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- My guest today on Sports Files
is former New England Patriots
and Tennessee Volunteers star
wide receiver Stanley Morgan.
[theme music]
Later in the show details of
Marc Gasol's new deal with the
Grizzlies and we'll hear from
Mississippi State first year
Head Basketball
Coach Ben Howland,
but we begin with one of the
Tennessee Vols all-time greats.
Wide receiver Stanley Morgan
starred for the big orange from
1973 through 1976.
In an era when the passing game
was far from the first option,
the South Carolina native would
go on to produce a stellar four
year career in which he produced
over 4,600 all-purpose yards --
A Vols record that
still stands today.
Stanley would then move onto the
NFL as a first round selection
of the New England Patriots.
He would play there from 1977
through 1989 before finishing
his career in 1990 with
the Indianapolis Colts.
In his stellar 14 year career in
the NFL he would amass more than
10,000 receiving yards, make
four Pro Bowl Appearances and
lead the league in yards
per reception three times.
In 1985 he would
play in Super Bowl 20,
but the Patriots were no match
for the monsters of the midway,
the Chicago Bears.
Today, Stanley Morgan joins me
to talk about his experiences
with both the Vols
and the Patriots,
and tells us about the unusual
circumstances that led him
to Knoxville.
Plus his thoughts on Bob Kraft,
deflate gate and today's pass
happy NFL.
And it's all next
on Sports Files.
[theme music]
Stanley, great
to see you again.
Thanks for being on the show.
- It's good to be here.
- Appreciate that.
What are you up to these
days, you and the family?
- Uh, being a retired grandpa,
spending time with my grandkids
and playing as much
golf as I can get.
- How well are you
playing that game of golf,
which we know and love
and hate at the same time?
- I can hold my own.
I'll put it that way.
- Do you get to play in
events that are associated with
Tennessee, your Alma Mater, and
the New England Patriots or the
National Football League?
Or is it just going around
with buddies and playing on a
Saturday or Sunday?
- No, I play in
the NFL tournaments.
They have an NFL
alumni association.
And we get to go around and play
in these tournaments and raise
money for different charities.
My wife and I put on a golf
tournament for the University of
Tennessee where we raise
scholarship money for the
student athletes there.
- Very nice.
That's the Alex Haley.
- And we call it the Alex Haley.
They gave us
permission to use his name.
So, we got a chance to
meet with his people.
Yeah.
So, everything worked out good.
- Well, besides spending
time with the grandchildren,
obviously your
wife, playing golf,
this funciton you
talked about at Tennessee,
how often do you get to do some
things associated with your
alma mater?
How often do you get to
go back to see games?
Or how often do you get to
watch the Patriots play?
- We get back to Knoxville
probably two, three
times a year.
We go back for
the football games.
We definitely go
back for homecoming.
And my wife goes to the
game and I go play golf.
- Really?
- It's a little reversal there.
So, I've had my
little share of football.
So, I watch it
every now and then.
I keep up with Tennessee.
I keep up with the Patriots.
And Bob Kraft does a good job
in bringing the old guys back in
every now and then.
So, I get a chance to go up
there and visit with those guys
and walk around New England and
stick my chest out a little bit.
- Why not?
You're a member of the
Patriots Hall of Fame.
The pride that you get when
you see the Patriots do well.
Winning another Super
Bowl this past year.
Stephen Gostkowski, a kicker
from the University of Memphis
who helped that team
win the Super Bowl.
How much pride do you have
when you see your teams do well?
- I love it.
We go over to some friends of
ours and they have a little
Super Bowl party.
So, decked out in my
little Patriot gear.
And when they win,
it's even special.
You know, I just wouldn't mind
catching a few balls from Brady.
- That would be pretty good.
- Oh, yeah because
they are throwing the ball
left and right.
And you know back
when I was playing,
we were a running team.
We didn't throw
the ball that much.
- You were a running team yet
you had over 1,000 yard
receiving four
different seasons.
You were four time pro bowler.
You have lots of huge numbers.
So, how much better would they
be today with what we just said?
If you played in an era
of throwing the ball.
