Coal-fired passion fuels Morgan

Most every Panther fan has an opinion on Dan Morgan. Some remember his accomplishments on the field — like leading the Panthers with 25 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Some will remember his injuries — like the broken leg he sustained on the choppy sod of then Ericsson Stadium en route to sacking Brett Favre. But everyone remembers the tenacity and passion Morgan played with as a Carolina Panther and the classy way he carried himself on and off the field.

At 30 years old, Morgan is retired for good, he says. He’s married with three young kids, three young businesses (Cheese Mo’z, Sweet T’s Diner and Club K-9) and life is good. For all the injuries and misfortune Dan faced in his pro career, he’s conversely blessed off the field.

The Panthers parted ways with their former 2001 first round draft pick on February 11, 2008. A month later, he signed with the Saints — but then officially retired after an injury during mini camp. After another year off rehabbing the injury, Morgan returned to the Saints, only to sustain another injury that forced him to retire.

“Dan Morgan has informed the Saints that he has decided to retire due continued injuries,” Morgan’s agent Drew Rosenhaus wrote on his Twitter profile @RosenhausSports. “Dan would like to thank the Saints for the chance to come back this year, but injuries would not let him continue his career. His decision final and he will be moving on to focus on his restaurant business in Charlotte. Dan also wants to be able to spend more time with his wife and children.”

Morgan missed nearly 50% of the games during his pro career.

“It’s part of the game,” Morgan said. “Injuries are going to happen. Along with playing pro football and making a lot of money comes the criticism from fans. From my perspective, it’s not like I wanted to go out there and get hurt. I busted my butt and I worked as hard as anybody — If not harder. Things happen. That’s life. No matter what business you are in, you are going to have ups and downs. I had some real good times but I also had a lot of bad times.”

When he was out, it was noticeable, and when he was in, it was apparent as well. Morgan notched 25 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII for the Panthers, in a game where the night before he was “the sickest I’ve ever been in my life”. Morgan says he vomited constantly due to food poisoning the day before the Super Bowl. Even though he was extremely ill, Morgan managed to have a career game in one of the most memorable Super Bowls in NFL history. He could have easily sat out. But that is not what Dan Morgan does. Dan Morgan is a leader, and leaders step up when they are needed.

Today, Morgan is happy, living near Charlotte and running his businesses. “I got three kids, I spend a lot of time with them and I’m a big family person,” said Dan. “That’s really all my focus is on.”

Dan opened Cheese Mo’z, a coal-fired pizza joint off of Rea Rd. near Ballantyne, five months ago. Stenciled images of sports and pop icons adorn the walls — Icons like Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Mr. T and Sam Mills. “They all personify machismo,” said Dan. “It was one of the best experiences in my playing career, having a guy like that,” Dan said, pointing to Mills’ picture on the wall. “As you see, he’s up on my wall and I have his jersey in the back. Not only a great football coach but a great guy that can relate with you. Unlike another coach who might not have played football, he could related to you and everything you did day in and day out … knows when to push you and knows when to back off. That’s what made him so valuable.”

At the heart of the L-shaped restaurant lives an 800-degree, coal-eating oven. Dan says that when pizza is cooked in an oven like this at this high of a temperature, it cooks faster but retains more moisture, resulting in a better pizza.

And he’s not kidding.

The pizza was moist and delicious, cooked to perfection with all fresh ingredients — a fact Dan is proud of. The wings weren’t breaded and fried, but instead baked and smothered in his freshly made spicy sauce. Definitely a place you need to check out if you are a wing or pizza connoisseur. Large TV’s are scattered throughout the place, giving you a good view no matter where you sit.

“The pizza is like no other, and it’s something I always wanted to do.”

We sat and talked a while … about Jon Beason, John Fox, Mike Trgovac, Julius Peppers and fantasy football as we powered-down the delicious buffalo chicken pizza and snacked on the wings. Dan promises to have these available soon on the Cheese Mo’z menu.

We talked about Carolina Huddle — the first and foremost panther fan community around — and Dan was eager to offer his restaurant and bar to all our fan faithful on game day. Morgan honestly appreciates the panther fans and is looking to work more closely with us at the Huddle this season.

“Everybody that was behind me, thanks for your support,” Dan said. “I had a great time, and everybody treated me good.”