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packers11
06-05-2007, 05:45 PM
www.packers.com/news/stories/2007/06/05/1/

Murphy Returns To Green Bay As Coaching Intern

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 06/05/2007

Terrence Murphy left the game of football in early 2006 due to injury. By his own admission, he didn't walk away from the game, but ran from it for the better part of a year.

He took finance classes to work toward a Master's degree. He worked for a real estate development company. He explored some opportunities in ministry, and even considered applying to a seminary.

"I was just getting away from football," said Murphy, a second-round draft pick by the Packers in 2005 whose career was cut short by a neck injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit on a kickoff return against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 3 of his rookie season. Subsequent to the injury, doctors discovered Murphy had a condition called stenosis, or a narrowing of the spine near the neck, and he could no longer play.

"I didn't watch any football, I didn't talk football, my friends didn't bring it up. I got some new hobbies, got some golf clubs. But I just wasn't happy."

He may have left the game, but the game never left him. So now, Murphy not only is back in football, but he's back temporarily with the organization he grew to love in an all-too-short period of time.

Murphy arrived in Green Bay this week as one of two interns on the Packers coaching staff. He plans to work with the team through the rest of the June organized team activities (OTAs) and then continue through the first three weeks of training camp in July and early August. He'll then return to the coaching job he began earlier this spring at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, near his hometown of Chapel Hill.

"We thought very highly of Terrence as both a player and as a person," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's unfortunate that his playing career ended prematurely. I'm excited to now give the young man an opportunity to advance his coaching career - the thing young coaches often need the most is an opportunity. As I told Terrence the day he left here (in 2006), he'll always be a Packer."

Murphy certainly was reminded of that on Monday, a whirlwind first day. He was introduced at the morning team meeting to chants of "T-Murph!" and other whoops and hollers from his former teammates.

"It feels good just to be back around the game," Murphy said. "The biggest thing that really helped me when I got back is everybody was hugging me, and it was like a reunion.

"It felt good to know that they still care about me and they still care about how I'm doing. I hadn't seen these guys in a whole year. I hadn't heard people call me 'T-Murph' in a long time. It was back to Terrence, but now it's back to the football days and 'T-Murph.'"

Murphy, who is helping coach wide receivers and kick returners at Trinity Valley, will be helping Edgar Bennett with the running backs for the Packers.

A quarterback during his high school playing days, and then a wide receiver in college and the pros, Murphy hopes that learning another position will help him become more well-rounded as he pursues a coaching career.

"In the end, I want to be an offensive coordinator, and I will be an offensive coordinator, at a D-I college or somewhere like that," Murphy said. "I really feel like this will help my career, being able to know what everybody does.

"I told 'EB' I'm going to sap him for his knowledge. I'm here to learn from these guys."

Looking back, Murphy actually laid the foundation for a coaching career in high school.

A confessed game-film geek, even as a youngster, Murphy was playing quarterback for his seven-on-seven team in Texas and stayed up late one night designing plays on his mother's computer. He put together an entire offense that helped his squad reach the prestigious seven-on-seven state tournament, held at Texas A&M, where Murphy eventually went to school.

"Other high schools would come watch our games to try to scheme our offense, what we were running, because they couldn't stop us," Murphy said. "You can't stop plays that are drawn up in the dirt."

The joy in his voice is evident as the memories flood back, and it's clear he feels he belongs in the game.

He doesn't believe his year away from it was a waste, either. He had to explore where his heart was, and among the off-field pursuits, he became immersed in ministry work, which he plans to continue in Texas.

Through Youth Impact Ministries, Inc., he worked with inner-city and under-privileged kids and organized a youth football camp for kids who had never enjoyed the opportunity of attending one before. Several A&M alums came back to help him with the camp, including current Packers defensive end Michael Montgomery.

He also started a bible study group at A&M through Athletes in Action, and he began doing speaking engagements, including once telling his story of football success and struggle in front of 7,000 people attending a Christian concert.

Ultimately his rededicated faith, nudges from friends, and heart-to-heart talks with confidants like former A&M coach R.C. Slocum brought Murphy back to football. He said he received a call from Packers General Manager Ted Thompson about the coaching internship but hadn't decided for sure at that time if he'd pursue it.

He explored graduate assistant coaching opportunities at a handful of Division I-A college programs but decided to dive in on the Trinity Valley staff, and when he received a follow-up call from McCarthy with another invitation to take the internship here, he figured the chance to come back to Green Bay was too good to pass up.

"God has given me a goal, not only to do ministry and football, but to be a good coach, and now I have to work my butt off," Murphy said. "That was the hardest part about getting injured, knowing I worked my butt off, and I tried to do the right thing. I handled myself on and off the field.

"But now God is starting to show me the benefits of taking care of business off the field, treating people right and caring about people. Because now people still care about me and are excited to see me doing better."

oregonpackfan
06-05-2007, 05:50 PM
Great article. His experience is "Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans."

Perhaps his football-playing plans were eliminated due to the unexpected injury, but it sounds like he is maikng the most of creating other plans for himself.

MJZiggy
06-05-2007, 06:47 PM
Wonder if someday, we'll have T-Murph permanently on the coaching staff here. Seems to me the current HC and GM really like him.

gbpackfan
06-05-2007, 08:41 PM
He sounds like a good kid. It sucks that he got injured. I'm glad he finally realized that playing wasn't worth being a cripple for the rest of his life. Hope he does well in coaching.

MadtownPacker
06-05-2007, 08:45 PM
Great move by Thompson to invite him. The whole article just makes me wish TMurph could have gotten his chance all over again.

pbmax
06-05-2007, 08:45 PM
Good for him. Good for the team. Good for us. Everybody advance to Go and collect 200 points of karma.