- Oh, I would love it.
Because the one thing that I
really had back in those days
was speed.
So, I could definitely push
the defense a little deep.
- What do you think the biggest
difference is between players
today and players
during your era?
And I'm not talking about
contracts and how much they're
making and that.
On the field, what's
the biggest difference?
- I would say the guys are
probably more athletic than we
were, especially in
different positions.
I think they are
bigger, stronger, faster.
- Why do you
think it is that way?
Is that just like
evolution or is that..
- I think you just look at
the way they're growing up now.
When we grew up, we didn't have
a product that you can go and
buy that will help
you gain weight.
You go on the internet now,
you can find
all these weight products.
So, the kids are
developing faster than we did,
I would say.
- You're talking
about the legal ones, right?
[chuckles]
- Don't put words.
[laughter]
- Right, right, right.
Making sure.
- Yeah, yeah.
But I think that's the
biggest difference right now.
- The Patriots always
seem to be in the middle
of some controversy.
I don't know what it is.
Deflate Gate.
When you first heard about
it, what were your thoughts?
- Here we go again.
You know,
everybody hates a winner.
And I think Belicheck has
done a tremendous job up there.
You hear Deflate Gate.
I'm like, one or two ounces..
(Greg)
Do you think
it makes a difference?
- I don't see how.
I just don't.
And as a receiver, you never
think about something like that.
You just catch football.
You don't -- Oh,
this is a little soft.
You know.
- You wouldn't be
able to tell, would you?
- Really deflated
you probably could.
But one or two pounds, I
don't see the difference.
- This is just a
guess on your part.
It's a guess on
everybody's part right now.
But do you believe Roger Goodell
after meeting with Tom Brady
will reduce his
four game suspension?
- Well, I think he will.
I thin a four game suspension is
too much for what they're saying
that he did.
And if he did that, then I think
the Super Bowl proved different.
That, you know, all
football is different,
the same.
And I think it'll probably be
reduced to about two games.
- You played for them.
Of course, you're going to
have a little bit of a biased.
But do you believe the patriots
are the best organization
in the NFL?
- I think so right now.
They are.
I think they got a great coach
in who can take players coming
in and he got a good system
where anybody can get in that
system and play.
And because if you
look at the Patriots,
they're losing good
players every year.
But they got new guys coming
in that's picking up the slack.
- I'll get back to the
Patriots in a second.
But I want to go
to your Alma Mater.
Go back to Tennessee
when you played there.
You still hold the all-purpose
yardage record at Tennessee.
What was it like
playing for the Big Orange,
playing on the hill?
And why Tennessee when
you're a South Carolina guy?
- Well, coming
out of high school,
I was..
I'm probably..
Clemson was right
there in my back yard,
about 15 miles.
And Clemson in South Carolina
was probably at my door
every day.
And I wanted to get to the NFL.
That was my ultimate goal.
And during the '70s if
you remember correctly,
the ACC was more of a basketball
conference than football.
(Greg)
A lot different
than it is today.
It's both today.
- And I looked at Tennessee
and I thought they had a better
football program.
And I felt if I
could go to Tennessee,
play there and make that team
that would give me a better
opportunity to get to the NFL.
(Greg)
And it worked out well.
- And it worked out well.
But one thing that people
don't know is I signed with
South Carolina.
(Greg)
Oh, you did?
- I signed with South
Carolina, Paul Dietzel.
And I got out of it because
South Carolina went independent
that year.
Independent schools, well,
the other conferences don't
recognize independent school.
Because they got out of
the ACC, I as able to get out
of that contract.
If not, I would have had
to set out a year or go
to South Carolina.
- Interesting.
So, South Carolina
probably having a tough time
to fill schedule.
There's not going to
be a lot of TV games.
You're not going to
get that exposure,
which makes a lot of sense.
So, you played
under Johnny Majors?
- No, I played
under Bill Battle.
- Under Bill Battle.
What was he like?
- Bill was a good coach.
He was -- had a good mind.
I just didn't..
We had our differences when
he put me in the back field.
I really didn't want to
be in the back field.
