Derrick Lee Morgan (born January 6, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He was selected 16th overall by the Titans in the 2010 NFL draft after playing college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Morgan was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended Coatesville Area High School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, where he played for the Red Raiders football team. As a senior he was named league Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-State after recording 47 tackles and 7 sacks at the defensive end position. He also rushed for 523 yards and 8 touchdowns as a running back.
Morgan attended the Georgia Institute of Technology from 2007 to 2009, playing for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Atlantic Coast Conference. As a true freshman in 2007 he appeared in 12 of 13 games, recording 9 tackles as a reserve defensive end. The following year as a sophomore he started all 13 games, contributing 51 tackles and 7 sacks while earning an honorable mention All-ACC selection. As a junior in 2009, Morgan was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors from Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, and Scout.com. He finished the season with 55 tackles (including 18.5 for a loss) and 12.5 sacks while helping his team to a conference championship. After his junior year, Morgan decided to enter the 2010 NFL draft.
Morgan was selected 16th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL draft. He signed a six-year contract on July 31, 2010, which also included playing time incentives that later voided the final year. He signed a second contract (4-year, $30 million) with the Titans on March 13, 2015, after fielding interest from multiple teams as a free agent.
Morgan played at the 4–3 defensive end position his first four seasons with the Titans, then switched to outside linebacker in 2014 as part of the team's transition to a 3–4 defense. Morgan became a starter on the Titans defense during the 2011 season.
Morgan wore the uniform number 90 until changing to 91 prior to the start of the 2012 season.
Morgan played in the 2010 season opener, registering a sack in his first NFL game. He suffered a torn left ACL during the fourth game, however, ending his rookie season.
Morgan made his first NFL start on the seventh game of the 2011 season and remained a starter for the rest of the year. He led the team with 20 quarterback pressures. During the preseason he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee but missed only the first regular season game.
In 2012, Morgan led the Titans with 6.5 sacks and 19 quarterback pressures while starting all 16 games. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league's fourth best 4-3 defensive end.
Morgan was second on the Titans with 6 sacks in 2013.
During his first year at linebacker in 2014, Morgan led the Titans with 6.5 sacks while starting all 16 games. He also set career highs in tackles (82), quarterback pressures (26), tackles for loss (13), passes defensed (9), and forced fumbles (2). He was rated as the eighth-best 3-4 outside linebacker by Pro Football Focus.
Morgan had a notable start to the 2015 season, recording 4.5 sacks in the first four games. During the sixth game he suffered a shoulder injury, however. He played through the injury the next four games, then was shut down for the rest of the season. He had surgery on December 15 to repair a torn left labrum.
Morgan registered a team-high 56 quarterback pressures and career-high 9.0 sacks in 2016. The 9.0 sacks tied him for ninth highest in the AFC.
Morgan tallied a career-high 59 quarterback pressures in 2017. His 7.5 sacks was the second-best season total of his career.
In 2018, Morgan played in 13 games with 12 starts, recording 25 tackles, three pass deflections, and a career-low 0.5 sacks. He missed three games due to knee and shoulder injuries.
On July 15, 2019, Morgan announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons. He finished his career with 44.5 sacks, sixth all-time in Titans history (including the Houston Oilers era) at the time of his retirement.
Morgan has spoken publicly about the medicinal properties of cannabis that he believes could benefit NFL players, particularly in treating and preventing the serious brain injuries and diseases that have afflicted many players. Morgan has called on the NFL to conduct research on the neuroprotective benefits of cannabis, as part of the league's stated commitment to making player health and safety issues a top priority. Morgan has also donated money to help fund medical cannabis research.
Morgan follows the lead of Eugene Monroe, who in March 2016 became the first active NFL player to openly advocate for the league to change its cannabis policy. Morgan and Monroe appeared together in a June 2016 interview with Katie Couric, the first time Morgan had spoken on the subject.