Kirk Morrison

Booth Color Analyst – Las Vegas Raiders

Kirk Morrison, born February 19, 1982, in Oakland, California, is a former NFL linebacker who played from 2005 to 2012. Growing up in Oakland, he attended St. Martin de Porres (formerly Sacred Heart) elementary school and Bishop O’Dowd High School, where he excelled in football and track, leading his team to two HAAL championships and earning HAAL Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. At San Diego State University, Morrison was a two-time All-American, two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, and team captain, setting school records with 241 unassisted tackles and 10 fumble recoveries.

Drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (78th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft, Morrison played five seasons with the Raiders (2005–2009), starting 79 of 80 games and leading the team in tackles each year. His career stats with the Raiders include 636 tackles (500 solo), 5 sacks, 7 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown. Notable seasons include 2008 (135 tackles, 5th in the NFL) and 2009 (133 tackles, tied for 6th). He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010, playing one season, and then signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2011, with a brief release and re-signing in 2012. Over his NFL career, he played 112 games, amassing significant defensive stats despite criticism for inconsistent tackling.

Post-NFL, Morrison transitioned to broadcasting, starting as a color analyst for San Diego State football on “Mighty 1090” radio in 2013, then joining Fox Sports Radio’s Fox Overtime in 2011 and NFL on Fox as an analyst in 2014. Since 2016, he has covered Los Angeles Rams games for ESPN Los Angeles and served as an ESPN College Football analyst since 2017. Morrison also works with the NFL Players Association Trust as one of nine captains, supporting former players’ transitions. He resides in Los Angeles. [grok]