Daniel Thomas Morgan, Jr. (born December 19, 1978) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami, was recognized as an All-American and won multiple national awards. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Panthers in 2004.

Early years[link]

Morgan was born in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania. He grew up playing football for the Clifton Heights Rams of the Bert Bell Football League near Philadelphia.^[1] After playing freshman football at Upper Darby High School in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Morgan attended J. P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs, Florida. As a senior, he was an all-county pick at tailback, linebacker, and strong safety for the Taravella Trojans. As a junior tailback, he rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns.

College career[link]

Morgan attended the University of Miami, and played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 1997 to 2000. He began his college career playing as a fullback, but was switched to weakside linebacker one week before the season started. He became the first freshman linebacker to start for the Hurricanes since Ray Lewis in 1993. As a freshman, he was named second-team freshman All-American by the Sporting News after posting 105 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble.

As a sophomore, he became the first sophomore team captain in team history, and made the All-Big East Team, after leading the team with 150 tackles. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award and the Nagurski Trophy as a junior, and was rewarded with a second-team All-Big East for collecting 139 tackles and 5 sacks. He finally captured both awards, as well as the Bednarik Award, becoming the first player in NCAA history to win all three awards in a career (and the same year). He was recognized as a first-team All-Big East selection, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American in 2000. Upon graduating, Morgan held the Hurricanes' team and Big East conference records for most career tackles with 532.

Dan was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame at the 43rd Annual Induction Banquet held on March 24, 2011 at Miami's Jungle Island.

Professional career[link]

Carolina Panthers[link]

Dan Morgan was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round, with the 11th overall selection, in the 2001 NFL Draft.

In the 2001 season, he started 11 games at weakside and strongside linebacker, posting 75 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery.

His second season, Morgan helped turn the Panthers from the worst defense in the 2001 NFL season to the second-ranked defense, becoming the first team to make such an improvement in one season. Morgan was also an integral part of the Panthers defense that led the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where he posted a total of 18 tackles (11 solo, 7 assists).^[2] For the 2004 NFL season, he collected 109 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and five sacks en route to being named the starting linebacker for the NFC in the 2004 Pro Bowl. In the 2005 NFL season, he was second on the team in tackles, behind Marlon McCree.

On November 6, 2007, Morgan was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers due to an ankle injury.^[3] The Panthers eventually released him on February 11, 2008.

New Orleans Saints[link]

Morgan was signed by the New Orleans Saints for the 2008 season. However on May 19, 2008, Morgan announced his retirement from the NFL, citing the slow recovery of injuries, particularly a partially torn Achilles tendon suffered during the 2007 season.

After sitting out the 2008 season, Morgan confirmed on January 26, 2009 that he had filed reinstatement papers with the NFL and expected to rejoin the New Orleans Saints; Morgan stated that he was completely healthy and ready to play.^[4] He was reinstated on February 12. Morgan worked out with the Saints through the off-season, but he strained his calf muscle during a minicamp practice on June 5, 2009. On June 8, Morgan's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced that Morgan had informed the Saints that he would retire for the second time due to his continued injuries.^[5]

Career statistics[link]

Regular season

Playoffs

References[link]

External links[link]

• Miami Hurricanes bio
• Dan Morgan's Cheese Mo'z Coal Fired Pizza Restaurant in Charlotte NC

Jonathan Vilma

Vilma at the 2010 Tulane University commencement ceremony
No. 51     New Orleans Saints
Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1982-04-16) April 16, 1982 (age 30)
Place of birth: Coral Gables, Florida
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College: University of Miami
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Debuted in 2004 for the New York Jets
Career history
New York Jets (2004–2007) New Orleans Saints (2008–2011)
Roster status: Suspended
Career highlights and awards
AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2004) 3× Pro Bowl selection (2005, 2009, 2010) Super Bowl champion (XLIV) NFL Combined Tackles Leader (2005) Ed Block Courage Award (2008)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2012
Tackles 833 Sacks 9.5 INTs 11 Stats at NFL.com

Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the New York Jets 12th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.

Early years[link]

Vilma was born in Coral Gables, Florida to Haitian immigrant parents.^[1][2] attended Coral Gables High School where he was a teammate of Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore and received scholarship offers from the University of Miami, Florida State, Florida, Pittsburgh and Iowa. He eventually chose the University of Miami.

University of Miami[link]

2000 season[link]

In 2000, Vilma played in all 11 games as a reserve middle linebacker and compiled 38 tackles (29 solo) and a pass deflection.

2001 season[link]

After the graduation of Dan Morgan, Vilma stepped into the starting middle linebacker role and played an integral role on the Hurricanes' National Championship team. He led the team in tackles with 79 (54 solo) and compiled two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery for a 36-yard touchdown, three pass deflections and an interception. He started 11 of 12 games during the regular season and was selected on the First-Team All-Big East team.

2002 season[link]

Vilma led the team in tackles with 133 (75 solo), and had two quarterback sacks, a forced fumble, recovered two fumbles, (returning one for a touchdown) and broke up five passes. He earned unanimous first-team All-Big East selection for the second time in his career and was semi-finalist for the Dick Butkus Award, along with teammate D.J. Williams.

