PHILADELPHIA – Well before the inactives were revealed Sunday, Micah Morris and several other Eagles offensive linemen took the field to get their warmups in. Morris, who begins with his hip flexes and mobility-focused work, ultimately wasn’t among the Eagles who suited up for Sunday’s 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders, though he had a bird’s eye view of his fellow linemates at work.
Morris, who waited his turn at Georgia, is no stranger to patience. He’s taking things day by day, honing his craft behind the scenes and absorbing information from his coaches. But there’s also much more than the on-field component. Morris, for example, is adjusting to life in a new city and continuing to field his off-field interests when time allows.
As part of a season-long Inside The Birds “Rookie Diary” series, I’ll be checking in with Morris every week, learning more about the first-year offensive lineman and chronicling his rookie campaign.
On Wednesday, we chatted for our second installment.
Andrew: So, let’s pick up where we left off. Last week, you mentioned two goals. One, moving into your apartment. 
Micah: “Yep. Literally, what was yesterday? Tuesday? Yes, I just finished moving in. The mattress came in yesterday, and the rug for the living room. The recliner and couch was already there. So, yeah, I’m moved in now. Out the hotel. It was kinda sad. I’ve been there for a minute now. But it’s good. It was good to sleep in my own bed for the first time. So, it was nice.”
Andrew: And then the on-field portion, I believe you said you were going to hone in on your footwork. How did that go for you?
Micah: “Today I felt like it did good. Obviously it started, started with indy (individuals). It starts with Coach Kup, Coach Greg Austin — Coach G, we call him – just helping me with my first two steps getting into the ground. That’s really the start. The first two steps sets up the whole game plan. You get them first two steps in with power. Power comes from the ground up, so just make sure those first two steps are there by the time you make contact and then just after that, just do what I was taught.
“Hands inside, run your feet, eyes up, be able to see the backer. If you’re working with the center or tackle, depending on the combination, or if you got yourself catch, hand, and read, just move the man, move furniture. That’s what we call it.”
Andrew: You got to experience your first regular season game on Sunday. What were your impressions overall?
Micah: “It was surreal. Just seeing [The Linc] packed out, seeing the fans go crazy. Obviously, the first touchdown, and then the stop at the end on the two-point conversion, Moro [Ojomo] made stop to seal the game, essentially. It was awesome. It was fun. It was everything I could imagine and more, actually being there and just seeing the guys that I learned from, all the older guys, all the starters and people that were able to play and contribute to the team. Just seeing them go out there and make plays, it was just happy. Very happy.”
Andrew: Do you have a pre-game routine?
Micah: “I guess the day… Well, I could start, like, I guess… I really eat a light breakfast. Maybe, like, eggs, grits. Grits aren’t really a big thing up here, but in the South, grits are a big thing.
Andrew: I love grits. Shrimp and grits, man.
Micah: “Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay, yeah. So, I do a little grit bowl. Like eggs and usually chicken sausage or turkey bacon. One of the two. There’s some spinach in there. Gotta try to get the greens when I can. Then I have a big pasta before, and then that’ll be the main pre-game meal is pasta. I usually go chicken, sausage, or shrimp with the Alfredo and meat sauce mix with either the bow tie or the whole grain noodles, depending on how I’m feeling. If I’m feeling a little heavy, I’ll get the whole grain to be a little healthier. Now I just get the bow tie and swag it out.”
Andrew: Do you get out to the field at a certain point?
Micah: “I go out there with the O-line. It’s about an hour 40 [minutes] before. I go out there, I do my hip flexes first, then low back, ankle mobility stance. Just get comfortable, sit in my stance for about 45 seconds at a time, ’cause that’s the longest a play, a shot clock, can be. So just sitting there, get comfortable in it and just move around a little bit, just adjust a little bit, just get comfortable because that’s the position. You gotta be able to sit in there all day, as long as it takes, so get comfortable in that.
“And I’ll do my kicks, then I’ll do kick and react, post and react. Then I’ll do my individual hand punch, double hand punch, slides, combos, and then whenever the older guys come out, as they come out, they need a look. I try to get my work done before they come out so I’m ready to aid them. Whatever they need… hold the bag, be a defender for them.”
