Thomas Morstead punts the ball during SMU’s loss in the State Farm DFW Duel last Fall at Ford Stadium.
“I still remember when the idea of playing in the NFL came to me,” explained former SMU punter and kicker, Thomas Morstead. “My sophomore year we played against [the University of Alabama Birmingham] on ESPN, and Craig James and Doug Flutie did a half time special about me. They were very impressed with me and told me I would have a chance at the NFL and to keep working hard.”
Morstead’s hard work paid off, as he was one of just two kickers in the country to receive an invitation to the Under Armor Senior Bowl. Playing in front of over 800 NFL staff members, Morstead’s dream looks to soon become a reality.
Walk-ons are just that; a hopeful among hundreds of others who hope for the chance to walk on the football field and establish themselves as a prestigious athlete, worthy of the chance to start just one game.
A walk-on never expects to one day be the lone player on a roster of 117 Mustangs to play in the Senior Bowl. Morstead never thought he would receive the chance the play in front of general managers, head coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams.
“I have always played with a chip on my shoulder and this was the opportunity of a life time. I enjoyed every bit of the process and will never forget it. For the first time since freshman year I truly felt like a kicker,” said Morstead.
Dubbed the most unique football game and considered to be college football’s premier draft event, the Senior Bowl features the top college players and draft aspects from all over the country.
With only two punters from the country receiving the honor, Morstead said the process to play in the Senior Bowl involved interviews with NFL coaches, but also psychology, concentration and personality tests.
Leading the South team to their second consecutive victory over the North team, Morstead totaled seven punts, averaging 43.3 yards per punt, with his longest kick reaching 58 yards. The final score ended in a 35-18 victory for the South team.
At SMU, the Pearland, Texas native finally felt at home on in the stadium in Mobile, Ala. Crediting his success in earning an invitation to the Senior Bowl and becoming draft eligible to special teams coach Frank Gansz, Morstead considers Gansz to be the most prestigious special teams coach and mentor in the NFL.
“I went from being a big guy on my team [at SMU] to being a small guy at the Senior Bowl. I could tell why they were all there. Most players were extremely athletic and practiced so hard every day. I felt as if I was in my right place.”
Next step for Morstead: the NFL draft. With just three months remaining till the draft, Morstead has been keeping himself busy with training one to two times, day, five days a week. Sticking with his normal routine, Morstead explained he continues to “eat, sleep and think football.” Expected to be picked in the fourth or sixth round, Morstead blocks out the rumors surrounding the draft, saying that because it is out his control, he has no choice but to focus on the day-to-day preparation of becoming a better player.
When asked how much pressure Morstead is putting on himself, the 6’5 All-Conference USA pick said, “A lot…. in a good way. I tend to perform better when I know the heat is on. I went in with the attitude that this was a make or break week for me, which of course wasn’t. That attitude and view of the situation helped me to perform my best for the entire week.”
While Morstead has been instructed by his agent to not reveal the team he wishes to be drafted by, he cannot help but feel grateful for the opportunity he has been given and find out what lies ahead.
“Going from a walk-on to where I am now has been the most difficult and rewarding process I have ever been through, but after getting to this point I wouldn’t change a thing,” explained Morstead. “I had to go through a lot of adversity but that has made me tougher in many ways that I wouldn’t have been otherwise.”
