49ers rookie Morgan regaining energy after infection
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

(10-01) 20:41 PDT -- It's fair to say Josh Morgan's rookie season did
not get off to the most promising of starts. The wide receiver taken
in the sixth round from Virginia Tech picked up a staph infection in
the preseason and lost weight and energy as a result.

He's starting to rebound now and his energy is back, although he's a
little lighter than his listed 219 pounds.

"It was a minor setback for a major comeback," is how Morgan described
being laid low by a potentially serious infection medically known as
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). "I didn't know
what was going on. It was my first illness, period. It was scary.
Sometimes in life you have to go through things. I'm looking forward
to coming back strong."

Morgan has played in San Francisco's first four games, getting snaps
when the 49ers use three or four receivers, and has three receptions
for 36 yards.

"It wasn't a concern because it wasn't anything serious," general
manager Scot McCloughan said of the infection. "It was something we
had to take care of. For a young guy in a system like (Mike) Martz's,
you need to be out here running routes and he couldn't do it. Now he's
getting back to speed. Knock on wood, he'll stay healthy the rest of
the year. We're excited about him."

At his listed 6 feet and 219 pounds, Morgan is a thick-bodied receiver
with good athletic ability and decent speed. His promising preseason
was stymied when the infection took hold. He said he picked up the
bacteria from the infield dirt at the Oakland Coliseum on Aug. 8.

"My strength is always there," the soft-spoken, gap-toothed rookie
said. "It was my energy level that was messed up because I was sick.
My energy level is back to where it should be. It's good."

Morgan said antibiotics helped him get over the staph infection,
adding, "There's nothing you can do to prevent it. It's bacteria
that's going to get you. You have to focus on taking care of yourself
and making sure your surroundings are clean."

Just as young receivers in Jerry Rice's day could look to him as the
perfect role model, Morgan has an exemplar in the locker next to his
in Santa Clara. Adjacent to "Morgan 84" is "Bruce 88." It's not by
accident that the 49ers positioned their rookie next to one of the
best receivers in history.

For as long as he remains a 49er, Isaac Bruce will show Morgan what a
professional looks like. In an act of deference, Morgan moved away
from his locker Wednesday to finish an interview when Bruce arrived at
his.

"You see his locker next to mine," Morgan said. "Every day, I ask him
questions. And Bryant Johnson, he's been in the league for six years.
Arnaz (Battle), five. I try to learn from all of them. It's a great
position to be in. You learn a lot. You're a sponge trying to soak up
all the knowledge you can."

Morgan was in the spring of his senior year at Virginia Tech when on
April 16, 2007, a gunman shot and killed 33 people on campus before
turning the gun on himself. Morgan was in a building next to the one
where the shooting took place.

"I heard the first couple of shots," he said earlier. "It was a
devastating time. It was kind of surreal. You didn't expect anything
like that to happen. It was a normal day."

With a hitch to the start of his NFL career, Morgan is trying to get
back to a place called normal.

Comeback trail
Josh Morgan was the subject of preseason buzz thanks to his exhibition
highlights. Then an infection stopped him in his tracks.

Aug. 8: 4 catches, 68 yards at Oakland in preseason opener.

Aug. 16: 5 catches, 114 yards, 59-yard TD against Green Bay.

Aug. 21: Played, but no catches. Aug. 29: Didn't play

Sept. 7: In season opener, no catches against Arizona.

Sept. 14: 1 catch, 8 yards at Seattle.

Sept. 21: 1 catch, 18 yards against Detroit.

Sept. 28: 1 catch, 10 yards at New Orleans.