Falcons’ Raheem Morris preparing for Chiefs and fondly recalling time at Kansas State
Raheem Morris is busy preparing his team to face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday.
But the Atlanta Falcons’ interim head coach didn’t mind taking a journey down memory lane, especially since this weekend’s trip to the Kansas City area conjures recollections about how his professional career took off.
Morris has enjoyed success in the NFL, but it’s easy to forget he once served as the defensive coordinator under then-head coach Ron Prince at Kansas State for the 2006 season.
Under Morris’ guidance — and his first time calling defensive plays — the Wildcats’ defense made strides, including against the pass, en route to a 7-6 record and an appearance in the Texas Bowl, which the Wildcats lost to Rutgers.
“What a great memory for me, what a great time,” Morris said Wednesday during a teleconference. “What a great opportunity to start off my career as far as calling a defense, that being the first time.
“And what a great year that we had, having the ability to go to a bowl game and really play and be competitive before I went back to the National Football League.”
Morris also remembers simple acts of kindness from a college coaching legend in Manhattan.
“Bill Snyder was always around and able to drop great, kind notes to us and able to give us the absolute truth a lot of times as well, so I took that to heart,” Morris said. “I really loved my time there.”
Morris’ coaching career goes back to 1998, when he first broke into the ranks as a graduate assistant at Hofstra. He served as a defensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining K-State for the one season.
Since then, he’s held numerous posts in Tampa Bay, including head coach from 2009-11, and served as the defensive backs coach in Washington (2012-14) before joining the Falcons’ defensive coaching staff in 2015.
But Manhattan remains special to Morris, who said he’s been back to visit on at least two occasions, including once to take in a Kansas vs. K-State basketball game.
But there’s another specific experience from the Little Apple, during his one-year stint on the K-State coaching staff, that Morris won’t soon forget. He was part of the one of the biggest upsets in K-State history when the Wildcats stunned then-No. 4 Texas 45-42 in front of a nationally televised audience on Nov. 11, 2006.
“That was a great game, a great moment for K-State,” he said.
The matchup had it all, including two forced fumbles from Morris’ defense and NFL-caliber talent on both rosters.
For Texas, there was quarterback Colt McCoy, defensive end Brian Orakpo, tight end Jermichael Finley ... and, of course, running back Jamaal Charles, who went on to star with the Chiefs.
Kansas State had its share of talent, too, with quarterback Josh Freeman, wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Yamon Figurs, tight end Jeron Mastrud, defensive end Ian Campbell and linebacker Zach Diles, among others.
Added together, the game became an instant classic, one that Morris admits even 14 years later he can’t help but smile about when it’s mentioned during his travels around the NFL.
“It gets brought up often because a lot of those guys now play in the National Football League,” Morris said. “Brian Orakpo was on the Texas team at that time and I was fortunate enough to be able to coach him in Washington. You mention Colt McCoy, he came to Washington.”
But Morris’ return to the KC area isn’t all about revisiting wonderful personal memories. He’s coming on a business trip, after all, as his Falcons (4-10) square off against the Chiefs (13-1).
The Chiefs are heavily favored Sunday, but Morris’ experience reminds him that sometimes what is projected on paper doesn’t translate to actual results.
Look no further than K-State’s thrilling upset win over a then-powerhouse Longhorns team.
“People thought like we were outmatched — a lot like this weekend — we were ready to go get a win,” Morris said. “So, hopefully we can do the same thing and have this conversation a couple of years from now when we’re talking about me beating the Kansas City Chiefs.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 3:56 PM.