Andrew: You got to see the game from a different perspective on the sideline. What was your gameday role? Were you kind of talking to them about what you were seeing? Were you just letting them do their thing and watching?
Micah: “For the most part, I was letting them do their thing. Obviously, I was watching while they were in, but if they asked me a question or two, I would… obviously, I’d answer it. I was watching them, but just letting them do their thing, trying to learn from them, see how they react. I mean, it’s kinda like at Georgia. They’re smooth. The highs aren’t too high, the lows aren’t too low. They’re just consistent, and that’s one thing. They’re all professionals, obviously, but, like, elite. Elite, elite, elite. Like, no matter what point in the game it was, they were the same, I’ll be honest with you. So, it was good to see. It was respectable, for sure.”
Andrew: Tough news this week with Landon [Dickerson] going on IR, but what’s the biggest lesson or something that you’ve learned from him that you’ve been able to apply to your game?
Micah: “I guess the biggest lesson is be aware of your own power. ‘Cause that was one of the things that he taught me. Just seeing me in the weight room and working out and stuff. Obviously, I’m powerful, but sometimes it’s like I don’t realize how powerful I am. And then just honing in on technique. Kinda to go back what we talked about last week, with Coach Kup acknowledging the same thing.
“It’s just, he understands the power that I have, the strength that I have. And just applying that with technique, just how good and great I could really be. And just hearing it from a player like that – an All-Pro, Pro Bowl, future Hall of Famer type player – see that within me, is very inspiring and motivational, and it keeps me going. ‘Cause like I said, it’s a change for me. I’m so used to playing, but just learning from them and them being in the position they have, they don’t have to pour into me or tell me these things ’cause they got it, you know? Just hearing that from them is good.”
Andrew: It’s funny, because you talk about your strength. I was talking to Willie [Lampkin] last week about the young offensive linemen and the camaraderie, kind of like what we talked about. And when he got to you, he said, ‘Man, raw strength.’ He goes, when he punches during drills, you feel it. So, do you agree with that, and I’m curious as to what are some of your weightlifting numbers are when it comes to that power?
Full quote from Lampkin from Friday, Sept. 11: “Micah, that boy just got raw strength. I’m talking about when we’re doing drills and he punches me, I’m like, ‘Bro, what?’ I’m like, ‘Bro, stop.’ It’s like, ‘Stop. For real. That s–t hurts.’ He’s a strong kid. Micah is… bro, his punch is insane. Like, I’m like, “Bro, stop punching me now, bro. Stop now. It hurts.”
Micah: “Shoot… I guess this’ll have to go back to, not to stick on college too much, but at Georgia we had this thing called the ‘Platinum Club,’ and you gotta do, I think, 180s each arm on dumbbell for, I think, four to five reps. You gotta do two sets of it, and I was the first person to do it at 180, and then I got my name on there. The first person ever to join the club.
“And then I think I did 190s this past summer. So, my name’s on there twice for that. So, I was the first one and only person to do it twice as far as power. But I mean, it’s – at the same time – it’s more so I’ve been doing it for so long. Like, I would come home from school, and my dad would be out there in the garage, ‘Put your book bag down,’ just doing curls, just doing bench press, just working out at such a young age. It’s like second nature to me. I just love working out in general.”
Andrew: The Eagles really prioritize player development. I know it’s early, but what are some of those early returns that you’ve noticed [on the development side] and how it’s benefited you?
Micah: “The main thing was my stance. I felt like if you look at my film from Georgia to the beginning of rookie mini camp/beginning of OTAs to now, I feel like I’m definitely more comfortable, definitely more grounded and balanced because it seems like hindsight’s always 20-20. But looking back on it, I’m just more hunched over and a leaner and a grabber. Now I feel like I’m more with the base eyes, I’ll be able to see more and strike and pass off twists and things of that nature.”
Andrew: How about the impact that Connor [Barwin] and Patrick [McDowell] have had on you?
