R.I.P. Darius Morris and Obi Ezeh

Over the weekend two Michigan athletes that I followed pretty closely while they were there unfortunately passed away. Darius Morris was a basketball player and Obi Ezeh was on the football team. I have some thoughts on both men.

Morris was a big deal when he ended up at Michigan. The men's basketball team was going through a transition at the time. They were not very good. They were still reeling from the Fab Five sanctions. And they had hired a new coach the previous year, John Beilein. Beilein was given a good amount of time to turn the team around, which he eventually did, but Morris was kind of the turning point for the program. Morris was a highly sought after point guard prospect. A bunch of division 1 teams were after him. He shockingly picked Michigan and headed from California to Ann Arbor. He, along with Beilein, turned this team around faster than I imagined. In Beilein's system, the point guard gets it all going. They are the important guys. They have to know it all, and have the head coach's trust. Morris came in, immediately got the keys and ran with them. Michigan was a sub .500 team the year before Morris arrived. In his freshman season they won 21 games and returned to the NCAA tournament. They had another solid year behind him in his sophomore year. Much to my surprise, and many others I believe, he left Michigan for the NBA. He was drafted and spent just under a decade in the NBA. While never a real star, Morris carved a place for himself in the NBA. He is notorious for being exceptionally good in the video game NBA 2k13. He was beloved by Lakers fans as well, being a California native. So, to hear that he has passed away at 33, that was heartbreaking. I kept reading the stories thinking maybe it was a hoax. Unfortunately it is true. They have not released a reason for his passing. But, 33 is far too young. He had his whole life ahead of him. I was sure he was going to become a good coach. I didn't want this to be the last thing we ever heard from Darius Morris. My heart breaks for his family and loved ones. I never knew him personally, but I was a fan. He helped turn my favorite basketball back into a threat. Michigan became good again after getting a player of his caliber to commit and play there for two years. Rest in Peace Darius Morris.

The other former Michigan athlete that passed was Obi Ezeh. I was an even bigger fan of his. He was a linebacker at Michigan. As you all know, Michigan football is the end all be all for me as a fan of team sports. And there is no position I watch more than their linebackers. Some greats have come through that university. Guys like Jarrett Irons, David Harris, Devin Bush and Prescott Burgess. They were all Michigan legends. Obi Ezeh was right up there with those guys for me. He played for the team during a transition as well. And while it wasn't always great to watch those teams play, Ezeh brought it every week. This guy worked his butt off. He was a ferocious hitter. He was the type of linebacker that, when he hit you, I could hear it on my tv screen. He was feared by opponents. He looked like a prototypical linebacker. He was quiet, but always did his job. He reminded me so much of David Harris, one of my all time favorite players, and it wasn't just because they wore the same number and played the same position. They both were silent leaders. They both laid the wood on the field. They both did their job at the highest possible level. They both gained a lifelong fan in me as a kid and early 20 year old. They were both players that I looked up to and wanted everyone else on the team to act like. Obi Ezeh was never flashy. He would never go overboard. He never wanted the spotlight. He just wanted to play football and hit dudes. And he did that with the best of them. So, when I saw that he too has passed away, I read about it yesterday, I was crushed again. I couldn't believe two former Michigan athletes that I adored had both died within the same weekend. And, much like Morris, Ezeh was only 35 years old. Again, he had his whole life in front of him. I would have jumped for joy if he was added as a coach this past offseason, if that was something he wanted to do. Obi Ezeh is one of my all time favorite Wolverines. He is going to be missed, and missed hard. This stinks.

These two guys were far too young to have it all end so early. Rest in Peace Obi Ezeh. And Rest in Peace both of you wherever you may be now. Get some rest. You will be missed. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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