Jimmy Morrissey

BIOGRAPHY

James David Morrissey IV, born on June 9, 1998, is a renowned professional center in American football who is currently associated with the New York Giants team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). He honed his skills in the sport during his college years while studying at Pittsburgh.

Raised in Huntingdon Valley, in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania, Morrissey pursued his initial academic career at La Salle College High School. His prowess in football began to shine during his high school when he earned the title of All-Philadelphia Catholic League during his junior and senior years. His senior year was further notable as he was named All-City by the Philadelphia Daily News.

Despite his accolades, Morrissey faced a tough time after high school during recruitment stage and unfortunately, he received no offers from NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Nevertheless, he was undeterred by this setback and made a decision to opt for the University of Pittsburgh, favouring it over other offering institutes like Lehigh, Bucknell, and Colgate.

As a true embodiment of resilience, Morrissey walked-on to the University of Pittsburgh’s football team. Although he redshirted his initial year there, he was conferred the start of his redshirt first year with a scholarship, playing for all of the twelve games of that season. Despite suffering an injury that concluded his sophomore season prematurely, he proved his mettle by earning a third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) positioning. As a redshirt junior, he was named first-team All-ACC.

In his final year at the university, Morrissey played all 11 games, even serving at right guard once due to injuries in his team. He not only won second-team All-ACC, but also earned the Burlsworth Trophy for being the most outstanding player in Division I football who initially started his college career as a walk-on.

Morrissey’s professional breakthrough came in 2021 when Las Vegas Raiders selected him in the seventh round, 230th overall, in the 2021 NFL draft. He agreed to a rookie contract for four years with the team. However, in August that same year, he was waived, but was immediately re-signed to join the team’s practice squad.

He joined Houston Texans in October 2021 and soon debuted in the NFL as the team’s starting center in a game against the Miami Dolphins the following month. However, a series of waiving and rehiring led to Morrissey not being offered a reserve/future contract post the season, which turned him into a free agent as his practice squad contract expired.

In January 2024, Morrissey was proffered a reserve/future contract from the New York Giants and he joined the team. Even though he was waived in August, Morrissey rejoined the team through its practice squad. Presently he is playing professionally as a center for the New York Giants, marking an exceptional journey wherein he excelled from high school to the NFL.