OMAR STILL PLAYING WELL

Saskatchewan Roughriders cornerback Omarr Morgan (file photo).
Photograph by: Peter J. Thompson, National Post

REGINA — Omarr Morgan doesn’t think he’s slowing down.
A stomach virus brought his on-field activities to a complete halt earlier this week, but he’s over that.

The 33-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders cornerback was back at full speed during Thursday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium — and he’s confident his pace these days isn’t far from where it was when he started his CFL career.

Asked if he has lost a step, Morgan replied: “Nah. I might have, but I don’t feel it.”
Roughriders defensive backs coach Nelson Martin agreed, suggesting Morgan is “the best guy we’ve got on the corner after 11 years.”

“A rookie gets on the field and his eyes are wide because things are moving so quickly,” Martin said. “For Omarr, things move slowly. He studies the game like a kid in school. That’s why he has survived.”

Despite missing practice Tuesday and Wednesday because of the virus, Morgan will man the short-side corner Saturday when the Roughriders visit the Edmonton Eskimos.
The five-foot-nine, 186-pound product of Hollywood, Calif., enters the contest with 22 defensive tackles and two pass knockdowns. His effectiveness seems to belie the fact that Morgan — who turns 34 on Dec. 4 — is the second-oldest cornerback in the CFL, behind only 36-year-old Davis Sanchez of the B.C. Lions.

Younger challengers for Morgan’s position have come and gone since he entered the league with the Roughriders in 2000.

“I’ve been blessed to stay healthy,” said Morgan, who has missed just eight regular-season games in his career. “That’s the name of the game: You’ve got to make plays and you’ve got to stay healthy. These coaches, since I’ve been here, have always put me in good situations and surrounded me with good people. It has been a little bit of prayer and a little bit of luck.”

There have been other factors, too. While Morgan admitted he’s getting older — “Father Time is going to take his toll on everybody,” he said — he pointed out he keeps himself in good shape and benefits from the approach of the Roughriders’ coaches to keep their players out of pads for most practices.

Morgan has done his part over the years too, watching film religiously so that he can recognize tendencies and do things by instinct.

“You work hard, but you’ve got to work smart,” said Morgan, who played alongside the now-retired Eddie Davis in the Saskatchewan secondary for eight seasons. “Having Eddie around enabled me to work really smart. (Defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry) is big on working smart and using your mind first. That’s what I’ve been able to do.”

It wasn’t always that way.

“When I came here, I was fast and I didn’t care who we played or what the call was: I was going to line up my way and do it my way,” Morgan admitted.

“That worked for about a year. When Eddie came in here (in 2001), he taught me how to work a little bit smarter.”

As a result, Morgan is still a going concern in the Roughriders’ secondary.
How long he’ll keep going is unknown.

“I play one of the hardest spots in the secondary,” Morgan said. “If I played on the other side, I probably could play 10 more years. If my body allows me to play, if this organization allows me to play and if I’m still playing at a high level, I’d like to play as long as I can.”
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