2003 season[link]

In his final year, Vilma led the team in tackles for a third time with 127 (81 solo), with one sack, forced one fumble, and recovered three fumbles. Vilma ended the year as a finalist for the Butkus Award.

Along with his success on the field, Vilma was a three-time Academic All-Big East Conference. He received a Bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Miami's School of Business Administration.

Vilma was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN.

Professional career[link]

Combine[link]

• 4.65 40 Yard Dash
• 37 Inch Vertical
• 23 Bench Reps
• 6.67 Three-Cone Drill
• 4.20 Short Shuttle
• 10-foot-1 Broad Jump

New York Jets[link]

Vilma was drafted by the Jets with the 12th selection in the 2004 NFL Draft.

2004[link]

In 2004, Vilma was named as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. During his rookie campaign, he recorded 107 tackles, two sacks, and three interceptions, including one which was returned for his first NFL touchdown.

2005[link]

In 2005, Vilma led the NFL in tackles with 169, forced four fumbles, notched one fumble recovery, half a sack, and one interception. Vilma also replaced Zach Thomas at the 2006 Pro Bowl.

2006[link]

In 2006, Vilma put together another solid season. He compiled 114 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception.

2007[link]

On October 27, 2007, Vilma was placed on injured reserve.He suffered a season ending knee injury during the New York Jets week 7 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.^[3] Vilma was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in high school, a bone defect that can cause instability and loose particles in the joint, and this is a possible cause behind his season-ending injury in 2007.^[4]

New Orleans Saints[link]

On February 29, 2008, the Jets traded Vilma to the New Orleans Saints for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2009 NFL Draft (ultimately a third-round pick). Jets then-head coach Eric Mangini elected to start linebackers Eric Barton and David Harris in his place.

In his first season with the Saints, Vilma was a bright spot on a weak defensive unit. Vilma played in all 16 games, and recorded 132 tackles with one sack.

On February 27, 2009, Vilma signed a five-year, 34 million-dollar contract with the New Orleans Saints.^[5]

On February 7, 2010, Vilma and the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts to become Super Bowl XLIV Champions. Vilma made a key defensive audible and deflected a pass on 3rd and 11 in the fourth quarter to lead the Saints to their victory.

In the first game of the season, Jonathan Vilma intercepted a pass from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Saints later won the game 14–9.

Vilma was a central figure in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, in which he, several of his defensive teammates, and then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams operated a pool which paid out "bounties" for deliberately trying to knock opposing players out of games. According to a league investigation, Vilma offered $10,000 cash to anyone who knocked Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Favre took a severe beating during that game, and was even forced out for a short time with an ankle injury. Although as many as 27 Saints players were found to be involved, Vilma was the only player who was initially singled out by the league for his role.^[6][7]

On March 22, 2012, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Williams indefinitely, head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season, general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and linebackers coach Joe Vitt for six games. He delayed punishing any players involved until receiving feedback from the NFL Players Association.^[8] After the sanctions against the Saints' coaches and management were announced, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and center John Sullivan both called for Vilma to be banned from the league for life.^[9][10]

The Saints brought several free agent middle linebackers in for visits after the free agent signing period began, fueling speculation that they were looking for an insurance policy in case of a lengthy suspension for Vilma.^[11] They ultimately signed Curtis Lofton, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, to a five-year contract. However, Loomis told The Times-Picayune that the Saints have no intention of cutting ties with Vilma.^[12]

On May 2, 2012, the NFL suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season for his role in the bounty program. The league determined that he and defensive end Will Smith helped Williams start the program in 2009. He will not be eligible for reinstatement until the end of Super Bowl XLVII.^[13] Vilma first found out about the suspension when it was announced on SportsCenter. He almost immediately announced that he would appeal, calling the suspension an "injustice" and adamantly denying that he was involved in any sort of bounty scheme.^[14] If the suspension is upheld on appeal, it will be the longest suspension related to in-game misconduct in modern NFL history, dwarfing the previous record of five games handed to Albert Haynesworth for stomping on Andre Gurode's head in 2006.

Career statistics[link]

¹NFL Leader (2005)^[15]

Personal life[link]

Vilma is a spokesman for Under Armour and WaterBank of America USA Inc.^[16]

On March 31, 2009 two Liberian men were killed in a Long Island condominium owned by Vilma. Police believe that the victims may have been part of a black money scam, where the perpetrators claim that cash smuggled from overseas—stained black to avoid detection—can be purchased at a discount; in reality, what they offer is a trunk full of worthless paper. Vilma is not considered a suspect.^[17]

Vilma's parents, Fritz Vilma and Nelly Banatte, immigrated to the United States from Haiti in the 1970s. After the 2010 earthquake, he was active in relief efforts.^[18]

Vilma started The Jonathan Vilma Foundation after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to help assist with the rebuilding efforts in Haiti, in particular a charter school to educate students from elementary school to high school.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jonathan Vilma

• Jonathan Vilma Official Website
• New Orleans Saints bio