Written Q&A: Jordan Morris
The USMNT and Seattle Winger Opens Up on a Big 2022 Ahead
Grant Wahl:
Our guest now is Jordan Morris, the Seattle Sounders winger who's in the U.S. men's national team's January camp ahead of three big World Cup qualifiers starting at the end of the month. Jordan, it's great to see you. Thanks for coming on the show.
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, of course. No worries. No problem.
Grant Wahl:
Lots to talk about here. You've been in both the December and January U.S. camps after coming back from your ACL injury. One thing I always like to ask players is, how has this camp been so far? And are there any players that have stood out to you in a good way so far?
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, it's been a great camp so far. Good to get back with the group. And I think it's always, obviously, important before these big games coming up to get together, to get the fitness in. I think that's been a big component of this camp is since this group isn't playing games, getting that fitness component in and hopefully putting ourselves in a good spot to make that qualifying roster.
But I think a lot of players have been doing really well. DeJuan [Jones] has come in. He's kind of the newer face that I haven't seen quite as much of. And I've been really impressed with him. I think he's done a really good job. So everyone's doing well and working hard.
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Grant Wahl:
I realize it's not guaranteed that you'll be on the roster for the World Cup qualifiers, but if you do make it, what kind of role would you be hoping to have?
Jordan Morris:
Any role. Of course, the goal is to be part of that group. And I think throughout my whole recovery, throughout these last two camps, I've just been trying to work really hard to get my fitness levels back up, to get my sharpness back up coming out of a long-term injury and, of course, wanting to be a part of that qualifying group at the end of the month.
But whatever role I'm asked to play, if I do make that team, I'll of course play happily. I know having been out for a while that things might not be going perfectly for me now. I know there's things I need to continue to work on. I'm actually feeling really sharp this camp, feeling fit, feeling like my touch on the ball has gotten a lot better. But whatever role that I'm asked to play, if I do end up making the squad, I will, of course, happily play. And that's what I love about this group is it's just guys fighting and working for each other.
“When you have [being able to play] taken from you, you just realize how much you love the game, how much you truly appreciate it. And when I came back again, it just made that so much more clear. Not that I did this before, but you don't ever take a day for granted. And I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be playing again.” — Jordan Morris
Grant Wahl:
I'm sure you've had discussions with Coach Gregg Berhalter. What has he told you about what he wants from you right now?
Jordan Morris:
Before the December camp I had a discussion with him that, like I mentioned, just getting my fitness and my sharpness back up, because I was fortunate enough to come back this year. And that was my goal was to try to get back and play at the end of the season with the Sounders. But we lost pretty quick there in the playoffs, so I didn't get too much game time.
And so just getting back and being able to take part in the friendly in December and just getting that fitness and that sharpness back is really important. And in terms of on the field, I think it's similar to before the injury, what I felt like I could bring was stretching teams, getting in behind, using my pace to disorganize the opponent. And so I think it's more of the same in terms of what I can bring to the table.
Grant Wahl:
At this moment, how close do you feel like you are to being back at your best?
Jordan Morris:
I think there's definitely a little ways to go. I actually feel really, really good this camp. I felt like it's been a big step up from even December fitness-wise, sharpness, touches on the ball. I think, of course, when you're going through a rehab, and I'm super grateful for the staff in Seattle. They pushed me really, really hard. So the fitness level, when I came back, I actually felt really good.
I think the game play, and the sharpness, and things like that are always going to come a little bit later. So coming to this camp, I've actually felt really, really good. I feel like there's definitely still some things that are a little bit fast and things that I want to continue to work on. Continuing to get sharp in front of goal is obviously, a big one for myself. That's a big part of my game. So I'm definitely not quite at a hundred percent where I was before the injury, but I'm feeling really, really good.
Grant Wahl:
So a question for you about these upcoming qualifiers, if you end up being involved in them, these could be in some seriously cold and snowy winter weather based on the locations of these games and the time of year. How do you feel personally as a player about playing in super cold weather? And how do you prepare yourself for a game in those conditions?
