Peterson couldn't help but do a double take. After the Yellow Jackets' 24-14 loss to Iowa in the Orange Bowl, the two stayed in Miami for a few days. On the beach, where suntan lotion replaced shoulder pads, Peterson barely recognized his best friend.

"You're not checking each other out but you could definitely see a total difference," said Peterson, who made Morgan the godfather of his 8-month-old daughter. "He was cut up. There wasn't as much gut. He just had a little gut before, but there was none of that."

The tone was set. Over the next 3 months, Morgan's diet continued to improve at Athletes' Performance, a training center in Arizona. He went to the grocery store with a nutritionist, snaking through each aisle carefully. Morgan learned to cook for himself. Between the Orange Bowl and the NFL combine - a span of about 50 days - Morgan said he lost 17 pounds. Goodbye, Quarter Pounders.

"It's kind of a way of life now," he said. "That's how I've been eating the last 3 months."

Morgan's disciplined play is the reason he'll be a high pick. Unlike many defensive end prospects, the former high school running back isn't tempted to hightail around offensive tackles at every opportunity. To him, "pass rushing is a privilege." Yet, in the same breath, Morgan realizes half of the teams in the NFL employ 3-4 defenses. These days, one-dimensional pass rushers are in demand. Not exiled. That's why he's losing weight, why he's still waking up in the morning to run the bleachers at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech.

This trimmed physique, Morgan promises, will allow him to slip into a 3-4 defense if need be.

"It's easy for me to drop or gain weight," Morgan said. "I dropped some pounds since my season ended and I've been moving more fluid. It's been easier to move around."

Elliott Lightfoot, an assistant coach at Division II Lincoln University, was Morgan's voice of reason through the college recruiting process. With Morgan receiving interest from 25 schools, Lightfoot was an important mentor.

The player on those Coatesville tapes hasn't changed. Lightfoot saw this day coming.

"He has gone against the top offensive linemen in the country and performed well," Lightfoot said. "He has the motor, the size and the intelligence."

Morgan saw this day coming, too. He expected it. For years, he watched players accompanied by their families wait to be picked in the green room at the Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Now, he'll be there.

"I've been talking about being there one day," Morgan said. "One day, I envisioned myself there."