Rob Morris scoffs at the notion he's the second coming of Brian Bosworth.
So what if he plays the same position (middle linebacker), wears the same jersey number (44), delivers colorful Boz-like quotes to the media, changes hairdos on a whim and has enough talent to dominate a college football game as the former Oklahoma star did during the mid-1980s. Morris, a returned missionary from Idaho and not a loose cannon with the law like Bosworth was, insists he's just a well-rounded individual."Probably the only similarity between me and Brian Bosworth is I've read his book and I enjoyed it," Morris said. "In Happy Valley, they think I'm him, but anywhere else I'd be a normal Joe."
Funny what poking an alligator with a stick, jumping off buildings into swimming pools and bleaching your hair blond will do to a guy's reputation.
"I enjoy myself," Morris said. "I'm really not an arrogant, cocky guy."
Just confident. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound junior, who earned Pacific Division Defensive Player of the Week honors from the WAC with 19 tackles in the 13-0 victory over San Diego State, leads a defense that is ranked seventh in the nation. The Cougars are on pace to eclipse the 1986 team that finished a school-record high 10th in total defense.
Morris, who tops the BYU defensive charts with 99 tackles in nine games, spearheads a unit that allows an average of just 263.8 yards per game. The Cougars are sixth in the nation defending the run (83.9 ypg) and 16th in pass efficiency defense with a 103.7 rating.
"I don't know if we're the best defense ever at BYU," said Morris, who notes the Cougars still have three games left to play. "But we're certainly one of them."
The Nampa, Idaho, native, who has led BYU in defensive points for the past two seasons, isn't sure himself where he stands individually. Morris acknowledges several great linebackers have passed through the program prior to his arrival. The list includes Leon White and Kurt Gouveia, who each went on to play at the game's highest level.
"Rob's in the same category," BYU coach LaVell Edwards said. "He's good enough to play in the NFL."
Morris, who patterns his game after former pros Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, is flattered. Playing in the NFL is definitely one of his goals - when the time is right.
"I think that I'm probably going to stick around and finish my eligibility," Morris said. "I think we're going to have a good team here next year."
BYU sports information director Bryan Dangerfield said his department is preparing to push Morris for All-America honors and the prestigious Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. Both accolades are thought to be more attainable when he becomes a senior.
"I'm still learning about the mental part of the game," said Morris, who originally came to BYU as a running back. He switched full-time to linebacker midway through his freshman season at the request of the coaching staff.
"I'm sort of indifferent about it," said the former fullback. "I think I would have done well at either position."
And five years later - following an LDS mission to Canada, a redshirt year and two seasons at linebacker - Morris still holds hopes of doing both. Though he admits his mentality is firmly that of a linebacker (a position he nervously inherited from All-WAC standout Shay Muirbrook), Morris would like to play both ways next season. He's convinced he can contribute to the offense on a part-time basis.
And what's best for the team comes first, says Morris, willing to give up any individual accolades for more victories on the field.
"That just my nature," said Morris, who unofficially leads the Cougars in high-fives and cheers. "I like that role as an emotional leader."
It didn't take long for newcomer Brian Gray to notice. The starting cornerback and JC transfer was one of the first BYU players to express confidence in his abilities and welcome him to the team.
"He's like our backbone," Gray said. "If he's not right, neither are the rest of us."
Fortunately for BYU, Morris has kept the standards high this season. He wants to go bowling and has refused to let anyone start pointing fingers when things aren't working to everyone's satisfaction. The center of the defense hates to lose. And when the Cougars fall short, as they did last month at Fresno State, he takes it personally. While his teammates were gathering in the locker room, Morris stood in a dark field nearby with his arms folded, deep in thought.
He doesn't, however, dwell on the negative for long. By the time he joined the others, Morris was his usual self - firing off quips to the media while masking his disappointment. The positive energy he exudes is a constant.
"He's like the most enthused, excited person I've ever been around," Gray said. "He's electric."
*****
Additional Information
Secretary of defense
A statistical history of BYU's All-WAC
middle linebacker Rob Morris.
Year UT AT TFL PTS
1993 3 8 - 17.0
1997 61 49 8.5 210.5
1998 78 21 11.0 227.0
Career 142 78 19.5 454.5
Key: UT =unassisted tackles; AT =assisted tackles; TFL =tackles for loss; PTS =defensive points.