Sardis football Eli Morton takes long unexpected journey to signing PWO with Auburn

Sardis football tight end Eli Morton achieved his dream earlier this month, signing a PWO offer to play at Auburn.

The journey to Auburn started long before Morton stepped on the football field, even on the day of signing his mother, Anna Noojin, was showing off a photo of a young Morton rolling the famous Toomer Corner. He would go to Auburn multiple times growing up for games but the journey to play football at Auburn started in June when he went to a camp.

Morton earned Gadsden Times first team honors at tight end after a six-touchdown season before adding Gadsden Times large class player of the year honors in basketball. He earned second-team all-state honors for basketball as well.

Morton impressed coaches but had to wait for an offer, if one was going to even come. He had offers to walk-on at Group-of-5 programs but it all changed in January during the Etowah County basketball tournament. Before the semifinal game, Auburn called Sardis football coach BJ Brooks to pass a walk-on offer to Morton, who was gearing up to play basketball. Brooks had to wait until after the game and delivered the good news.

"The whole game, I didn't have a clue and I looked at my phone after the game and coach Brooks texted me 'hey call me, I got something important to tell you' and I was like what could this be about," Morton said. "I get out and coach Brooks tells me that I got that offer to Auburn and I was blown away. I thought it was a joke, not going to lie, its just so special."

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Growing up at Auburn football games and being around the campus, it has become like a second home for Morton. From rolling Toomer's corner when he was little, attending games and now playing at Jordan-Hare stadium.

"It's been very special, I never thought this day would come but I prayed on it," Morton said. "One day it just showed up, it was special. There was no other, I mean Jacksonville and South Alabama have been there and it was so hard to pick Auburn over them. When I picked Auburn, its just home to me, second place. It's home away from home."

Morton grew up with high expectations, with his mom coming from the Johnson family of athletes and three-generations of college athletes on his dad's side. His father played at Alabama from 1996-99 as a tight end before a back injury ended his career. Morton became just the latest Johnson and Morton to find athletic success at the next level.

"It is special, it goes back, Anna's family great athletes, my grandad played football and basketball at JSU, my dad played college baseball and basketball. We got a good pedigree coming up but its exciting. God blessed Eli with athletic ability and I feel he's got a lot to prove and I think he'll do it for sure," his dad Ryan Morton said.

Eli will graduate Sardis on May 25 before having to immediately move to Auburn the next day for summer trainings, but for now its tennis season for the 6-foot-6 athlete.

Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports and Jacksonville State athletics for the Gadsden Times. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at MDonaldson@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Sardis football's Eli Morton signs PWO with Auburn, his 'second home'