Santa Ana High football star Patrick McMorris says San Diego State is ‘another step toward where I want to get’

Santa Ana High’s Patrick McMorris, with his father Patrick McMorris Sr.

One of Santa Ana High’s most heralded football players ever, Patrick McMorris, took another giant step forward Wednesday morning.

McMorris, a standout running back and defensive back, signed a national letter of intent to play Division 1 college football with San Diego State early Wednesday after committing to the school a couple weeks ago.

“San Diego State is the place I want to be for sure,” McMorris said on Tuesday night when the Saints held their team banquet.

McMorris was named the co-MVP of the team along with teammate Drew Ramirez. McMorris was also named the MVP of the Orange Coast League and earned All-CIF Division 8 first team honors.

He said family members shared in his excitement of his decision to commit with San Diego State. McMorris may also have been thinking about the affect his late mother, who died in 2014, had on him and the role she played in helping him eventually secure a scholarship.

McMorris has indicated that his family plays a big part in his life and it’s one of the reasons he chose San Diego State. Family members will be able to make the drive to see him play with the Aztecs, he pointed out Tuesday.

His mother always stressed how important education was, McMorris said.

“Just like everybody else was thinking, she would be thinking the best,” McMorris said. “My aunt is always telling me that she always thought that I would always be (part of) something bigger than just me.”

McMorris said his father emphasizes that every day.

“Education is everything that my mom has taught me,” McMorris said. “My father has also been a major part in all of that.”

McMorris was recruited by San Diego State as a safety.

“I like the position, coming to Santa Ana, I learned a lot from Coach (Dee) Meza and it’s made me want to continue playing that position,” he said. “It’s really fun coming down and hitting somebody.”

McMorris, who earned many plaudits for his explosive ability as a running back, is not sure how he will adjust to not playing the position in college.

“I don’t know, that’s a tough one but hopefully I don’t (miss it),” he said.

McMorris, who started his football career as a youth with the Irvine Chargers, leaves behind many supporters who cheered for the Saints as they reached the semifinal round of the CIF Division 8 playoffs, losing to Kaiser 51-33.

“It was a great accomplishment, I wish we would have gone further but it is what it is, it was a tough game vs. Kaiser (in the semifinals),” he said.

On the eve of his signing the letter of intent with San Diego State, McMorris, seemed optimistic about the future.

“It’s another step toward where I want to get and that would be to the NFL and I believe that San Diego State will get me there,” he said.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com