Belle Glade's Mike Morris, Lake Worth's A.T. Perry picked on final day of NFL Draft
Once a Stallion, American Heritage-Delray alum Mike Morris is now set to be a Seahawk.
The 22 year-old Belle Glade native was Seattle's first selection of the fifth round, drafted 151st overall to join a long list of more than 60 football stars from Muck City making strides in the NFL.
That toughness translated to the field, seeing Morris stun through an injury-riddled senior season for Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.
Patience is the only other thing that outweighed the 6-foot-5, 275 pound edge's grit.
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Morris didn't leave high school with a state title, running into Hollywood's Chaminade-Madonna before punching the ticket to state, but his defense still has the bragging rights of holding the Lions to their closest region final game since establishing their role as a resident powerhouse in 2017.
That 9-4 season, the four-star recorded 89 tackles — 25 for loss — five sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and returned a touchdown on a blocked punt.
Along the way, the highly touted prospect and No. 22 defensive end in the country flipped his commitment from Florida State, where his father, Mike Morris Sr., played on the O-line. Morris also picked up a number of varsity accolades, including multiple Super 11 and first-team all-county selections from The Palm Beach Post.
At Michigan, he didn't see game action until he was a sophomore. Across four years, Morris made just 16 starts in 27 games. However, in his junior and senior years, the Wolverines saw Morris unleashed, eager to hit the field after playing behind the 2022 draft's second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson and second-round selection David Ojabo.
Two College Football Playoff appearances later, seeing even a glimpse of Morris' full potential was certainly worth the wait.
In 2021, he played in all 14 games. Highlighting the year with a quarterback hurry against Georgia in the Orange Bowl, Morris made 17 tackles, had two pass breakups, and one interception.
Morris exploded in 2022 with 23 tackles — 11 for loss — a team-high 7.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, three PBUs, one forced fumble and a blocked kick to earn his third varsity letter. His last collegiate appearance in December's Fiesta Bowl against TCU was marked by a tipped-off pass and two solo tackles.
American Heritage-Delray Athletic Director Kristina Shahin tweeted: "It couldn't have happened to a better guy!! Let's go kid!!"
More Palm Beach County picks
Former Park Vista wide receiver A.T. Perry was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round with pick No. 195 overall. Wake Forest's long, lean, speedy receiving machine caught for 1,293 yards and 15 scores last season for the Demon Deacons.
Clinching back-to-back All-ACC first team designations, the Lake Worth native made his last season as Demon Deacon one of note, receiving for 1,096 yards (81 receptions, 13.5 per). 11 scores in 13 games tied him for seventh in the FBS.
After the seventh round
Atlantic-turned-Texas Tech defensive back Marquis “Muddy” Waters signed a free-agent contract with the New York Jets. He was benched by injury in 2021 and made a dominant comeback, totaling 60 tackles, 13 for loss.
A handful of Palm Beach prospects declared, but didn’t get the call.
Among players who entered this year’s draft were Dwyer quarterback Todd Centeio, who played collegiately at James Madison, along with Utah State's Gurvan Hall and Maryland linebacker VanDarius Cowan, who both played for Palm Beach Gardens.
One of the last greats to come out of a folded Oxbridge program, Kentucky cornerback Keidron Smith, along with former Atlantic defensive back Datrone Young, who went to Duke, also went unselected.
Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Belle Glade's Morris, Lake Worth's Perry picked in NFL Draft