But they felt that they had to
get the ball to me a lot more.
And we didn't throw
the football that much,
even with Condredge
Holloway as quarterback.
We didn't throw the
football that much.
Well, nobody did
actually back then in that era.
- So, they had to find a
way to get you the ball.
So, it's almost understandable.
- I understood it.
But I was only about 170 pounds.
And so, after some games, I
would just go to my room and
just lay down.
It was tough.
- What was the
biggest hit on you?
Can you recall in college?
- I really can't.
I probably don't even
remember because it was so big.
- How many concussions do
you think you had that were
diagnosed or maybe not diagnosed
over the course of both your
collegiate career
and in the NFL?
- Oh, it's up in
the double digits.
There was a couple of times that
I was carted off in New England
and I woke up in the hospital.
So, I've been hit pretty good.
(Greg)
Did you ever continue
to play in a game
when you were diagnosed?
- Oh yeah, oh yeah.
(Greg)
Did they say
keep playing, Stanley?
Or did you just
do it on your own?
- I would say it was
probably on our own.
Nobody knew anything
about concussions.
And, you know, back in the day,
the doctors just looked at you
and say, "How many
fingers do you see?"
Well, I see two.
Well, you're good.
You can go back in the game.
So, that's the way it was.
And we really didn't want to
come out of the game anyway.
- Of course not.
Because you're a
competitor as are all athletes.
But it's a hot
button topic today.
No question about
it with concussions.
I know you pretty well.
I think all your wits are there.
But do you ever
feel like there's..
God forbid there could
be some damage
and some long lasting effects?
- I know it is.
Probably about seven --
six, seven years ago
I started having headaches.
And I know that's
a sign from that.
My neck, I know I have a neck
injury that is going to cause me
some problems.
So, that's why I'm going to the
doc now to the rehab place to
get my physical therapy.
- Super Bowl 20.
Six catches.
Good, solid,
individual performance.
But what a performance
by the Chicago Bears.
Do you believe the
Bears, that team,
is the greatest team in history?
- I think that their defense is.
Defensively, I think they're one
of the best defense that coming
up during that era.
They were just good.
That front seven,
you just couldn't handle
that front seven.
The secondary was mediocre.
But you didn't have time
to throw the football deep.
- Hampton and the
Fridge, all those guys.
Do you relive the game a lot in
your mind or do you put it away?
It's in storage.
- Well, when it happened, I did.
That was probably the
worst off season I ever had.
You know, you lose a Super Bowl
like that and to get beat that
badly, it just doesn't sit well.
- And you never know if you'll
get the opportunity again.
And you didn't.
- That's true.
That's exactly what happens.
- You were elected to,
as I mentioned earlier,
the Patriots Hall
of Fame in 2007.
And well deserved may I add.
But what was that like for you?
- Oh, it was great.
It was just great
to be recognized.
I was a little disturbed
earlier because I wasn't there.
But when Kraft took over and
made it the way he made it,
the fans voted.
And they approved of what I did.
- Do you think when you look
back at the history of football
that you will be looked back at
as one of the most underrated
receivers to ever play the game?
- I'd say that's why I need my
wife here to talk about that.
She could tell you.
- You could look at the numbers
over the 10,000 yards and say
you should be considered
for the NFL Hall of Fame.
And yet, as you said, there was
a delay getting you in to the
Patriots Hall of Fame
for goodness sakes.
- It's disturbed
me a little bit.
My wife, she would calm me down.
Now I just don't think about it.
You know, if it
happens, it happens.
I think I have the numbers.
I think I have better numbers
than some of the guys that are
in the Hall of Fame.
- In a non-passing era.
- Well, that's what I thought.
I thought the Hall of Fame is
what you did for that team with
what you had during that time.
But because we wasn't in the
play-offs playing for Super
Bowls, I think that hurt me.
(Greg)
Out of sight, out of mind.
Greatest player you
played with and against?
- Uh, probably the greatest
player I played with was a
defense to the
back, Mike Haynes.
(Greg)
Sure, love Mike.
- Love.
He's a great guy.
He's a competitor.
