"As a wide-eyed teenager, Derrick Morgan used to run hills with Richard Seymour and work on his spin moves alongside Patrick Kerney. Osi Umenyiora was with him, too, along with plenty of other NFL stars. And each one would ask the same thing of Chuck Smith, the former All-Pro defensive end that personally taught, trained and mentored them all. "He was out there at a young age pushing first-rounders and all these All-Pro guys," Smith said of Morgan. "And they would all ask me, 'Man, who is this young guy?' And I would say, 'He is the future, man. That guy right there is the future. Remember him.' " The future has arrived in Tennessee, with the Titans. The Titans took Morgan in the first round of last month's NFL Draft. He was at rookie orientation last week and will be back for minicamps with veterans later this month. After posting 19.5 sacks and being named Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year last season, the Titans can't wait to turn him loose this fall. Smith, now the defensive line coach at the University of Tennessee, said the 21-year-old Morgan has it all. "He is smart, he follows the plan, he's not caught up in agents, is not lazy, and he is not out there smoking weed all night," Smith said. "He's a guy that can dazzle on camera and off. I'm telling you, when he gets his 10 sacks he'll even have that hair looking good, smiling for the cameras. You wait. He's going to be a good one." Smith has tutored some great ones. After recording 58.5 sacks in his own playing career with the Falcons (1992-99) and Panthers (2000), he began building his coaching reputation as a defensive line specialist. Roughly 60 NFL players have worked under Smith over the years, from former Vols-to-NFL stars in Albert Haynesworth to Robert Ayers to Shaun Ellis. Oakland's Seymour and Umenyiora of the Giants have worked under Smith, along with many others. Smith says Morgan has found the perfect landing spot in Tennessee, with defensive line coach Jim Washburn. Prior to joining the UT staff, Smith worked last season with the Jets as a pass rush specialist, and prior to that worked with the Ravens." http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100506/SPORTS01/5060357/2161
