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After starting his year at cornerback, Da'Mon Merkerson is back at receiver where he belongs
By Danny Fersh
Posted: 11/13/08, 11:37 PM EST Section: Sports
Williams, a team captain, could sense that Merkerson's passion lies more on the offensive side of the football than on defense.
"I know for a fact being out there with him that he wasn't happy on defense," Williams said. "He got that feeling that offense is in his heart."
Merkerson's switch back to offense reunited him with Davis, who leads SU with 27 receptions for 278 yards. The two share a very close relationship both on and off the field.
"To me (Da'Mon)'s like a brother because we're so close and we just laugh all the time and joke all the time, even in practice," Davis said.
"It's like a show with me and him," Merkerson said. "We're always just clowning."
Merkerson describes himself as "shy and timid" off the field, but Davis said Merkerson carries himself differently away from football.
Merkerson has to maintain his focus year-round. He runs indoor track in the offseason, something White believes benefits his football abilities.
"He was a great track guy in high school," White said. "He knows how to really explode out of his stance."
Merkerson's athletic abilities run in his family. His father, Amod Field, won two individual titles at Montclair State in the 400-meter hurdles in 1987 and 1989, and later played in the NFL for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1991. Growing up, most of the stories Merkerson heard about his father were second-hand.
"My father honestly didn't talk a lot about what he did," Merkerson said. "I would hear that more from the people in my neighborhood."
Though he graduated from Saint Mary High School in New Jersey, Merkerson's family moved several times when he was younger because his mother, Rosalind, was in the National Guard. Merkerson was born in Germany, and at one point lived in Hawaii.
After excelling athletically in high school, Merkerson turned down offers from Virginia and Connecticut, citing SU's academic program as the biggest factor in his decision.
"I know for a fact being out there with him that he wasn't happy on defense," Williams said. "He got that feeling that offense is in his heart."
Merkerson's switch back to offense reunited him with Davis, who leads SU with 27 receptions for 278 yards. The two share a very close relationship both on and off the field.
"To me (Da'Mon)'s like a brother because we're so close and we just laugh all the time and joke all the time, even in practice," Davis said.
"It's like a show with me and him," Merkerson said. "We're always just clowning."
Merkerson describes himself as "shy and timid" off the field, but Davis said Merkerson carries himself differently away from football.
Merkerson has to maintain his focus year-round. He runs indoor track in the offseason, something White believes benefits his football abilities.
"He was a great track guy in high school," White said. "He knows how to really explode out of his stance."
Merkerson's athletic abilities run in his family. His father, Amod Field, won two individual titles at Montclair State in the 400-meter hurdles in 1987 and 1989, and later played in the NFL for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1991. Growing up, most of the stories Merkerson heard about his father were second-hand.
"My father honestly didn't talk a lot about what he did," Merkerson said. "I would hear that more from the people in my neighborhood."
Though he graduated from Saint Mary High School in New Jersey, Merkerson's family moved several times when he was younger because his mother, Rosalind, was in the National Guard. Merkerson was born in Germany, and at one point lived in Hawaii.
After excelling athletically in high school, Merkerson turned down offers from Virginia and Connecticut, citing SU's academic program as the biggest factor in his decision.
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