CHARLOTTE — Dan Morgan is coming home.
And he's also reconnecting with one of the people who helped give him a start in his second career.
The Panthers hired Morgan as the team's assistant general manager Saturday, bringing the former first-round pick and Pro Bowl linebacker back to the place his professional playing career began.
The 42-year-old Morgan has been working as the director of player personnel with the Bills (alongside familiar faces from his days here, including GM Brandon Beane).
But he got his start in personnel, and made his connection with Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, when he worked as an intern with the Seahawks in 2010.
"He was very helpful to me when I first got there," Morgan told Panthers.com in January, when Fitterer was hired. "All those guys were really good with me early on, but he took me under his wing when I was new and was willing to let me pick his brain about college scouting and what he did.
"He's good at a lot of things, but first and foremost, he's just a great guy."
If Morgan scouts the way he played, the Panthers will be delighted to have him back.
He was their first-round pick in the 2001 draft, which also brought defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and wide receiver Steve Smith, and helped lead a defensive turnaround that took the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Though Morgan's career was star-crossed, and injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, there were plenty of highlights.
The 18 tackles against the Patriots in the Super Bowl were near the top of that list, but he was instrumental in the team going from last in the league in defense in 2001 to second in the league in 2003. He was also named to All-Pro in 2004, and went to the Pro Bowl that year, but injuries began to stack up, cutting a bright career short. He retired as a player in 2008.
Morgan was also recently voted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his standout career at Miami.
Morgan played middle linebacker for the Panthers from 2001-07. He spent seven seasons in the Seattle Seahawks personnel department and then was with the Buffalo Bills from 2018-21, most recently as Director of Player Personnel.
Scenes from the Buffalo Bills Draft Room during Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft at One Bills Drive on April 30, 2021. Photo by Sara Schmidle
Brandon Beane, Dan Morgan, Joe Schoen. Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets, December 29, 2019 at New Era Field. Photo by Bill Wippert
Scenes from the Buffalo Bills Draft Room during Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft at One Bills Drive on April 30, 2021. Photo by Sara Schmidle
Seattle Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck, right, is pressured by Carolina Panthers' Dan Morgan in the first quarter during their NFC Championship football game in Seattle, on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Carolina Panthers linebacker Mark Fields (58) jokes with teammates Dan Morgan (55) and Will Witherspoon (54) during the team's minicamp in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, June 14, 2004.
Green Bay Packers' Ahman Green (30) is tackled by Carolina Panthers' Dan Morgan (55) after a short gain in the first quarter in Charlotte, N.C., Monday Sept. 13, 2004. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers linebackers Dan Morgan (55) and Will Witherspoon (54) talk during training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., in this Aug. 3, 2005 file photo.
Carolina Panthers' Dan Morgan (55) talks with assistant special teams coach Tony Levine, left, during practice at the NFL football team's training camp in Spartanburg, N.C., Saturday, July 28, 2007. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers' Dan Morgan lines up during a drill at practice during the NFL football team's training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., Saturday, July 28, 2007. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers linebackers Jon Beason, left, and Dan Morgan, right, look on at practice during the NFL football team's training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., Monday, Aug. 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
