Dan Morgan headed to College Football Hall of Fame

He was brought here in May as general manager Scott Fitterer’s lieutenant, going back to a relationship formed when Morgan was getting his start in the business.

And while Fitterer recognized early on that Morgan knew football, he also saw something in the former linebacker that would set him apart in his new career.

Fitterer joked that he “would have to grade him down, character-wise,” but the two have grown close since Morgan was an intern in Seattle and Fitterer was rising through the college scouting ranks.

There have been a number of players around the league who dabble in personnel after their playing days, but the jobs are not the same. It’s one thing to know how you did a thing well. It’s another to see the necessary qualities in others, especially if they aren’t as talented as they used to be.

There’s also a lot of unglamorous work that has to be done, that not every player who made millions and can retire comfortably wants to sit in a Courtyard (if you’re lucky) in Lincoln, Neb. or Mobile, Ala. (if you’re lucky) and fill out detailed reports. It’s a lot of paperwork, and not every former player aspires to a life of paperwork.

“It’s harder than most players realize,” Fitterer said. “And it’s not because they can’t evaluate, because a lot of players recognize what you need on the field.

“It’s about being willing to sit in that hotel room and grind out a ton of reports, and really being detailed. Dan’s been great at that, and really took to that part of the job. It’s not for everyone, but you could tell he had the work ethic for the job, and being around players as long as he had, you could tell he had the ability to identify them.”

In a sense, it takes a lot of effort to find a guy just like him.

Like Morgan’s own, Fitterer’s evaluation of the former Miami linebacker was an off-the-charts positive one.

Fitterer didn’t file a report on Morgan coming out of Miami in 2001, but the conversations they had about him in Seahawks meetings stuck with him.

“Honestly, the reports sounded a lot like the way we talk about Jaycee Horn,” Fitterer said. “He was an alpha. Intense. There’s a toughness there, and a football awareness. You could tell the way he did it was the right way every day. He was just a great, great college football player.”

That’s what NFL teams were looking for. In linebackers. And in scouts.

That’s also what makes a Hall of Famer.