FORT COLLINS — The grayshirt business seemed like a lousy idea for Dion Morton in the fall of 2004. He was home in Riverside, Calif., and his friends had all started college. His family went to watch Colorado State games where his brother, Damon, was a freshman receiver.
Damon wasn’t his older brother, but his twin. The former Rams wide receiver enrolled half-a-year earlier and finished two years sooner than Dion. Damon played as a true freshman in ’04. Dion didn’t enroll until January 2005, then redshirted the following fall.
“That fall (’04) was miserable, but I was happy for Damon,” the current Ram recalled this week. “I was never jealous. I knew my time would come.”
Dion Morton’s time has arrived. He’s a deep receiving threat, capable of the reverse and kick-return duties. The former high school quarterback has been CSU’s designated trick-play passer, throwing two touchdown passes this season.
In other words, he’s going to give No. 19 BYU something to think about in Provo, Utah, today for the Mountain West opener.
Damon, a CSU graduate and social worker back in California, was the higher- ranked prospect out of John W. North High School in Riverside, Calif. Dion filled a “best athlete at quarterback” label. They signed as a package deal.
“We were both going to grayshirt because we committed late and they already had four receivers,” Dion Morton said. “Then someone messed up with his grades (and didn’t enroll), so we knew Damon would be able to be able to play as a freshman.”
At the time, their high school coach, Lou Randall, said it wouldn’t surprised him if Dion turned out the better player in the long run.
CSU receivers coach/offensive coordinator Greg Peterson said Morton’s emergence as a playmaker late last season was instrumental in CSU’s drive for bowl status.
“We know we need to call his number and get him the ball in the offense,” Peterson said. “When we do, he’s a playmaker.”
The current Ram is tied with his twin with 12 career TD receptions but needs nearly 500 yards to top Damon’s career receiving total (1,709).
Informed he had a stellar 703 pass efficiency rating (QB Grant Stucker has a 142.5 mark), Dion Morton said: “That’s only 2-for-2, except both those passes went for TDs. Maybe if I was 12-for-12 I’d be happy about that. But these are trick plays and that’s what they are for.”
He tossed one off a reverse and another off a lateral. He and Rashaun Greer are the primary downfield threats.
Morton said he is glad to play the decoy role while Greer gets more passes in his direction.
There’s still one more possible job description out there for him: lining up in shotgun in the “wildcat” formation.
“I wouldn’t complain if I was,” said the 5-foot-10, 172-pound senior. “I don’t know about running between the tackles.”
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
