Raiders alumnus and lifelong Silver and Black devotee Kirk Morrison joins Jason Horowitz in the radio booth where he will serve as an analyst, commencing with the regular season opener against on September 7 at New England.
"This is a dream come true," said Morrison, who was born in Oakland into a family of Raider fans. "I stand on the shoulders of guys that came before me."
Morrison described his evolution from growing up as a member of Raider Nation to donning the famed Silver and Black as a player and now being a member of the organization's broadcast team.
"I feel like I'm unique, that I'm a unicorn in my own right. I've had the honor of being a fan first, so I know what the fan perspective is. I've had the honor of being a player for the Raiders. And now I hold the ultimate honor of being the analyst and the eyes, ears of not only the players, but also the fans. I'm connecting the two. I'm telling the stories of the player as a former player, but I'm also giving the fans what they need to know because I also sat in their seat. It's kind like this big triangle, fan, player, analyst and I connect it all for Raider Nation."
Following a decorated career at San Diego State, Morrison was the Raiders' third-round selection in 2005 and became a starter at linebacker as a rookie, registering 116 tackles and two fumble recoveries in his first NFL season. He went on to lead the team in tackles in each of his five seasons with the Silver and Black when he started 79 consecutive games. He spent an additional year with Jacksonville and two with Buffalo before retiring from the NFL and carving out a burgeoning sports broadcasting career.
"I loved playing football, but whenever I finished and hung up my cleats, I wanted to be a broadcaster," Morrison said. "And I've done that on a national scale. But now joining the Raiders, I pinch myself. It doesn't even feel like it's real."
Morrison continues to serve as an analyst on ESPN and ABC's college football coverage, as well as on ESPN's UFL coverage. He was the pre- and halftime and post-game radio host of the Los Angeles Rams on ESPNLA and remains a regular host on Sirius NFL Radio and a guest on sports talk radio shows across the country.
His re-entry with the Silver and Black will begin with the Raiders' three preseason games which are produced in-house and feature a broadcast team that includes Morrison and Horowitz both moving to the television booth to handle play-by-play and analyst duties respectively for the exhibition contests. They are joined by Raiders alumnus and 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon for the telecasts.
Lincoln Kennedy, who handled analyst duties beginning in 2018 after serving as Raiders Radio sideline reporter, will continue to offer his expert assessments on Raiders pre- and post-game radio as well as on additional Silver and Black media platforms including Raiders television programming and podcasts.