Morgan Breslin Speaks on NFL Combine Snub, Injury

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Morgan Breslin may have been USC’s best junior college transfer since Keyshawn Johnson, but it wasn’t enough for the stud defensive end to get an invite to this month’s NFL Combine, following an injury-shortened senior season.

FOX Sports turned in a semi-major miracle this week, as they wrangled Breslin for an interview. In two years at USC, Breslin permanently declined to speak to the media, which only added to his mystique as a late-blooming diamond in the rough.

And of course, the first words wind up falling in the ‘hmmm‘ category.

In addition to telling FOX that he’s ‘pretty pissed’ about being snubbed for the combine, Breslin had an interesting account of his lower body injury.

"I was in pain the whole season for every single game. We were treating it like a groin injury and I kept playing through it and kept playing through it. Eventually I ended up having a sports hernia because of it. I tried to play through it but the pain was pretty much unbearable. I consider myself a pretty tough dude and I just got to the point where I wasn’t helping the team."

One could interpret Breslin’s frustration as a subtle criticism of the USC training staff, given the progression and treatment of his injury.

The Trojans had a slew of leg injuries in 2013, including multiple players that missed time with lingering or furthered injuries. Whether it was dumb luck, a testament to low roster numbers or faults in the USC training staff is unclear, though Breslin’s viewpoint alludes to possibility of all three playing a role.

With Delvon Simmons ineligible to play due to transfer rules and a season-long injury to Greg Townsend, the Trojans needed Breslin to perform in any way possible, before J.R. Tavai assumed his position on a semi-permanent basis.

Breslin had missed the season opener at Hawaii, only to play four games, before returning to the lineup against Notre Dame after sitting out the Thursday night win over Arizona. Playing at Notre Dame ultimately cost Breslin the ability to qualify for a medical redshirt, as it ensured that he played more than 30 percent of USC’s games.

Last week, it was speculated that Breslin could lobby the NCAA for a medical redshirt waiver, but it was never mentioned to FOX and he made it clear that he’s preparing to play at the next level.

He told FOX that he’s fully recovered from a November surgery, and is looking forward to USC Pro Day, which will take place at Cromwell Field on Wednesday, March 12th.

Breslin currently has a fifth-round draft projection per NFLDraftScout.com.