Kirk Morrison

Kirk Morrison was born and raised in Oakland, California, where he grew up a diehard Raiders fan and always dreamt of playing for the organization. When starting his football journey Kirk played outside linebacker in Pop Warner and stuck with the position throughout high school and college before making it to the NFL.

Morrison mentioned the days leading up to the 2005 NFL Draft were stressful, but he had his family and agent by his side for comfort. The wait and anticipation that came with Draft Day were tough on him, so once he received the phone call letting him know that he got drafted by the Raiders, Morrison was on cloud nine. 

Morrison’s favorite draft memory was being around his family members. He recognized the sacrifices that his mom had made in the past to watch him play, so being drafted by his hometown team meant she wouldn’t have to travel as much anymore. Morrison’s advice for this year’s draft class is to “control what you can control” and avoid outside noise. He also spoke about his mindset once he finally entered the league.

Morrison enjoyed his transition to the NFL because he got drafted before the social media era. He mentioned not having to worry about the internet craze and simply living in the moment. He described his NFL experience as, “uniquely satisfying”.

After spending eight years in the NFL, Morrison transitioned to the Sports Broadcasting industry. He advised former players to find a peer after retiring and reach out to someone with experience navigating the hardships that come with retirement. His experience with The Trust is all about “restoring the brotherhood” of former players to be able to have a fruitful conversation.

Morrison wants former players to know that The Trust is an earned benefit. Trust events are synonymous with locker rooms and that’s one thing that former players say they miss the most. Players spend lots of time having conversations in the locker room more than any other place, so the events are a way for guys to rekindle that same atmosphere.

Morrison’s proudest moment of his NFL career was being drafted and spending eight years in the league. His proudest moment since retiring is getting the respect he got from fans and fellow colleagues, describing it as a “special moment”. Morrison summarized his life journey in one word, “evolution”.