Micah: “Oh, they made a huge impact. Uh, Coach Patrick and Coach Connor have both poured in so much, you know, ’cause they’ve been at the top for so long and they know what it looks like. They know what it takes, and they see the traits that I have, and they know what the result can be. And they continue to push me and keep me on the right track, especially with the, like I was speaking on, just the technical things. ‘Cause they know I got the power. They know I got the ability. They’re just bringing it out of me and correcting the technique that’ll result in a better outcome for me.”
Andrew: Besides football, what are your off-field interests?
Micah: “Movies. I’ve got into Legos, actually. I got my second Batmobile. The first one I did was from The Dark Knight Rises, and then I got – I ordered one two days ago on Amazon. I’m gonna do that tonight. It’s from the Batman versus Superman, and it comes with the bulky, Batman Lego set. So, I’m looking forward to that one. So, yeah, just making Legos. And then, the new Wolverine game just came out yesterday, too, so I’m, like, level one of that. It’s fun, though. So, video games, movies, Legos.”
Andrew: Who are one or two individuals that you credit for helping you get to where you are right now?
Micah: “It would be my dad and Uncle Kevin. We had a saying when I was younger, ‘There’s no traffic at 6:00 AM.’ That was back when I was – I kid you not – 10, 11 years old. We would go to the rec. Now, mind you, my dad, before he started working on the naval base in Camden [County, Ga.], he worked security for the naval base. But he worked the night shift, so by the time he would get home, it would be 5 AM.
“He wouldn’t go to sleep until he had worked me out, took me to go work out, took me to go run, just pushups on the track. Just run, do anything… just building that in me at such a young age. So, getting up early, having a work ethic, that is from him. That was a trait that was given to me and passed on from him. And just the way he goes about life; I’ve never heard my dad complain one time about anything in my entire life.
“Anytime I ask him, “How’s it going?” He’s never said he’s had a bad day, and I know he’s had a bad day. I’m human. I’m old enough now. I know he’s had a bad day. But even to this day, and I’ve talked about it before, even to this day, he shows me what it’s like to be a man. He really has. And then, Uncle Kevin, he was the first, I guess, he was the O-lineman in the family growing up. He was the bigger guy. So, the O-line part, definitely learned that from him. He was the first one out there holding the bags for me, things. He would be setting up the drills for me then with the bag work and kicking on the cones and the footwork and things like that. So, definitely without them building that base, the pyramid would’ve never started. So, definitely those two.”
Andrew: And your father, if I’m correct on this, is the one who got you into football at five years old?
Micah: “Absolutely. Five and six flag football. Yes, sir. I was a quarterback back then now. We used to run triple option. I was all right. I was all right. [laughs].”
Andrew: How often do you speak to your father? I know you’re really busy, but I imagine with the relationship that you have —
Micah: “I talk to him every day. And the days I don’t talk to him, we like to send little funny memes on Instagram, or YouTube shorts back and forth. So, we communicate every day. Same with my mom. We got a family group chat. We talk every day.”
Andrew: I know you’re from Camden County, Georgia. What was it like growing up in Camden County and how competitive was football as you were coming up?
Micah: “Man, it was amazing. Now, when I was coming up, they went to the state championship, I think, five times before I got to high school and won three. They won in ’03, and then they went back-to-back in ’08 and ’09. So, they had been there five times, won three, in my childhood growing up. So, they set the standard for great football. And even to this day, you get near the high school, you see them blue paw prints, and then you’ll see a sign that says, ‘Respect all. Fear none. Welcome to Wildcat Country.’ To this day, that’s been there since I was born, I’m sure. So, yeah, football’s always been a big part of my life and especially where I’m from in Camden, football’s real.”
Andrew: You silent committed to Georgia when, I believe, you were 15 years old. At what point in your formative years did it click for you that playing professionally was going be a reality?