And I think I'm the
receiver I was because of him.
- And the greatest
player you played against?
- Hmm..
There was a lot of players.
- Was there a d-back who
just he had your lunch money?
- Practicing, going
against Mike in practice.
(Greg)
So, it was Mike all around?
- Yeah, it was.
It really was.
Yeah, and then when
he went to Oakland,
we played against him in
a game a couple of times.
It was very interesting.
- Good little rivalry there.
Stanley, you're off the hot
seat but we like to finish every
interview with something
called Five for the Road.
So, I just need quick
answers to these five questions.
Okay, first one is what is your
favorite professional sports
team and you can't
say the Patriots.
Any sport.
- Any sport?
I'll go with..
I love the Golden
State Warriors.
- Golden State Warriors.
Are you a band wagon jumper?
- I am, I am big time.
- Favorite pro
athlete of all time?
- Football?
- Any sport.
- Any sport?
I'll have to go
with Michael Jordan.
- Okay.
Favorite music.
What do you like to
listen to or an artist?
- I love P-Funk.
I grew up in the '70s and I grew
up with Funkadelic Parliament,
George Clinton.
- Absolutely.
My little sister got
me hooked on to that.
- Get out of here!
- Yeah, she loved
that, all the albums.
Favorite movie of all time.
- Jason Bourne.
- So, um, that
was the character.
What was the name of the..
- Bourne Identity and
all the other ones.
- Okay and how about your
favorite television show?
- Uh, Scandal.
- Scandal!
- Scandal.
- By the way, if it
was a sports movie,
what would it be?
- I'll go with The Longest Yard.
(Greg)
The Longest Yard, good choice.
Stanley, always a
pleasure to see you.
- Thank you.
- Hit 'em long,
hit 'em straight.
Alright?
- That's the name of the game.
- That's the idea, right?
That's Stanley Morgan.
We'll take a short break.
Overtime is next.
[theme music]
Always good to see Stanley
Morgan who has called Memphis
home since the early '80s when
he split time between the Bluff
City and New England.
Now to round
ball, and the times,
they are a changing
at Mississippi State.
After three rough years under
former head coach Rick Ray,
the Dogs reached out to veteran
Head Coach Ben Howland to take
over the program
beginning this season.
The 58-year-old becomes the 20th
head coach in Bulldogs history.
Howland was the Naismith
National Coach of the year
winner in 2002.
He led three different schools
to the NCAA Tournament including
the UCLA Bruins, who twice made
the final four under Howland,
losing in the 2006 National
Championship game to Florida and
in the 2007
National Semi-Finals,
once again to the Gators.
Howland was hired by the
Bulldogs in March and several
months later we had a chance to
catch up with him to chat about
his new job and
his expectations.
(off-screen male)
Why did you
feel this was a good opportunity
to come to Mississippi State?
- Well, I think they've had
great success in the past.
You look at the history of the
program and I love following
college basketball.
You look back to Babe McCarthy
and what he did and what he
meant to the University.
And then in recently history,
look at Richard Williams leading
the program not only to the
Final Four but the previous
year, they went to
the Sweet Sixteen.
'95, '96, phenomenal
back-to-back years.
He had great success.
And I think Rick Stansbury
did a phenomenal job over
his 14 year tenure.
So, you've had a lot of success
in basketball in the past at
Mississippi State with
some outstanding coaches
and great players.
And so, where they've
had success in the past,
I feel like you have a good
chance to have success
in the future.
We've got a lot of work to do
but I'm really excited and think
we've got great facilities, a
great university to sell and
great fans to support the team.
(off-screen male)
With that kind of tradition,
what kind of pressure
does that put on you?
- Well, we always have pressure.
We expect to win.
We expect to win,
you know, immediately.
That puts a lot of pressure
because I think the most
important pressure you ever
have as a coach is what comes
internally from yourself.
If you don't put pressure on
yourself then you shouldn't be
in this business to begin with.
(off-screen male)
How much did
you miss coaching while you're
out analyzing basketball?
- Well, I really missed it.