Jordan Morris:
I think obviously, it's the same for both teams. And I think you just have to look at it like that. It's maybe not the perfect, most ideal weather coming from Seattle. It's not freezing. But we play in cold weather a lot. So I think growing up, you get used to that. And obviously, this will be much colder. Potentially some snow. But I think when you look at the games that you're playing and the fact that they're World Cup qualifiers, the end goal, none of that other stuff really matters. You know what each of these games means and how important they are. And when you step on the field, I think that everything else outside just fades away, because you realize the importance of the game you're playing.
Grant Wahl:
I did want to ask you something about a photo of you that I saw arriving at camp in Phoenix on the U.S. Soccer Twitter. It looked like you were wearing an N95 mask, which is the strongest kind. With Omicron spreading so easily now, what kind of efforts are you taking to avoid COVID, especially with your diabetes being a risk factor? And have you been able to avoid getting COVID so far?
Jordan Morris:
I actually had it about a week before coming into camp. So it was definitely spreading and still is, of course. And then I had it back in Seattle. And fortunately, I didn't have any crazy symptoms or anything like that. But yeah, I think throughout this whole process, especially being a diabetic, I wanted to really be as careful as possible. And I think traveling into camp for myself, for my teammates, for the staff, just trying to be as careful as possible when you get into this group, because you obviously want everyone to be fit and healthy to play, and to practice, and to try to push to make that qualifying roster. So I think, like I said, kind of for myself, of course, and for the team, just trying to take all the precautions necessary to try to avoid this thing. But it's just crazy right now.
Grant Wahl:
Totally. I'm glad you're doing okay at this point.
Jordan Morris:
Thank you.
Grant Wahl:
You were out obviously for a long time last year with this ACL injury. What did you learn about yourself during the recovery period this time, because it wasn't your first?
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, unfortunately, it wasn't my first. It just made the things that I learned in my first recovery even more apparent. And so much of that was just not taking for granted a single day that you have while you're playing, whether you're training, games, whatever it is. It's just a blessing to be able to do what we do for a living and to be able to play a sport that we love for a living.
I think you really realize that when it's taken away from you. And when it's not my first time going through an injury like that I think mentally it's really challenging to sit and watch, whether it's games in Seattle, or the national team, or watching the Swansea games at the beginning, wishing that I could have been playing in those games and been out there.
But I think when you have that taken from you, you just realize how much you love it, how much you love the game, how much you truly appreciate it. And when I came back again, it just made that so much more clear. So I don't ever, not that I did this before, but you don't ever take a day for granted. And I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be playing again.
Grant Wahl:
Do you watch a lot of soccer?
Jordan Morris:
Yeah. A good amount, I would say.
Grant Wahl:
Yeah. I'm just curious whether it was during your recovery or even just regularly. Because I remember an interview, I think it was a press conference, Weston McKennie, a few months ago, said something like he never watches soccer. I was kind of like, "I'm surprised." But I realize guys are different. You watch a fair amount?
Jordan Morris:
I think, yeah, a fair amount. I think sometimes it was tough during my recovery. I would say I watched the national team, of course, and the Sounders games, and things like that. But just to have the game, watching as much as I normally did, probably not, to try to get that escape a little bit, because it was tough mentally to want to be playing and wishing that I was out there. I wouldn't say I watch a crazy amount. But I definitely watch a lot of soccer.
Grant Wahl:
You're in U.S. camp with a good friend of yours, your club teammate Christian Roldán. How would you describe your friendship with him and the support that he provided over the past year during your recovery?
Jordan Morris:
Christian's obviously been great through both my recoveries. He's one of my best friends on and off the field, so it's nice when you come into a camp like this, or back in Seattle, to have that support. And when I was away from the team or they were on away trips or things like that, just talking to him, filling me in on what was going on, different things like that, keeping me feeling like part of the group.
