ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – The Packers hosted the New York Jets for training camp workouts ahead of their preseason game this weekend, and it’s been a homecoming for Jets quarterback James Morgan.
Morgan grew up playing in the shadow of Lambeau Field, at Ashwaubenon High School. So practicing on Ray Nitschke Field and gearing up for a game on the Frozen Tundra is something of a dream come true.
“For me, with the personal history with the Packers, it was great…It was just really cool. I’ve been on the other side of the fence, watching them practice, and pictured potentially being there. So to be on that same field where I watched them practice so many times, it was very cool and I really enjoyed it,” Morgan told WTAQ News. “I’ve been to so many games over the course of my life and just being there and picturing playing. So to be actually able to come out of the tunnel and play on that field with all of the tradition there and everything that I’ve experienced growing up is going to be something that’s really cool and I’m sure it’s going to be an unforgettable experience. I’m looking forward to it!”
Being on the field with one of the players he had looked up to while growing up was a surreal experience, but Morgan had to make the most of his opportunity.
“It’s awesome to watch Rodgers do his thing. Even as another quarterback, watching someone as talented as he is and kind of picking his brain and stuff is very cool, and a great perspective,” Morgan said.
Morgan says it’s also been great to see family, and for them to have the ability to show up and support him at practice.
“You get such a busy schedule, especially during camp, that whatever time you get, you make the most of it. So that was a really cool aspect of it, but I’m just excited for the game,” Morgan said.
While he’s been a lifelong fan of the Green and Gold, Morgan says the mindset is forced to change a bit once you actually get into the league.
“There’s a certain switch that kind of flips when you get into the NFL. So growing up, I was always a Packer fan, I really enjoyed it. But then last year going through the process, it was ‘Okay, whoever I get drafted by, that’s who I’m giving 100-percent to’,” Morgan explained.
Right now, Morgan is listed behind the Jets’ second-overall pick in the 2021 draft, Zach Wilson, on the team’s depth chart. But that doesn’t seem to bother him too much.
“Zach is awesome! It’s very cool to be in the room with him. He’s got a great personality, he’s a great kid,” Morgan said. “The biggest thing I need to do is just control what I can control. It’s decisions that are made by whoever, and all I need to do is go out and be the best player that I can be and see where that takes me. So I’m taking it one play at a time right now.”
While watching the game on Saturday, keep an eye out for the visiting team’s #4. Morgan says the number he dons on his jersey may have a slight connection to the one permanently placed on the ring of the Lambeau Field bowl.
“In the draft process, I was definitely thinking about the #4 for Favre. It’s just so cool having him influence me as a young kid and to be able to go – and obviously, he played for the Jets and wore #4 there – so it’s definitely something that factored into it,” Morgan said.
Kickoff at Lambeau Field is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. on Saturday.