And especially this last year, I
was involved in a lot of media
work as you pointed out
with Fox and with NBC,
both doing
cross-country trips every week.
But it really, you
know, got to miss it a lot,
just being around it, especially
doing games in person and being
around the kids and being
at the practices and being
around the coaches.
It's just, you know, it's what a
great life to have been a coach
my entire career.
I mean, most people, you know,
they got to get up and have a
real job.
I actually love what I do
and feel very passionate
about my profession.
(off-screen male)
So, aside from
Kentucky and Florida,
the rest of the league
hasn't had a lot of consistency.
What do you have to do to
be a consistent contender
in this league?
- Well, I tell you what.
I think there's been a lot of
good teams when you look at the
last ten years.
I mean, we're comparing the rest
of the league to Kentucky who's
been in the Final Four
three or four times
in the last ten years.
Florida has won
national championships.
Kentucky won one.
So, those teams have
done a phenomenal job.
You know, especially
recently Calipari with Kentucky,
Billy Donovan.
My teams at UCLA lost to them,
to Florida twice in the Final
Fours in '06 and '07.
So, I know first hand
how good they were.
But I think our
team's on the up rise.
I think you're seeing a lot
of great coaches coming to the
league right now.
Things can be very competitive
and it's going to raise the
level of the conference.
And so, that's going to be great
in terms of more teams getting
in the NCAA
tournament on a year-in basis.
(off-screen male)
Obviously you had
a good year recruiting.
Tell us about Malik Newman.
What's he going to
bring to the team?
- I think Malik Newman is one of
the best players in the country.
And it's really special to
have a young man from Jackson,
Mississippi, two
hours away from campus,
to elect to stay home and play
in front of the fans in his home
state and to play at the
university where his father,
Horatio Webster, played and
was such a great player for
Mississippi State
and the Bulldogs.
So, we're very blessed.
I'm very grateful that
we're able to keep him home.
He's going to be an
outstanding point guard for us.
He scores the ball so well.
He's a very, very good shooter.
A very good scorer.
He's a good decision
maker with the ball.
And I think he has tons of
upside and it'll be my job to
help him reach his potential
so he can move on to the NBA.
(off-screen male)
Based on that
talent you've got in camp right
now, what's the style
of play going to be?
What are people going to
see from Mississippi State?
- Well, we're going to play
man-to-man defense primarily.
That's what I believe in.
And we're really going to
emphasize doing a great job
getting back in transition,
forcing people to have to really
work hard to score against
us, against our half court
set defense.
And offensive, we're going to
push it every time we get it.
Made or missed
shots by our opponent.
And if we don't have a good
shot early in the possession,
then we're going to really try
to execute and set good screens
and move the ball and
change it from side-to-side,
get it inside and back out, set
good screens for one another and
play unselfishly.
(off-screen male)
What are
your expectations for this year?
- Well, I'm really
excited about this year.
You know, we're still finishing
up our schedule right now.
We've got a couple
more games to do.
I know the SEC is
going to get very,
very tough when you
look at the conference.
But we're excited
to get started.
And we're looking
forward to competing.
(off-screen male)
What's your message today
for the fan faithful?
- Just appreciate the
opportunity to be their coach
and I'm so excited to be
here at Mississippi State.
And I really hope that everyone
will come down to the Hump next
basketball season
and support the team.
Because the key to having a home
court advantage is having great
fans there to
support their team.
- Howland is already off to a
great start at Mississippi State
with the April signing of
the nation's top ranked guard,
Malik Newman, whose father also
played at Mississippi State.
Speaking of hoops, Grizzlies
fans are breathing a big sigh of
relief after the team's signing
of all-star center Marc Gasol to
a new five year max contract
worth around $110 million.
He will have a player option
after four years of that deal.
It was not a shocker that Big
Spain decided to stay with the
Grizzlies, but getting him for
five years was incredible news
for the organization.
And that will do it
for this week's show.
Don't forget you can see any of
our previous shows by going to
our website, WKNO.org.
Next week it's a special Sports
Files program with NBA legend
Ervin Magic Johnson.
Until then have a great week
and we'll see you next time.
[theme music]
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