“LeVon Morefield began his freshman year of football at the University of Akron in a weird place – as a scout team player. In his junior and senior year at Brookhaven High School, Morefield was a key component to the team and helped lead one squad to 15-0 season and a Division II State Championship.”
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LeVon Morefield began his freshman year of football at the University of Akron in a weird place – as a scout team player.

In his junior and senior year at Brookhaven High School, Morefield was a key component to the team and helped lead one squad to 15-0 season and a Division II State Championship.

As a freshman, Morefield was relegated to the scout team – a position that kept him from seeing the field.

It was very humbling, Morefield said. I’m pretty sure every guy that comes out of high school and goes to play football at a Division I college thinks ‘I’m going to the NFL.’ Even being a walk-on, I felt like that.

Morefield said that the transition from high school football to collegiate football was very tough and being on scout team his freshman year was a reality check.

Only the best of the best go (to the NFL), Morefield said. And, sometimes, the best of the best don’t even go (to the NFL).

Morefield started his sophomore season hoping to move into a bigger role and get more playing time. It didn’t materialize

The lack of play had him questioning the game he loved, but he continued to play.

I’ve never gave up, I’ve never quit anything, Morefield said. I never really wanted to quit. For some reason, they’re going to have to kick me off the team because I wont quit.

I’ll be here until the end of it. If I start it, I’m going to finish. What kept pushing me was trying to prove people wrong.

Morefield proved the doubters wrong his junior year in 2009 when he finally saw the field.

On Sept. 12 in the inaugural game of InfoCision Stadium/Summa Field, Morefield had two rushes for eight yards.

Morefield’s story did not end there.

Two months later, the Zips played host to the Temple University Owls on ESPNU and Morefield’s story resurfaced.

It (my story) kind of first got out against Temple, Morefield said. They (ESPN) asked who has a good story and coach (J.D.) Brookhart said ‘LeVon Morefield. He has a fantastic story.’

Morefield said that ESPNU interviewed him and used it during the game.

I was just playing special teams that game and during the game they had a six minute piece just focused on me, Morefield said. The game was going on, but they had the camera just focused on me, telling my story.

That’s how it got out, that’s when I started getting e-mails and that’s kind of how I got nominated for the Rudy Award because they were kind of like ‘Hey, you have to get this guy nominated.’

Morefield did get nominated for the Rudy Award and won on Jan. 11.

It was basically the payoff for everything I was doing, Morefield said. It was kind of like an untold story. It showed me that hard work is paying off, so it makes it that much better.

Morefield won the Rudy Award while working 70 hours a week, going to practice and going to school.

Myself and coach Brookhart worked something out, Morefield said. He told me come to practice when I can and try to keep the day of a game as open as possible.

All of my managers were very flexible, everybody was just very understanding. It was tough, but I was used to it from high school.

Morefield said he worked night shift, went to school after work and then went to track practice in high school.

Winning the Rudy Award has opened many doors for Morefield – many not related to football.

I’m very realistic and I don’t feel I’m athletic enough to play in the NFL, Morefield said. It’s tough getting playing time in college, in the MAC, at Akron let alone trying to go to the NFL.

I don’t want to say I don’t have aspirations because if it was able to happen I would, but I definitely have backup plans. Coming into college, plan A was probably going but now it is probably the last plan.

Morefield said he has been offered several jobs from CEOs of companies and has been contacted by ESPN and The Oprah Winfrey Show about his story as a result of the Rudy Award.

Morefield said he also plans on going to medical school, but wants to explore the possibilities he has received from winning the Rudy Award first.

Med. school is going to be there, these same opportunities will not be, Morefield said. I can go to med. school five to six years from now and these opportunities will probably not be there two years from now.

Morefield said he will tell his story publicly, but there may be another way to get his story out there.

Daniel Rudy Ruettiger, the namesake of the award, said Morefield’s story could be a movie.

I’m in contact with him a lot, Morefield said. He was telling me that he believes I should try to make a movie when I get to where I’m going.

He said his movie was just on football, mine can be on my whole life. It could similar to Atwone Fisher.

Whatever Morefield decides to do with his life, his hard work and dedication, that he has displayed from childhood up until the Rudy Award, will make him successful.

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