Anthony Morelli
Encyclopedia
Anthony Michael Morelli (born June 21, 1985) is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Penn State
.
Morelli has also been a member of the Milwaukee Iron
and Omaha Nighthawks
.
's 1995 Punt, Pass, and Kick
competition, throwing a 50-yard pass in front of his hometown crowd at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium
.
In his high school years, Morelli was selected to the [ESPN RISE Elite 11].
in August 2003, but de-committed due to Pitt's existing situation with Tyler Palko
, along with the recent move of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College out of the Big East, and chose Penn State instead.
Morelli's junior year at Penn State got off to a good start: He threw a 42-yard touchdown
on his first pass as the Nittany Lion
's starting quarterback in a 34-16 win over the University of Akron
. However, he has struggled since, particularly in a 28-6 loss to rival Ohio State. With the Lions down 14-6, Morelli threw two late interceptions that Ohio State returned for touchdowns, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback and making the game look a lot more lopsided than it was. Morelli finished the game with only 106 yards passing. As a result of this performance, Morelli's play had become a polarizing issue amongst Nittany Lion fans. Some fans wanted to bring in backup Daryll Clark, a redshirt freshman whose style of play resembles that of Morelli's predecessor and former Heisman hopeful, Michael Robinson
. Other fans have come to Morelli's defense, pointing out the amount of playing time typically required to develop good quarterbacks. By season's end, Morelli had thrown for 2,424 yards, 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He took over third place on Penn State's season passing yardage list, trailing only Kerry Collins (1994) and Tony Sacca (1991). Despite his relatively decent statistics, Morelli expressed frustration over the conservative nature of Penn State's play calling in a November 2006 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
. After struggling all season, Morelli was able to redeem himself during the 2007 Outback Bowl
against Tennessee
, leading the Nittany Lions to an upset victory.
Morelli's senior season began with a dominant victory over rival Notre Dame but quickly lost momentum with ineffectual campaigns at rival Michigan
and at Illinois
highlighted by his tendency to turn the ball over in critical situations. Morelli then led Penn State to blowout wins over Iowa and Wisconsin and a close road win against Indiana, but Morelli struggled against rival Ohio State
and was unable to rally Penn State to victory over Big Ten rival Michigan State in the closing minutes of the game. Overall, Morelli left Penn State with his name in the record books as the only quarterback in Penn State history to pass for more than 2,000 yards in two seasons.
immediately following the 2008 NFL Draft
. In his first professional appearance, Morelli went 2-6 for 13 yards against the New Orleans Saints
in Arizona's 2008 preseason
opener. He was cut on August 30, 2008, after a lackluster performance in week 4 of the preseason against the Denver Broncos
, which included an interception returned for a touchdown.
Morelli worked out for the Green Bay Packers
and Buffalo Bills
during the 2009 offseason. He was also slated to play in the Arena Football League until they suspended operations indefinitely in August 2009.
of the new Arena Football League on January 2, 2010.
He will work out with NFL teams at the 2010 NFL Combine, in hopes of getting back in the NFL.
. Morelli was signed along with 15 other players after an open tryout held a month prior. Along with the former Penn State quarterback, the Power agreed to terms with his high school teammates, Tyrell Herbert and Kenny Lewis. Morelli was cut by the Pittsburgh Power in February 2011. He was re-signed on March 25. He was released again and could possibly go to either the United Football League or the Arena Football League.
in Pittsburgh. Before moving to Indianapolis
to train under the coaching of former NFL quarterback, Jack Trudeau
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
Morelli has also been a member of the Milwaukee Iron
Milwaukee Iron
The Milwaukee Mustangs are a professional arena football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 during the league's restructuring...
and Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
.
Early years
As a 10-year-old, Morelli won the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's 1995 Punt, Pass, and Kick
Punt, Pass, and Kick
Punt, pass and kick is a skills competition offered by the National Football League and designed for youths aged 6 to 15.- Overview :PP&K began in 1961 and at one time, event highlights were shown by CBS Sports as part of its NFL coverage...
competition, throwing a 50-yard pass in front of his hometown crowd at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
.
In his high school years, Morelli was selected to the [ESPN RISE Elite 11].
College career
Morelli originally committed to the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in August 2003, but de-committed due to Pitt's existing situation with Tyler Palko
Tyler Palko
Tyler Palko is an American football player and starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh.Palko was the starting quarterback...
