The Nittany Turkey

Primarily about Penn State football, this is a tale told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

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Steelers Express Interest in Morelli

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As you know, we here at The Nittany Turkey track the trials and tribulations of former Nittany Lion quarterback Anthony Morelli. We frequently ridiculed his efforts to secure an NFL job, but it appears now that he might have the last laugh.

When we last touched on the subject, Morelli, a Rhodes scholar who has always gone by Anthony and never Tony, had given up a potentially lucrative career in the reconstituted Arena Football League, where he could have earned as much as $75,000 per season, in favor of concentrating on getting into the NFL. Tony had been working with former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jumping Jack Flash Trudeau, and while in Indy, he attended the NFL Scouting Combine. He did not participate in the drills with this year’s crop of college players, but he was nevertheless accorded an audience with scouts on Friday, after everyone else had gone home. Later, in March, Morelli participated in Penn State Pro Day, on his old campus.

The NFL had shunned Morelli, who was initially signed by the Arizona Cardinals, where he played in the pre-season back in 2008, but was released before the start of the regular season. Since then, he has failed to catch on with the few NFL teams that gave him tryouts.

Now, it appears that he has a real shot with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Ron Musselman of the Post-Gazette, the Steelers liked what they saw at the combine and Penn State Pro Day. “Morelli has a real shot at being the next Brian St. Pierre,” said Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, “especially given the uncertainty surrounding Ben.” Tomlin was referring to starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who apparently has an IQ lower than even Morelli’s, especially when it comes to being twice shy after being burnt once, but I digress.

The Steelers signed Roethlisberger’s backup, Charlie Batch, originally from the Pittsburgh community of Homestead, to a two-year extension on March 26. Byron Leftwich had a one-year deal last year which expired, leaving open a slot for a third-stringer.

Morelli has Pittsburgh roots. He seems a natural for the third-string slot. Anticipating being offered a contract, Morelli has contacted former Steeler great Mark Malone in Chicago, with the intent being to engage another mentor who is “close to the Rooneys.”

Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians, when contacted by ESPN, denied that Morelli already had an offer. “It’s not something I can discuss,” stated Arians, who appeared to be uncomfortable with the subject. “We’ve seen Morelli and we know what he can do. Did you see how he winged a pass 60 yards at Three Rivers Stadium when he was only 10 years old? Anyhow, a lot depends on what goes on at the top.” Arians was referring to the Roethlisberger situation, in which the top quarterback has gotten himself in deep shit because he apparently does not know how to keep his dick in his pants.

Pittsburgh is a great town for quarterbacks. This Turkey can personally recall four hall-of-famers who played for the Steelers. Aside from the obvious one, Terry Bradshaw, you might not recall that John Unitas, Len Dawson, and Bobby Layne all played for the Steelers at various stages in their careers. However, Morelli’s bust is not anticipated to join theirs in Canton. He’s been enough of a bust on the field, already.

Morelli’s entourage in Indianapolis did not answer phone calls. However, it was rumored that Mrs. Morelli was vacationing in Hawaii with Mrs. Bubby Brister.

Will this rumor come to fruition? We here at The Turkey promise to stay close to this story.

Mild TBI and Sports Related Injuries

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Back on March 10, this Turkey published a story called Game Brain, which pointed to a GQ article about repetitive brain injuries among football players. Anyone competing, coaching, or with friends or relatives in contact sports should be aware of the dangers involved. Therefore, I am posting some additional information on the subject below.

Athletics are a fun and healthy way to stay active that millions of people take part in each day. However, some of these activities can take a toll on the physical body of the individual. Contact sports like football, boxing, soccer, and hockey can cause damage that can change a person’s entire life and sometimes can even be irreversible. An example of this type of sports injury is traumatic brain injuries. A TBI can permanently alter someone’s life and can even require long-term rehabilitation and care from special facilities like CareMeridian and these injuries are often too common when taking part in sports.

According to the Brain Injury Resource Center, an estimated 300,000 sports related brain injuries occur each year. Most of these injuries are not classified as severe. Many of these mild TBI’s or concussions may appear unthreatening, but in fact they can often cause significant damage if not treated properly. The hidden danger of a concussion comes from the fact that it is usually passed off as nothing more than pain and soreness inflicted from the sporting activity, which is why they can easily be a repeatable injury. Consequently, concussions are often regarded as very hazardous and should be given thorough and constant attention.

Concussions are head injuries that are caused by blows to the head that usually cause the brain to move violently within the skull. For a sport like football this type of injury is common and unfortunately, at times ignored. Many athletes shake off the pain that’s caused from the head injury, because the immediate effects are often unnoticed. Yet, without treatment, a simple injury can cause a lifetime of suffering. The NFL has a concussion rate of 61% and this type of injury not only sidelines the player impacted, but can end their career. Some NFL players, like quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young, retired from the game rather than take on the risk that comes from the injury, but others are not so lucky. Many retired football players and athletes battle memory loss and constant migraine headaches that result from head injuries.

Participating in athletic competition (football, soccer, basketball, etc…) is inherent in many different peoples’ lifestyles, but comes with risk of injury. Mild TBI is among the most common forms of sports related injuries, which also include fractures, tears, bursitis, sprains and more. As an enjoyable means of human interaction and competitive lift, sports will always be an integral ingredient of modern day society. Ultimately, it’s important to be aware of mild traumatic brain injuries (symptoms, treatment, etc…) and the frequency of occurrence on the field of play.

Shuler Rocks Pro Day

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The best story emerging from PSU Pro Day centers on the performance of former Nittany Lion tight end Mickey Shuler, who has excelled in all drills. He has probably helped himself the most of any of the Penn State players participating in the event. This is particularly encouraging, in light of the talented crop of tight ends offering themselves up to the pros this year.

Shuler did 28 reps of 225 lbs in the bench press, just under 11 feet in the broad jump, and slightly less than 38 inches in vertical leap. His 40 time was 4.62. These numbers would put him in the top five in each category at the NFL Scouting Combine. As representatives from all NFL teams are present at Pro Day, surely someone will take a chance on Shuler, whose dad played in the NFL for 14 seasons.

Meanwhile, another tight end, Andrew Quarless, continues to perform impressively, although both he and Navorro Bowman were questioned by pro scouts about off-field incidents.

Anthony Morelli was present at Pro Day. Bob Flounders speculates about his future here.