Florida Gators: Antonio Morrison returns

The Florida Gators received good news on Tuesday night when junior linebacker Antonio Morrison decided to finish out his degree and stay in school for his senior year.

“I’m returning to Florida and I will be getting my degree in 2015. That plays a big role in why I’m returning,” Morrison said. “And as a leader of this team, I want to lead my team to Atlanta and possibly a national championship. Coach McElwain has put together a great staff and I’m looking forward to working with them this year.”

An All-SEC Second Team linebacker, Morrison sustained a left knee injury in the Birmingham Bowl. Morrison needed to be carted off of the field and the entire Florida Gators bench surrounded him before he was taken into the locker room. Morrison was on the field with a very noticeable brace on his left knee, walking with the aid of crutches after the game.

The severity of his knee injury is unknown but Morrison is well liked by his teammates and will certainly be a leader for the Gators’ defense. As a junior, Morrison played in every game, leading the team in tackles with 101.

Off the field, Morrison was named to the SEC All-Academic team in his freshman and sophomore years (the list for this season has not been released). Speaking with Morrison’s father earlier in the week, Gator Country learned how important earning a college degree was to both Morrison and his family.

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC

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