Michigan WR Semaj Morgan making difference in Metro Detroit community through foundation

Two days before Michigan’s annual spring game, roughly 150 adolescent football players from all over Detroit and its suburbs arrived to get a taste of the every day life of a student-athlete in Ann Arbor.

Smiling faces, enlightened minds and shocking reactions were just some of the emotions that each member of the tour, put on by the Semaj J. Morgan Foundation, experienced. Highlights were stepping onto the field of The Big House, wandering through the halls of the museum and taking part in a Q&A forum with the Michigan staff.

On the schedule also included a meet-and-greet with a trio of football players – early enrollees Semaj Morgan and Amir Herring, as well as All-American cornerback Will Johnson.

For the non-profit organization’s first-ever event hosted since its inception, operated and founded by Morgan and his parents, President Semaj Morgan Sr. and Director of Legal Erika Morgan, all of the feedback from the players and their parents set the standard for how their affairs are going be received moving forward.

“It’s very exciting knowing that our first event was a huge success,” Morgan Sr. told The Wolverine. “From the standpoint of the impact that it had on the youth. All of these kids who were at the event now all want to go to Michigan. They want to go to Michigan because of the athletes who are currently there and are close with. Semaj, Amir, Will. When they see these guys, they see them as a role model figure.

“The Michigan staff said that we were the best group that they’ve ever toured since they started doing tours. Especially for such a large group. The kids asked questions, they were very respectful, they didn’t touch anything that they weren’t supposed to, they were fully engaged with the staff and just had a great time. Even though it was a successful event, we also know how we can make it better next year.”

The Semaj J. Morgan Foundation is a grassroots movement whose mission statement and purpose entails the giving back to children, families and adults in southeast Michigan of need. Acting as a lending hand to providing resources and benefits to all backgrounds and upbringings, the foundation has swept the metropolitan area to form partnerships with other non-profit agencies that specialize in unique avenues.

How the foundation will operate is a system that’s called the “12 Month Giveback.” Going out to the community won’t just take place around major dates of importance or major holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Services that have the agenda of making an individual’s or group of peoples’ lives more prosperous is a 24-hour and seven-day a week matter.

Earning an early reputation as a formidable and well-regarded foundation began with the campus tour at Michigan. It was one thing for the tour group to envision the opportunity to study and graduate at the university, but it was another for the group to interact, bond and share memories with the players.

“That’s the key because it’s bigger than football,” Morgan Sr. said. “I know that’s kind of cliche but it really is. These kids look up to them so for those in the group to spend some time with the players, shake their hands, take pictures, ask questions, that’s huge. Not everyone takes the time to do that.

“Sometimes, the youth are forgotten when it comes to athletes on at the collegiate level and athletes on the professional level. It’s almost as if they don’t time for the kids. But at the end of the day, you have to give back. In my opinion, you’re obligated to do this. If you don’t do it, then kids are going to be missing role models. If athletes are able to have a positive affect on these kids, then they can help prevent kids from making poor choices in life.”

That once in a lifetime phenomenon to view the behind the scenes operation of the two-time reigning Big Ten Champions for a good number of the attendees didn’t have a single box left unchecked. For a fellow parent like Morgan Sr., taking and answering phone calls from the parents expressing their thank you’s and hearing the outstanding remarks of the Michigan staff, guaranteed that the tour won’t be a one-time occurrence.

During the spring game, each attendee who went on the tour also got entry to The Big House to watch their favorite athletes like Morgan and Herring strap up the winged helmet. If there’s one thing that can make an aspiring football player jump up-and-down with glee, it’s coming out of the tunnel and getting an up-front look of warmups from the sidelines.

“A lot of the kids got to go on the field during pregame and take pictures with some of the coaches and players,” Morgan Sr. said. “The atmosphere was electric with the little kids because they were screaming out the names of the players. You knew who they were there to see because they were pretty vociferous (laughs). That was fun to be a part of.”

The glorified exhibition wasn’t the first rodeo inside the stadium for Morgan Sr. and Erika but it was the first time in which they got to watch their son running routes in the maize and blue.

“It was almost like ‘is this really happening?’” Morgan Sr. said. “To be honest, we’re still in awe. It’s just incredible and surreal. We really don’t know what to say at this point. We’re very excited for him and excited as a family. All of his grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunties, cousins were there. We had a big family presence in the stands. My wife and I are excited for Semaj, for the season and for the team. We’re excited to be a part of the Michigan football family.”

The weekend after the spring game, the youngest Morgan took part in a panel discussion in the city of Ypsilanti with the group My Brother’s Keeper, which aims to impact boys and men of color by changing narratives, practices and policies to transform self and community. This upcoming Mother’s Day, the foundation will partner with the non-profit Mother’s Making A Difference, an organization that assists families that have lost children or other loved ones to violence.

On June 17th will feature the first youth football camp put on by the foundation at West Bloomfield High. That same day will be the Juneteenth event, which will have speakers, poets, dancers, booths available for other non-profit organizations and vendors. There will also be a game day celebration party when Michigan plays Michigan State this fall with Morgan and Tre Mosley headlining the event called House Divided.

More information about the Semaj J. Morgan Foundation can be found here.

12 Month Giveback Program Disciplines

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) And Athletes Program

“Semaj was diagnosed with ADHD,” Morgan Sr. said. “So it was important for him target those individuals who have the same diagnosis. We can be that voice and resource to parents with children who could be going through those same things. The goal is to tell parents where they can receive help, how they can manage the workload at school, how they can manage activates after school. Also, how they can get tested in school to help them on the academic side so they can get more time on tests, few extra hours on homework assignments. We just want to be a resource and be a helping hand to the parents who are navigating through the possible difficulties of the school system. Also, help explain to the school systems that these kids need to be handled a little bit differently. They’re not bad kids. They just might need redirection.”

Low-Income Families Program

“We don’t want to do things just to do it,” Morgan Sr. said. “For instance, we know there are families who might not have food to eat. So when the holidays come around, let’s do food drives and toy drives. But our goal is to do events year-round so we can provide gifts to children who have birthdays coming up or regularly give food to a few families. We don’t want to just do it around the holidays, we’re going to do it every month, if possible, because there’s a need every month. If we can bless a family in July or in August, that’s what the foundation is set up for. No matter what time and day of the month.”

Foster Care Love Program (Michigan Foster Care Children)

“We’ll be partnering with non-profit agencies like Orchards Children’s Services and a few others who have a foster care program inside their organization,” Morgan Sr. said. “What we need to do is come in and provide resources to that non-profit. That way children are able to participate in our activities that we’ll be doing over the course of a year. We’ll be doing football camps and basketball camps. So partnering with these agencies will allow us to provide gifts or opportunities for the children in the foster care system.”

Live Well Program

“We have a mental health and suicide prevention curriculum inside the program that’s going to be facilitated by the Wayne County Sheriff,” Morgan Sr. said. “They’re going to be our facilitator of the program because mental health is real and individuals are suffering. That’s why we added a prevention program to help and be a resource to families and kids who might be suffering with ideation. As that resources, individuals can reach out to us, receive counseling and therapy so they can be treated and get the help they need.”