KYPack
06-05-2007, 08:54 PM
Great move by Thompson to invite him. The whole article just makes me wish TMurph could have gotten his chance all over again.

So do I.

I only saw a brief flash of Murph's talent, but the guy could've been a great player.

BallHawk
06-05-2007, 09:10 PM
Things like this make you think "Why him?" Why can't someone like Pacman or Henry receive the same consequences? I would never wish that upon someone, but if has to happen, why does it have to happen to the good guy?

It's great to see him back up doing well. I wish him nothing but success.

Scott Campbell
06-05-2007, 09:18 PM
Things like this make you think "Why him?" Why can't someone like Pacman or Henry receive the same consequences?


Or Javon?

MJZiggy
06-05-2007, 09:25 PM
Great move by Thompson to invite him. The whole article just makes me wish TMurph could have gotten his chance all over again.

So do I.

I only saw a brief flash of Murph's talent, but the guy could've been a great player.

So true. *sigh*

BF4MVP
06-05-2007, 10:01 PM
Well that's good news :D

Good move, TT. I like T-Murph..Always have..

Charles Woodson
06-05-2007, 10:10 PM
Great move by Thompson to invite him. The whole article just makes me wish TMurph could have gotten his chance all over again.

So do I.

I only saw a brief flash of Murph's talent, but the guy could've been a great player.

yea i loved the kid right from the start. But im so happy that hes coming back to do this

Rastak
06-05-2007, 10:50 PM
Wonder if someday, we'll have T-Murph permanently on the coaching staff here. Seems to me the current HC and GM really like him.


Maybe....that would be cool. He seems like a good guy. Once some of these guys find out that assitant coaches work 14 hours regularly they quit. I'm not kidding either. You really have to have your heart in it. Hope it works out for him.

MJZiggy
06-05-2007, 11:13 PM
I think coaching will replace playing for him, so I'm thinking he may have a lot to put into it that others who got to play don't have.

mmmdk
06-06-2007, 02:01 AM
Great move by Thompson to invite him. The whole article just makes me wish TMurph could have gotten his chance all over again.

So do I.

I only saw a brief flash of Murph's talent, but the guy could've been a great player.

I agree 100%, I was excited when we got him. I've still got a college game where Murphy shined.

Good story and I hope he can excell in Green Bay.

Merlin
06-06-2007, 09:38 AM
I think it's great that Murphy has rejoined the team in some aspect. The only hope that I have is that next year he isn't the OC or some crap. Young team, new coaches, hell why not a rookie teaching them???? You never know what TT has up his sleeve...

MadScientist
06-06-2007, 10:16 AM
Wonder if someday, we'll have T-Murph permanently on the coaching staff here. Seems to me the current HC and GM really like him.


Maybe....that would be cool. He seems like a good guy. Once some of these guys find out that assitant coaches work 14 hours regularly they quit. I'm not kidding either. You really have to have your heart in it. Hope it works out for him.

Good point, that could very well be why Leroy Butler is not coaching. Since Murphy is a "confessed game-film geek", I'd give him a better than average chance of sticking around in coaching.

MJZiggy
06-06-2007, 10:23 AM
Provided he wants to move up to the pros rather than sticking to college ball...

Fred's Slacks
06-06-2007, 11:48 AM
I really liked him for the short time he played. It's tragic his career was ended so short but I also can't help but think how lucky he is. I mean, if that hit was just a fraction of an inch different, he may be paralized. Instead he has his health, he got a nice signing bonus and injury settlement and he was able finish his education and now has his sights set on a new career. Good Kid and good story. I am happy he's doing well.

Iron Mike
06-06-2007, 06:12 PM
When I read the title, I thought it was referring to 80s Safety Mark Murphy.

You know, the guy with alopecia areata.

Looked kind of like this guy:

http://www.best-horror-movies.com/images/Hills-have-eyes-berryman-small.jpg

the_idle_threat
06-06-2007, 07:09 PM
Here I thought it was Packerrats' very own Murph. That would make an interesting story. :D Jebus only knows what kind of mpegs he would "accidentally" forward to Roger Goodell!

Rastak
06-06-2007, 07:15 PM
The Vikings had a guy like Murphy. Willie Howard got his knee blown out by first class asshole Brad Hopkins in his rookie year. He never played again. The Vikings brought him in for the coaching internship program and when he (Howard) found out first hand they work 14 hours a day every damn day he quit. He wasn't there very long. I wish Murphy the absolute best. I hope he makes it.

Deputy Nutz
06-06-2007, 11:19 PM
I thought we were talking about my long lost co-host of the Nutz and Boltz show. Moves to Wisconsin, and then realizes he doesn't need us anymore.

woodbuck27
06-07-2007, 01:40 PM
One of the stong traits coming out of College for this young man was his ability to lead.

It would be great if the Packers take advantage of that.

This is one of the best stories that I've read, in an off season of not much (really good or special) happening.

rpiotr01
06-08-2007, 11:18 AM
"I could have forced my way back on the field," he said. "I honestly can say I know I would have been pretty good, without a doubt. It came down to, I want to play with my kids when I'm 35 and not be in a wheelchair because I wanted to be selfish and go out and catch a football."

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/PKR01/706080558/1989

Great perspective, I think any one of us would have ultimately said the same thing. Not only putting his own health before playing a game, but putting his kids well being - making sure they have a father around and well to help raise them - before it too. I hope he makes it, and I certainly wish him the best.

4and12to12and4
06-08-2007, 02:25 PM
Here I thought it was Packerrats' very own Murph. That would make an interesting story. :D Jebus only knows what kind of mpegs he would "accidentally" forward to Roger Goodell!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D