It’s not every day that you see a humble football player, but that’s exactly how to describe WSU redshirt junior running back Jamal Morrow.

Morrow is arguably one of the best running backs in the Pac-12 right now, but you likely would not know it if you met him.

Morrow comes from a family of humble heroes. He is the son of a member of the United States Navy and the grandson of a Hurricane Katrina survivor. Morrow said his grandfather tells him stories of the storm and that he is inspired by his grandfather to continue pushing for success.

“When he tells me stories like that, he’s the reason why I play football the way I do now,” Morrow said. “He always keeps it real simple. He’s like ‘you can only do everything 100 percent and do everything with the best you got.’”

From a family of strong men, Morrow has learned what it means to be resilient and hardworking. His mother, Vera Morrow, is as nurturing and loving as any mother of a young football player. In such a physical sport, she said she was concerned about Morrow’s safety when he began playing tackle football in sixth grade.

“He was so tiny,” Vera Morrow said. “He was so mad his younger brother played football before him as a fourth grader. He was like, ‘Mom, he’s in the fourth grade.’”

After pee-wee football, Morrow went on to play under Kraig Broach at Heritage High School in Menifee, California, where he had a breakout season as a high school athlete.

Broach said he remembers Morrow’s sophomore year when he witnessed the moment Morrow had a gift.

As a sophomore, Morrow was playing both offense and defense. Morrow was also named to the All-Sunbelt League second team.

In his senior year, Morrow dealt with an injury, tearing his meniscus in a game after being tackled before the end of the first half, but played through it.

“He has the confidence that he’d never seen in any other athlete, and goes about business in such an inclusive and positive way,” Broach said. “He is genuinely positive and doesn’t change who he is.”

Morrow appeared twice on the television show The Price is Right before his freshman year at WSU. When host Drew Carey called his number, Morrow’s energy was felt through the television screen. He jumped up and down, ran on stage and squared up for two chest jumps with Carey. He brings this same energy everywhere he goes.

Now an upper-classman and taking the lead as one of the featured running backs on the team, his success has not come without a setback.

This January, Morrow was arrested and cited for driving under the influence after a leaving a party early one morning.

“It was a careless mistake, but my family and friends did a good job of keeping me up, focused and motivated,” Morrow, said. “My mom was key to remind me not to let it happen again. She said, ‘It happens once, it’s a mistake. It happens twice, it’s a problem.”

Morrow said he has goals of going to the NFL and giving back by helping other student-athletes who share similar dreams.

“Of course we want to make it to the NFL, but after that I want to become a high school athletic director and work with kids and get them into college,” Morrow said.

Morrow is currently majoring in sports management with a minor in business.

His resilience and positive energy is key to his success on and off the field, and prepares him for anything that life throws his way. Morrow’s humble and selfless attitude as a student-athlete sets him apart from the others, and likely will pave a successful pathway to his dreams.

“Every time you get on the field,” Morrow said, “it’s beast mode.”