David Morgan Jr. makes career switch

Another BJ reporter making a career switch is David Lee Morgan Jr. .  What started as an avocation has become a new career for the former BJ sportswriter who left the newspaper to join David Brennan’s White Hat Management on March 1 as a literary / character education coordinator for the

charter schools. He has written a 105-page workbook for use in the schoools.

Morgan who has enjoyed teaching literacy and writing skills to youths and discussed it one his book-signing sessions when it was suggested that working for Brennan might be a good fit for him.

Morgan  started working as a sportswriter in 1987  for his college newspaper (The Jambar) at Youngstown State University. He worked at several newspapers including the Warren Tribune-Chronicle, The Raleigh News & Observer, The Youngstown Vindicator and  the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin before joining the  Beacon Journal, where he worked 15 years.

Morgan covered  various beats, from high school to pro. He was the Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer in 2002, covered the University of Akron Zips athletics. He also was the beat writer for the Akron Aeros from 1997 to 2003 and was part of the Beacon Journal's coverage during the Indians' 1997 playoff run..

Morgan covered  LeBron James when James played at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Morgan and has written several books including:

LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, Gray and Co. Publishers (Cleveland) October 2003, 208 pages

Ring For The King: King James, Shaq, and The Quest for an NBA Championship,  Triumph Books (Chicago) October 2009. 128 paes

More Than a Coach: What It Means to Play for Coach, Mentor, and Friend Jim Tressel,  Triumph Books (Chicago) July, 3009 208 pages

High School Heroes: Stories of Inspiration, Dedication, and Hope, University of Akron Press, September 2009, 203 pages

Kelly ‘The Ghost’ Pavlik: The Pride of Youngstown, May 2009 by City Printing in Youngstown. Co-wrote the  book with his former baseball coach at YSU, Greg Gulas.

Game Changes: Greatest Moments in Ohio State Football History due out in September 2010    105 pages

Morgan was named the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Writer of the Year three times (2004, 2007 and 2009) and is a member of the Trumbull County African-American Achievers Hall of Fame.

Born in Warren, Morgan is married to Tricia (Leslie) Morgan and they have four children:  Morgan III (Trey), Christian, Brooke, Cameron and a border collie-lab mix named Vinnie.