Dec. 15, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder has announced the addition of D.J. Morrell (Norwalk, Conn.) to the Monarch roster it was announced on Wednesday.Morrell, a 6-6, 285 lbs. offensive lineman, will enroll at the university and join the Monarchs after spending two seasons at Dean Junior College in Massachusetts. Earlier this year, he was named First Team All-Northeast.
Prior to enrolling to Dean Junior College, Morrell was an All-State and All-FCIAC selection his senior year at Norwalk High School.
"We are excited to add DJ to our football family," said Wilder. "He is an outstanding player that we anticipate will compete for a starting position on our 2011 team. DJ was heavily recruited by many schools and his recruitment at Old Dominion was a total team effort by our staff, players, faculty, and administration. We are grateful for the incredible support we receive."
Morrell had received offers from Massachusetts and Rhode Island of the Colonial Athletic Association, Stony Brook and Liberty of the Big South, and Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference.
The Old Dominion football team finished its second season of football at 8-3 and over the last two seasons has combined for a 17-5 mark as the winningest FCS start-up program in the books. The squad joins the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2011, the toughest FCS conference in the nation that boasts two teams - Delaware & 2009 national champion Villanova - in this weekend's FCS semi-finals.
The 2011 Monarch schedule kicks off with Campbell on September 3rd. The Monarchs also have non-conference dates with Georgia State and Hampton before its inaugural CAA contest. Home CAA dates include UMass, Towson, James Madison, and Richmond. On the road, the Monarchs will tackle Delaware, Rhode Island, Villanova, and William & Mary.