, along with the recent move of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College out of the Big East, and chose Penn State instead.
Morelli's junior year at Penn State got off to a good start: He threw a 42-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on his first pass as the Nittany Lion
Nittany Lion
This article is about the Penn State mascot. For the Penn State fight song see "The Nittany Lion ".The Nittany Lion is the mascot of the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA and its athletic teams. It refers to the mountain lions that once roamed near the school, and...
's starting quarterback in a 34-16 win over the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
. However, he has struggled since, particularly in a 28-6 loss to rival Ohio State. With the Lions down 14-6, Morelli threw two late interceptions that Ohio State returned for touchdowns, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback and making the game look a lot more lopsided than it was. Morelli finished the game with only 106 yards passing. As a result of this performance, Morelli's play had become a polarizing issue amongst Nittany Lion fans. Some fans wanted to bring in backup Daryll Clark, a redshirt freshman whose style of play resembles that of Morelli's predecessor and former Heisman hopeful, Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson (American football)
Burton Michael Robinson is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round by the 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft...
. Other fans have come to Morelli's defense, pointing out the amount of playing time typically required to develop good quarterbacks. By season's end, Morelli had thrown for 2,424 yards, 11 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He took over third place on Penn State's season passing yardage list, trailing only Kerry Collins (1994) and Tony Sacca (1991). Despite his relatively decent statistics, Morelli expressed frustration over the conservative nature of Penn State's play calling in a November 2006 interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. After struggling all season, Morelli was able to redeem himself during the 2007 Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
against Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, leading the Nittany Lions to an upset victory.
Morelli's senior season began with a dominant victory over rival Notre Dame but quickly lost momentum with ineffectual campaigns at rival Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
and at Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
highlighted by his tendency to turn the ball over in critical situations. Morelli then led Penn State to blowout wins over Iowa and Wisconsin and a close road win against Indiana, but Morelli struggled against rival Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
and was unable to rally Penn State to victory over Big Ten rival Michigan State in the closing minutes of the game. Overall, Morelli left Penn State with his name in the record books as the only quarterback in Penn State history to pass for more than 2,000 yards in two seasons.
Controversy
Morelli revealed that he has not spoken with high school coach Neil Gordon since his final game in 2003. He accused Gordon and his staff of sabotaging his college recruitment, spreading rumors about his intelligence and his inability to read defenses.Arizona Cardinals
Morelli was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
immediately following the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. In his first professional appearance, Morelli went 2-6 for 13 yards against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in Arizona's 2008 preseason
National Football League exhibition season
The National Football League preseason refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five weekends of...
opener. He was cut on August 30, 2008, after a lackluster performance in week 4 of the preseason against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which included an interception returned for a touchdown.
Morelli worked out for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during the 2009 offseason. He was also slated to play in the Arena Football League until they suspended operations indefinitely in August 2009.
Milwaukee Iron
Morelli signed with the Milwaukee IronMilwaukee Iron
The Milwaukee Mustangs are a professional arena football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 during the league's restructuring...
of the new Arena Football League on January 2, 2010.
He will work out with NFL teams at the 2010 NFL Combine, in hopes of getting back in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Power
It was announced on November 2, 2010 that Morelli was signed by the expansion Arena League team, the Pittsburgh PowerPittsburgh Power
The Pittsburgh Power is an Arena Football League team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that began play in March of 2011. The team plays its home games at the new Consol Energy Center, which they share with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
. Morelli was signed along with 15 other players after an open tryout held a month prior. Along with the former Penn State quarterback, the Power agreed to terms with his high school teammates, Tyrell Herbert and Kenny Lewis. Morelli was cut by the Pittsburgh Power in February 2011. He was re-signed on March 25. He was released again and could possibly go to either the United Football League or the Arena Football League.
Personal
He was the quarterbacks coach at Plum High SchoolPlum High School
Plum High School is a public high school and the only high school in Plum Borough School District located at 900 Elicker Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15239. It has approximately 1,478 students enrolled for the 2007-2008 school year and serves grades nine through twelve. The current principal is Ryan...
in Pittsburgh. Before moving to Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
to train under the coaching of former NFL quarterback, Jack Trudeau
Jack Trudeau
Jack Francis Trudeau is a former professional American football player and current morning show co-host on Fox Sports Radio. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'3",...
.