Will battle for the starting job at tight end … could see action at fullback … sees most of his time as a blocker … used in double tight end sets … has excellent understanding of the offense and how to attack different fronts … valuable member of the special teams … sustained an injury to his right knee late last season … finished out the season and then had surgery in the offseason … sat out the entire spring ... ... Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll … previous bowl trips: 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta

2007 (r-Jr.): Played in all 13 games … used in more than 60 plays, including a season-high eight plays against Connecticut … made two tackles on special teams, one against Mississippi State and one against Connecticut … helped pave the way for the offense to produce two 1,000-yard rushers, average six yards a carry and 292.9 yards a game rushing and 450.5 in total offense … Mountaineers ranked No. 4 nationally in rushing offense, No. 11 in scoring offense and No. 19 in total offense.

2006 (r-So.): Played in 12 games … awarded the Danny Van Etten Award as the scout team player of the year on offense … saw action at tight end but was used mostly on special teams … finished with two catches for 12 yards against Eastern Washington and assisted on a tackle against Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

2005 (r-Fr.): Saw limited action, playing in one game against Wofford … awarded the Danny Van Etten Award as the scout team player of the year on offense … saw limited action on special teams … scout team champion: Maryland, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, East Carolina.

2004 (Fr.): Redshirted … did not see varsity action.

Prep: Four-year letterwinner for Coach Brent Southworth at Paris High ... Associated Press Texas 4A all-state team (DE) … Texas Sports Writers Association All-State Team (TE) … Texas PrepXtra Top TE’s in state list … two-year all-district and All-Red River Valley as tight end and defensive end ... one of only three district players to be named all-district on both sides of the ball … team captain and member of senior council leader ... Dallas Morning News Area Top 100 ... also an all-district player in baseball ... part of the 2003 Dixie World Series fifth-place team … selected academic all-state … National Honor Society member (Top 10 percent of his class).

Personal: Birthday is Dec. 10 ... son of Sam and Mary Ann Morrone ... one of four children … majoring in accounting.