CARBONDALE, Ill. – Last September, Saluki tight end Dalton Morgan woke up at 2 a.m. one morning feeling dreadfully ill. His body ached so badly he could barely move.

“My whole system had completely shut down, and the doctors were guessing mono or strep,” he explained.

Tests for both came back negative, however. When his condition continued to deteriorate, he was moved to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where they conducted a full battery of tests.

“They tested me for everything they thought it could possibly be, but it all came back negative,” he said. “It was really frustrating, because I’d had a couple of good games and was looking forward to helping the team out. All of the sudden, I’m lying in bed and have to listen to the games on the radio.”

With doctors at a loss to explain the cause of his condition, Morgan spent the next few months essentially bedridden. He lost 35 pounds as his body wasted away from the effects of the illness. Relief finally came when Morgan had surgery to remove a lymph node from his neck.

“After I woke up from surgery, I felt normal,” he said. “They sent it out for tests and they all came back negative. It was mid-November by then, and it was like nothing was wrong and I started feeling normal.”

The fifth-year senior spent the off-season rebuilding his body, eventually getting back to his 260-pound pre-sickness weight. As a precaution, he has blood tests every other month, but has been given a clean bill of health and is back in Saluki pre-fall camp practicing at full speed.

Morgan is one of a handful of local players from southern Illinois, having played at Du Quoin High School.

“If you’re a boy growing up in Du Quoin, from an early age you’re taught that you’re going to play football,” he laughed. “Everything is about making the playoffs and you better not lose to Pinckneyille.”

After narrowing his college choices to Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois, he settled on Eastern because they were the first to offer a scholarship. After redshirting his freshman year, he transferred to Southern, where he wished he’d have gone all along.

Morgan was slated for significant playing time last season before his sickness. In fact, he played in the first four games and made a catch for 26 yards against SEMO.

A healthy Morgan means SIU can incorporate more two-tight end formations this season. The Salukis already have All-American MyCole Pruitt and sophomore Adam Fuehne.

“My job is to push those two guys to get better,” he said. “We’re like a family in that (tight ends) room. We want each other to succeed.”

Morgan is especially excited to play his final season alongside his brother, sophomore defensive end Brandon Williams.

“I knew he could play at this level when he was a junior in high school, so I would tell him what workouts to do and help prepare him,” Morgan said. “Although I missed most of the season, it was great to see him play and not have to redshirt last year. I’m looking forward to both of us playing this season.”

An exercise science major who is on track to graduate in December, Morgan plans to enter the field of cardiac rehabilitation as an exercise specialist.

 

INA, Ill. (July 1, 2013) – The Warrior Track and Field team added one more today as Austin Mapps of Du Quoin signed a national letter of intent to run hurdles at Rend Lake College.

Mapps, son of Tracy Mapps of Du Quoin, ran the 110 and 300 meter hurdles for the Du Quoin High School Indians last year as a senior, where he set personal records of 15.3 seconds in the 110 meter race and 39.9 seconds in the 300 meter race. Also during his athletic career at Du Quoin, Mapps competed in middle and long hurdles, and relays.

At RLC, Mapps will compete in the 400 meter hurdles for the Track and Field team, said Head Coach James Wooldridge, and he will also run on the Cross Country team to keep in shape.

Mapps had a bit of a scare on his road to the high school state finals, where he finished top three.

“I hurt my foot at a Sectional meet, but I never got a diagnosis. I was warming up and went over a hurdle when I landed, kind of awkwardly, on my heel. It sent this weird shock through my leg, but I went on with the race to make sure I qualified for State and got the job done,” said Mapps. “I qualified for State, but I think I could’ve done better. It’s still giving me a little bit of trouble, but nothing bad. I want to be the best I can be. I feel like I have a lot of room for improvement.”

Coach Wooldridge didn’t seem fazed by the injury, showing confidence in his newest competitor.

“He sounds like he’s versatile. He’s going to be alright and he’s going to progress and get stronger,” said Wooldridge.

Mapps said he plans to major in business while at RLC with no definite plans for the future. After graduating from RLC, he said he plans to attend a 4-year university to continue running hurdles. He credited RLC’s proximity to his home and friends already attending as reasons for why he chose Rend Lake.

Attending the signing Monday morning with Mapps and Wooldridge was Du Quoin High School Track and Field Head Coach Derek Beard and Assistant Coach Kent Leek, along with RLC Assistant Coach Matt Jackson.

“I think one of the biggest things about Austin is that he’s a great competitor. No matter what the situation is, he’s going to compete,” said Coach Beard, who then spoke of an instance where Mapps did just that. “He came by us in the 300 meter hurdles at the State track meet in about eighth place with about 50 meters to go, and he ended up in third. He told us afterward, ‘I’m not going out in eighth place; I’m going to make a move,’ and he did.”

Coach Leek added, “When it’s time to race and time to go, he puts the extra effort in.”