Hog Calls

Arkansan Razorbacks living their dream

Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan warms up prior to a preseason practice on Sept. 15, 2020 in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Some dreams don’t die even through nightmares.

Playing for Arkansas Razorbacks teams cumulatively 1-23 in the SEC these last three years and now decided underdogs in a 10-game all SEC schedule that includes seven opponents ranked in the national Top 25 seems most anyone’s football nightmare.

Yet Grant Morgan and Blake Kern dream on. Living a dream despite the Razorbacks’ recent past.

Linebacker Morgan and tight end Kern, small-town Arkies respectively from Greenwood and Lamar, so dreamed of becoming Razorbacks they walked on paying their own way redshirting as 2016 freshmen for former Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema.

Two head coaches and four-years later the fifth-year seniors assert it’s still a dream fulfilling.

“I kinda pinch myself every single day and hope I’ve got four more years waiting for me,” Morgan, whose older brother Drew lettered as 2013-16 Razorbacks receiver, said.

Kern can’t recall not wanting to be a Razorback.

“I’ve lived a dream here that I’ve lived since I was a little kid coming to games up here,” Kern said.

Losing seasons don’t deter Kern welcomed home a Razorback whenever returning to Lamar.

“I see the appreciation and I try to appreciate the people back home,” Kern said. “It’s just living the dream every day.”

They certainly haven’t snoozed through their dreams while earning scholarships.

Kinesiology pre-med major Morgan already has his first UA degree in hand.

Sports management major Kern has placed on the Honor Roll.

At reserve middle and weakside linebacker and on special teams, Morgan played all 12 games for Bielema’s 4-8 Razorbacks in 2017, and all 12 games in the past two years for Chad Morris.

He fights to be the starting middle linebacker, plus plays special teams for Sam Pittman’s 2020 Razorbacks, who open with No. 4 Georgia next Saturday.

Belying his small 5-11, 222-pound linebacker size, Morgan logs 98 career tackles and forced a fumble. He’s so earned his peers’ respect they voted him a team captain.

“Grant Morgan,” Pittman said. “An Arkansas kid and vocal guy who came up and just kept working, working, working and they voted him captain.”

Kern redshirted in 2016 and apprenticed again 2017 on the scout team.

But under Morris, the 6-4, now listed 269-pounder lettered both years totaling 22 games as a spare blocking tight end and special-teamer.

Demanding a physical tight end, Pittman plots big plans for “kind of the old hat in that group” of otherwise young tight ends. Those plans include Kern catching passes, too.

“Man, that would be awesome!” Kern said. “Obviously I want to catch passes but I want to help this team. It’s not about me. It’s about the team and what I can do to help them.”

While living their Arkansas dream, they definitely don’t rest in defeat.

“I really don’t think anybody needs any more chips on their shoulder in our linebacker room,” Morgan said. “Because I think every single person is trying to be the best they can be.”