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PLAYER BIO6-0 | 219 | VIRGINIA TECH | 4TH YEAR | BORN 6.20.85 | WASHINGTON D.C.ACQUIRED D-6 IN ‘08 | WOODSON HS, WASHINGTON D.C.Joshua Morgan continued to display his playmaking abilitiesthroughout the 2010 season, ranking 3rd on the team with a career-high698 rec. yds. Morgan has continued to develop into oneof the better blocking WRs in the league. His ability to get off jamsat the line of scrimmage and a great sense of football awarenesshas served him well as he’s developed into a strong wide receiver.Drafted in the 6th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, he is one of only twowide receivers taken in the 6th round to be on a current NFL roster.Off the field, Morgan has always had a passion for poetry, using hispast experiences in life to draw parallels to football. He one dayhopes to write books using some of his poetry. Morgan also excels incommunity outreach, having logged countless hours helping peoplethroughout the Bay Area.// TRANSACTIONSOriginally a 6th-round (174th pick overall) draft choice by SF in2008.// GOLDMINE• Joshua dedicated a lot of his time as a youth to writing poems. Oneof the ways he would avoid finding trouble in the tough streets ofWashington D.C. was to not leave his house much. “I would get tiredof hearing the gunshots and police sirens. That’s why I started writingstories and poetry. I write about how I grew up, situations thatI’ve been through, people I’ve known in my life.” His writing courseswere the most enjoyable to him at Virginia Tech. Joshua eventuallywants to write books, including a book of poetry and his autobiography.• Joshua credits his godparents, Patrick Gaither, who was his AAUbasketball coach, and Sonja Strickland-Gaither, as having the biggestinfluence on him growing up. “I met them when I was 16 andthey’ve been everything to me. I definitely wouldn’t be where I amnow without them. They showed me the better aspects of life, includingspirituality.” In October 2009, Joshua was crushed by the newsthat Sonja was diagnosed with breast cancer. On his bicep, Joshuahas a tattoo of a breast cancer ribbon with angels’ wings. On theribbon it has Sonja’s name and the date of her diagnosis. Joshuais looking forward to completing the tattoo with an inscription ofanother date – that which Sonja beat cancer.• During the 2010 offseason, Joshua and teammate Dominique Zeiglerparticipated in an internship with Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. Thetwo, who would drive up to station headquarters once a week overa two-month period, had a different role each time. “It was a greatlearning experience because they showed us all the different partsof their operation. We would work with a producer one day, thenthe next week we would serve as stage managers. We also got anopportunity to break down highlights and edit, as well as do someon-air stuff. It’s definitely a field that I could picture myself in downthe line.”• When Joshua was drafted by the 49ers in 2008, he became a teammateof one of his biggest rivals – Vernon Davis. Joshua attendedHD Woodson High School, while Vernon was located at nearby rivalDunbar High School. The two kept the rivalry alive in college asJoshua lettered at Virginia Tech and Vernon at Maryland. “Vernongrew up right down the street from me and I got to know him prettywell. There has been a friendly competition between he and I for along time. I like to claim that I’ve been beating him my whole life. Webeat him in the Championship Game in high school and then we beathim twice when I was at Virginia Tech.”• One event that had a lasting impact on Joshua was when he and hisVirginia Tech teammates were hit hard emotionally after a gunmanwent on a campus shooting spree in April 2007. Joshua was in thebuilding next door to where the shots first rang out, and raced tosafety in his apartment across the street. “It was a real devastatingtime,” he said. “It was kind of surreal. You didn’t really expect anythinglike that to happen.”• When Joshua’s playing career is done, he definitely sees himselfmoving to the arts - particularly writing and acting. “I want to writebooks, do a little acting. I used to act in high school and took an actingclass in college.”// 2010• Registered a career-long 65-yd. recept. vs. StL. (11/14) on a passfrom QB Troy Smith down to the 1-yd. line, setting up a 1-yd. TD runby RB Frank Gore.• Notched his 100th career recept. at Arz. (11/29).• Notched his first career 100-yd. rec. game, registering 7 recepts.for a career-high 106 yds. at SD (12/16). His 7 recepts. also tied hiscareer-high [7 recepts. at Phi. (12/20/09)].// 2009• Set career highs in recepts. (52) and rec. yds. (527), and tied hiscareer high in TDs (3).• Set a new career long with a 61-yd. reception from QB Shaun Hill inthe 1st qtr. vs. Atl. (10/11).• Saw action as a kick returner for the first time in his career at GB(11/22), registering the team’s longest kickoff return of the season(76 yds.).• Recorded his 2nd TD of the season, hooking up with QB Alex Smithon a 22-yd. strike at Sea. (12/6). Also had 1 carry for 20 yds., thelongest rush of his career.• Recorded a career-high 183 all-purpose yds. at Phi. (12/20). Set acareer high with 7 recepts. (61 yds. and 1 TD) and totaled 122 kickoffreturn yds., including a long of 52 yds.SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS \\126// MEDIA GUIDE