Micah: “Might sound crazy… I don’t know. Really when I got drafted, because I was hearing things of, just being honest, I was gonna get picked earlier than I did. So, doubt crept in even then. But once I got my foot in the door, all I needed was opportunity. And then I thought back to Georgia. Same thing I had the first time I met with Coach Smart. I just need an opportunity. I’m here to work. I’m committed to you. I’m not going nowhere. And I stood on that, stood 10 toes on that. Five the hard way, that’s what we called it the fifth year at Georgia, but it worked out. It worked out for me.”
Andrew: Set the scene for me in the offensive line room. Where do you sit?
Micah: “Oh, rooks sit up front. Me and Kel [Markel Bell] sit up front. The older guys sit in the back, well, most of the towards the back. I mean, wherever they want really, but the rooks sit up front. And then we usually gotta tell a joke, so you gotta have a joke on you. Yeah, I mean, that’s pretty much been, coach is sitting up front with us, and he goes over the presentation. Just like, just like a normal meeting, nothing crazy.”
Andrew: Are you a heavy note-taker?
Micah: “Yeah, got to. Got to. I’ve ran through four notebooks, I think. They told me to start working on a tablet, but I’m so used to handwriting it, I don’t know. I don’t know. I might have to switch. I’ve ran through four notebooks.”
Andrew: Have you gotten around to trying any of the food spots in Philly?
Micah: “I went to Del Frisco yesterday. On Tuesdays, they had, like, the little sampler things, like 70 bucks you get to try like three entrees, three appetizers. Just like little small pieces of it. So, I tried that. It was good. It was good. I had Kobe steak for the first time. That was, that was fire.”
Andrew: Oh, Kobe steak is awesome.
Micah: “That was fire. That was my first time having that. I get it now. I get it. I wasn’t really a believer and I was like, ‘Nah, this is gonna taste normal,’ but no, it was crazy. It was crazy.
Andrew: I got around to seeing “By Any Means.” I saw it last Saturday. So, what’s next on your list?
Micah: “Probably Doomsday unless something catches my eye. Probably Doomsday. I’ve been re-watching the Marvel movies too, getting ready for it. I’m back up to the newest Fantastic Four, so then I think I just gotta watch the new Avengers again. And then I’ve seen Spider-Man three times in the past two months, so I plan on watching Spider-Man again, and that’s it. So, I’m just gonna watch the new Avengers again, then that’s it. And then I gotta watch Loki season two, ’cause that has to do with the time variance. So yeah, I’ll do that.”
Andrew: So, for an alternate career path, it said that you would own a bus or a trucking company to help make traffic more efficient in Camden County. What makes it inefficient?
Micah: “I wouldn’t say inefficient. It’s more so, all the charter buses are from Jacksonville, so they have to go to Florida just to get a charter bus when we could have one in Camden. All we need is two to three charter buses and we can have it and give money back to our own community, hire drivers in our own community. The same people who drive our buses, our school buses on the weekends when we go to games or after, they could drive those charter buses.
“In my eyes, it makes sense to me. I don’t know. It’s just more so a way to bring revenue into the city. And I feel like, God willing, I have a solid career, I’ll be able to do that and give back to the city and the youth specifically, and the athletes. Myself being an athlete, I feel like that’s the greatest gift I can give them besides knowledge and wisdom that I’ll learn in my time.
“But just being able to provide them with a system of transportation to where it’s less stressful. We don’t have to worry about how we’re gonna get there, ’cause we know we have this such and such system from our alumni who did his thing in college, made it to the NFL, and came back to the city to start something for us. Feel like it would be perfect for Camden.”
Andrew: Awesome. Any family coming out to Nashville for the game this weekend?
Micah: “I know my parents are coming. I think my auntie and uncle are coming, too.”
Andrew: Last one. What’s one or two things, could be football related, could be off the field, that you’re working to achieve this week?
Micah: “This week, continuing to get my second step down on the run game ’cause they’re a stout defensive line. So, if my number’s called, I gotta be ready. They’re an elite defensive line, so gotta focus on getting those first two steps down in the pass game. And then, outside of that, I got some end tables coming today. So, setting that up and then hopefully, I’ll have my Lego set done by the next time I talk to you, and I’ll take a picture of it and I can show it to you.”
Andrew: Awesome. I appreciate the time, Micah.
