Bills’ Kirk Morrison Thankful for His HOF Mentors

The life of a professional football player is pretty grueling; with offseason training, two months of preseason activities and 4 months of practice, film watching, and 4 – hour games filled with high impact hits.  Playing in the NFL is not for the physically or mentally weak.

But these professional players are not androids who’ve been programmed to perform on Sundays; they are everyday people who love to have fun and have learned to successfully balance their work and play.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Kirk Morrison spoke with Pro Player Insiders and provided insight on his favorite extracurricular activities as well as his secrets to being successful on the field.

The Oakland native says that he frequently indulges in outdoor activities during off-season vacations.  “I love hiking.  I’m a California boy; so [there’s] a lot of hills and mountains — I like to do that.  [I also do a] bit of swimming and basketball outside of football — that’s what I love to do,” Morrison tells.

During football season, the 7-year veteran is all business.  Morrison prides himself on finding ways to constantly enhance his game skills.  He tells us that seeking advice from older players has been a significant component to his success.

“I’ve had so many mentors [including] my high school coach and college coaches,” he says.  “I think, really in the NFL, you have to talk to your older players and a lot of the retired players. They came before you.  They know the good, the bad, and the ugly.  For me, I always make sure I talk to the older players and learn from some of their experiences.  So far, it’s helped me to get to where I am now,” he says.

When asked about specific players he references as football gurus, Morrison made it clear that he surrounds himself by only the best.

“[I sought mentorship from] a lot of the Hall–of–Famers.  When I came into the NFL, I had guys like Charles Woodson and Warren Sapp.  [There’s] Randy Moss, Ted Washington, and a lot of prominent names and Hall-of-Famers that I’ve played with.  Their drive, their determination of what they do on the football field and off the field – when I was a young guy coming in, they showed be the way, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps – I’m still playing today.”