Texas Tech football's Behren Morton says injured shoulder back to '100 percent'

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Texas Tech football's Behren Morton says injured shoulder back to '100 percent'

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal · Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Tue, Jul 9, 2024 ·

3 min read

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LAS VEGAS — When the Texas Tech football team opens the season Aug. 31, Behren Morton expects to be handing off to workhorse running back Tahj Brooks — as well as winging the ball around Jones AT&T Stadium.

Actually, the Red Raiders' quarterback feels he's already back in a groove, the pain in his throwing shoulder having faded.

"I'm fully confident, 100 percent," Morton said Tuesday. "I'm throwing four times a week now, 75 balls a day. I can go throw whenever. If I wanted to go throw right now on the 50-yard line, I could go throw right now. It's just all props to the guys that got me to this point."

Morton made the comment while standing on the turf of Allegiant Stadium, first-time site of the annual Big 12 football media days that continue through Wednesday.

Morton's availability has been a hot topic since April 3, when he was shut down for the last nine sessions of spring practice. The grade-3 AC joint sprain he suffered in last year's Big 12 opener lingered and continued to cause pain.

In May, Morton went to Jacksonville, Florida, for four days of work with Tom Gormely, a sports scientist and sports performance coach who works with several NFL quarterbacks and pro baseball pitchers . They got down to business from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for several days.

And what he did take away from it?

"It was really eye-opening. There were a lot of things," Morton said. "He helped me strengthen my shoulder by doing a lot of different things. It really wasn't a rehab. It was more of a workout-type deal, trying to build as much mass as I can up top in my traps (trapezius muscle), my lats (latissimus dorsi muscle) and all that and then just taking it back home and doing it in Lubbock."

In the days after his spring shutdown, Morton saw not only the team medical staff but made trips for consultations with Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers team doctor, and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon.

While in Jacksonville, Morton threw to Gormely, to Mike Ramirez, head athletic trainer for the Tech football team, and whomever else could lend a set of hands.

Gormely didn't really adjust the throwing motion. That was something Morton did himself last season to compensate, playing through injury for the last two-thirds of the season.

"I'm back to throwing the same motion that I've always thrown," Morton said. "I had to tweak it in the season just to get through the season. Now I can go back to the way I've been throwing the ball, and it just feels so much better."

That's put Joey McGuire's mind more at ease.

How does the Tech coach feel about what he's seeing from Morton?

"Really good, man," McGuire said. "He was ripping it yesterday. He's got a lot of confidence. I watched him lift yesterday (Monday), and I was really impressed with his development. But I asked him, 'How are you feeling?' He goes, 'Coach, I feel great.' "

Morton ended 2023 throwing for three touchdowns in the Independence Bowl and being named offensive player of the game. Tech beat California 34-14.

Now, McGuire wants Morton to show a little restraint.

"He's such a competitor," McGuire said, "and then he has that mindset — which is a good mindset — that every play's a touchdown. But he's got to understand to get rid of the ball and not take some hits. He took some unnecessary hits against K-State on the sideline, and that was (on) him more than anybody. Just throw the ball away."

Texas Tech's quarterback Behren Morton (2) walks on to the field before the game against Oregon, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Behren Morton: Throwing arm back to '100 percent'

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