Music, ministry in future for Morgan

Ronnie Morgan has accomplished many things in his playing career but he has bigger plans for himself after his career is over.

A senior radio/television major and player on the Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team, Morgan leads his team in rebounds and is second in scoring.

Morgan won a high school state basketball championship twice, once at Desoto in 2003 and the other at South Oak Cliff during his senior year in 2006. In addition to being an accomplished athlete, he was in the National Junior Honor Society.

"I felt like I was on top of the world," Morgan said. "It's breathtaking to receive that gold medal around your neck from Rick Perry."

A highly recruited player out of the Dallas area, Morgan received scholarship offers from many Division 1 schools. He ultimately chose Louisiana Tech University; however, after a coaching change at the end of his freshman season, he decided to transfer to Paris Junior College.
Ronnie said Paris Junior College head coach Ross Hodge was a major factor in choosing PJC as his next school.

"He came to Dallas to recruit me countless times and I felt, him being a young coach, we would relate and it turned out to be a perfect fit," he said.

In his one season at PJC, Morgan and his teammates went 19-0, won the conference championship, and finished fifth at the national tournament.

He ended up choosing A&M-Commerce as his next destination, because his credits from Louisiana Tech would not transfer to a Division 1 school so he had to choose a Division II school instead. Coach Sam Walker was also a reason he chose A&M-Commerce, as Walker once coached and mentored Hodge. Morgan immediately fit in with his coaching style.

Morgan was the first player in A&M-Commerce history to win the Lone Star Conference defensive player of the week award and he feels that it was a hard-earned accomplishment he is grateful to have won.

"I feel like I've taken pride in stopping people from doing what they like to do," Morgan said.

His college career must come to an end this season. Being a senior, this year will be Morgan's last to play for A&M-Commerce, but he has plans for the future.

Morgan is already a recording artist and has songs circulating among Dallas area clubs. He has done shows around Texas and as far as California. However, after graduation he has bigger ambitions.

"I plan on going on tour with my music all over the southern states, performing and promoting my music," he said. "I write all my own lyrics for my music."

He is currently being mentored by national recording artist LINK, who wrote "Crazy" for K-Ci and JoJo.

He also plans on staying in playing shape so he can attend professional NBA and overseas camps for potential professional players.

If his career takes off he hopes to move to California where his brother plays basketball at UCLA. Otherwise, he will go play basketball overseas and continue to make his music.

"The overseas market (for music) is far better than ours in America," Morgan said.

Before graduating he plans to continue helping his teammates on their road to a championship.

"It's nothing like representing a school in a national or state tournament and winning," he said.

Once his playing days are over and his music career is done, Morgan plans on turning his attention to religious work.

"I study my Bible all the time and have an intimate relationship with God," Morgan said.