Jai Morris’ quickness and strength has guided Gauchos in ’08
Freshmen running back Jai Morris has shown through the first six weeks of his college career that he is for real.
The El Toro graduate is coming off his senior season where he played both football and basketball.
Morris jumped right into the spotlight creating a valid one-two punch at running back with sophomore Micah Abreu-Laybon.
Almost like a thunder and lightning deal against opposing defenses.
Morris as the lightning the spark and Abreu-Laybon as the thunder, but don’t lightning can fool defenses with power of its own.
In his first game of the season at Golden West, his first collegiate game , Morris rushed for 91 yards plus he had at the time the potential game-winning touchdown but the Gauchos fell to Golden West 16-11.
Against Mt. San Antonio, ranked No. 3 in the nation, Jai stepped up his game rushing for 120 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. The Gauchos lost in overtime by 3 points.
Morris wants the ball when the game is on the line.
“He avoids and breaks tackles with great speed, [and] he is a great ball carrier” Saddleback Head Coach Dr. McElroy said. “He is a great football player with outstanding potential for the future, [and] he can certainly play Division I football” Dr. McElroy said.
So far on this season through the first six games Morris has 63 carries for 509 total yards rushing.
He gains about eight yards per-carry.
He also has helped his team with five touchdowns on the season.
Another proud coach of Jai is Jake Haley.
Haley is the head football coach at El Toro High School. “Jai is an unbelievable natural talent. His ability to take over a game with quickness, agility, and speed is a testimony to his ability to see the field. Jai’s Potential/Performance gap is very small. Over two seasons as a varsity athlete, Jai began to realize his talents and found away to improve weekly” Haley said.
His old coach has some advice as well, “If Jai is having a difficult game, my advice is to not try to do too much. Sometimes when times are tough, a talented player like Jai will try to make the “big play” on every play instead of letting the game come to him. Jai would just need to stay in the moment, keep on reading the line, and do the little things that will eventually turn into the “big play”. Jai’s athleticism is like a Jedi-Knight, he is able to see things before they happen” Haley said.
Jai has quickly become a name well known to the Gaucho crowd and his teammates.
Jai always has a smile on his face and knows what it takes to be a football player.
To get a taste of Morris’ spunky talent, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5hdEKmt7sc
At 4-2 and ranked No. 26 in the nation the Gauchos will take on Long Beach City College this Saturday. Kickoff is set at 6 p.m.