I think when you're injured, the hardest part is you feel isolated. You feel isolated from the team. You're off in the gym doing things. In the first parts of your recovery, it can get lonely and isolating. And so I think having a good friend like that to keep you involved a bit was mentally really refreshing during the tough parts of rehab.
Grant Wahl:
The big news for the Sounders this week was the announcement that Albert Rusnák had been signed by the team. What are your thoughts?
Jordan Morris:
I mean, that's a huge signing, obviously. Playing against him, you know how good of a player he is and the quality that he brings. And I think whenever you bring a player like that into a group like we already have, it's pretty impressive. We have a lot of quality on that team. We feel like we can challenge for championships every year. And I think this year especially, I think with adding him and having most of our group coming back, we really feel like we can challenge for everything this year.
And I think that that's our main goal, starting with Champions League coming up, we want to win that and then push forward into the league and do really, really well and do big things. And adding a quality player like him is only going to help that.
Grant Wahl:
I was reading that you're continuing to work on your Stanford degree. How does that work? How much do you have left? What's your major?
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, pretty much a business degree that I'm working on. Stanford doesn't offer any online classes. So when I left, I was going to go back at some point after my career and finish up. But when COVID started, all the colleges went online. And Stanford began offering online classes. So I re-enrolled in 2020 actually and was taking classes that year. I stopped when I went overseas to Swansea just with that new adventure.
And then right when I got hurt, I kind of picked it right back up again. And throughout my recovery process, my whole focus was rehab and getting back on the field. But I had something when I got home that I was going towards a goal and reaching toward something. So I knocked out quite a bit. I probably have a little over a quarter left to finish up at some point. But I got a lot of it done, which was great.
Grant Wahl:
That's huge. Congrats on what you've been doing. I just did a big story, a written story, on Catarina Macario, who went to Stanford. Terrific player. Visited her in Lyon. And she got her degree. She said it was the biggest single achievement of her life and even more so than any of the soccer stuff she's done. Have you observed her at all over the years? I'm just curious.
Jordan Morris:
Oh, she's unbelievable. I'm trying to remember. I don't think we overlapped at all at Stanford, but of course, I followed both the men's and women's team when I left, and some of the goals that she would score. And it's been really fun to follow her. She's really impressive. So, yeah. I've never met her or been able to talk to her, but I've loved watching her from afar.
Grant Wahl:
And I also saw you got married in the past year during your recovery. Congratulations. What kind of impact has that had for you?
Jordan Morris:
Oh, it was the one silver lining of the recovery process, because normally MLS marriages all take place in December, but we were able to get married in October. We had a wedding planned actually for the December before and had to cancel for COVID. So when I got injured, it was kind of like, "Well, this is kind of the one year we're going to have to be able to get married at a time that we want."
And I told the training staff right at the beginning, I'm like, "I don't care about anything else. That one weekend in October, I need that off to go get married." We got married in California. So it was awesome. It was just a small wedding there. And it was, like I said, the one silver lining of the injury.
Grant Wahl:
And just to wrap up, a year ago, obviously, you had gone on loan to Swansea City. Do you still have any interest in Europe at some point for your club career?
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, definitely. I think so. I was really excited about that opportunity. Really excited to be fighting with the team to try to make it up to the Prem and unfortunately, they ended up losing in the final. But it was an awesome opportunity. And I wasn't there for long enough, of course. I think I only played in four or five games, something like that.
But I was loving the city, the team, my teammates. It was an awesome experience. And I was really excited for the new challenge. And I definitely had an itch to get over there last year at that time. That big scratch hasn't been fulfilled. So we'll see. I'm really happy in Seattle, of course. But I think I definitely have that drive to get over there. But wherever I'm playing, I'm just going to continue to work hard to be the best player I can. And yeah, I think, like I said, having that new mentality coming back from this injury.
Grant Wahl:
Jordan Morris has a big year ahead with the U.S. men's national team and the Seattle Sounders. Jordan, good luck with everything. Thanks for coming on the show.
Jordan Morris:
Yeah, of course. Thanks so much.