RB Morello staying home, commits to Western

Western welcomes decorated commit to their 2017 class.

The Western Mustangs are well aware of what Nick Morello, their newest running back, can bring to the table. The product of the London South Collegiate Institute is also quite knowledgeable about Western as well.

So, what does Western’s recruiting coordinator Chris Marcus and Morello have in common? A lot, apparently. Morello said he knows Marcus because he had taught at and went to his high school. He also taught and coached Morello’s brother, who Morello said was one of his favourites.

Morello also grew acquainted with Marcus because he would drop by his practices while he was with the London South Lions (Thames Valley Regional Athletics) and the Forest City Thunderbirds (OFC).

Along with being very familiar with the team’s recruiting coordinator, Morello said he also chose Western for its academics and superior football team. He added that he has had a soft spot for his hometown team. “It’s where I went to watch games even at the age of seven and got to play on their field at halftime. It felt like the Super Bowl to me and my teammates when we were that young,” he said.

Staying home in London also appealed to him because it gave him the chance to stay home with everyone he knew and save money as well.

During the summer, Morello attended a Western training camp. He was impressed with how well organized it was and how experienced the coaches were. “I like their coaching staff. Even attending games and seeing them there, it was clear they were all on the same page, looking professional and knowing exactly what they were doing,” he said.

While it can be difficult to chose a university program, Morello said he is interested in Criminology. “It’s an area that has always struck an interest in myself and definitely a field I hope to seek an occupation and career in,” he said.

The 6’0, 220lbs football player’s career spans over 12 years, starting when he played with the Westminster Wolverines (London Minor Football Association) at the age of 7. He has started every season with the South Lions since he joined the team in grade nine. He also spent six years with the Forest City Thunderbirds.

The young athlete has had a decorated football past. In 2010, he was an offensive MVP with the Thunderbirds and he won a LMFA championship. In 2011, his elementary school recognized his athleticism with an athletic award. In 2013, he was named as the junior Lion’s offensive MVP while in grade ten. In 2014, he was nominated for the “Rookie to Watch” award in the London high school circuit. In the same year, he won a special teams award with the Thunderbirds.

In 2015, Morello was a runner-up for the Anderson Award for Excellence in Football and Academics. He won a merit award for the Thunderbirds in that year and was named a TVRA all-star. In 2010, 2013 and 2014, he was a LMFA all-star.

But, despite all his accolades, Morello said his biggest achievement was winning the 2016 Independent Bowl with the South Lions. His team went undefeated and he said had a dominate season. His offensive play resulted in him being a 2016 TVRA all-star.

“I’m very humble and proud to say I couldn’t have achieved anything that I have without my coaches and their coaching, as well as every player who has been on my team and those I have gone against whether in practice or games. They made me better and better,” Morello said.

About Canadafootballchat.com

Canadafootballchat.com (CFC) is the number one national amateur football website (source: ComScore.com) and most respected source for high school and recruiting news in Canada. CFCs mission is to promote players, coaches, administrators, teams, & leagues from coast to coast. Powered by 40+ local reporters, CFCs content driven network covers Canadian NCAA & CIS recruiting, and high school players & teams like no one else.

About CFC Insider

The ‘CFC Insider’ section is for the fan, player, coach, parent, looking for MORE. The mission of this exclusive membership section is to give more recruiting news, exclusive rankings and multi-series stories as well as coach-player instructional videos. To become a CFC INSIDER member, CLICK HERE!