Semaj Morgan officially changes jersey number at event honoring fathers affected by gun violence

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Semaj Morgan is looking to make a bigger impact during his sophomore season in Ann Arbor, marked by the start of a new era in his number change from No. 82 to No. 0.

He officially announced the change at an event for The Semaj J. Morgan Foundation on Saturday that honored fathers in the area who have lost children to gun violence. The goal was to make sure these dads knew they were not alone and could be honored ahead of Father’s Day.

Flanked by his parents, Semaj and Erika, Morgan gifted each father in attendance with a pair of Jordan shoes, a Detroit Lions jersey, a custom Michigan jersey shirt with the No. 1 in addition to each son’s name included, an embroidered Rose Bowl Championship hate with the sons’ names, cigars, bourbon and more.

Morgan partnered with other organizations to make the gifts happen, but much of it came from the money he earned from NIL. Living a life of service and giving back is natural for the young Michigan star, who wants to keep fostering those community relationships.

“I’m the person I want to be,” the Michigan wideout said. “It’s just in me. It’s just what I was brought up around. You know, it’s just what I was taught. And it was just in my head already. I really have a passion for helping people and making them feel good. I want to keep doing that. I’d rather be a giver than a receiver.”

Morgan’s father gave a passionate speech to open the dinner about how much each dad in attendance means to him and how important it is for all to stick together to make their community a better place. His role in the foundation is as prominent as any, and the values he preaches are core parts of his son’s philosophy.

“He’s been my role model since I was a kid,” Morgan said. “Most people probably do know and most people wouldn’t know but me and my dad are so close. He inspired me because growing up, I had friends who didn’t have dads or moms or parents at all. They were adopted and stuff. My dad was always into helping people. Growing up he always had extra kids in the car with us, going to practice with us, picking kids up, dropping them off, feeding them, things like that.

“[Giving to others was] just already in me. It’s always been in me. I just want to pick up where all my coaches left off along with my dad.

The foundation did a similar event for Mother’s Day and seeks to make it a yearly thing that grows each time. If they can even make a small dent in making people feel better, that’s progress.

“In the Bible, it says to treat others that we want to be treated ourselves,” Morgan said. “If my dad lost me, I wouldn’t want him alone on Father’s Day. So the fathers that we have today, we want to make sure that they’re not forgotten. We just want to come out here and make it all feel special on a day that they might struggle with it.”

Morgan changes number ahead of second season at Michigan

At the end of the event, Morgan officially announced he would be changing his number to zero, stepping into a jersey worn last season by wide receiver Darrius Clemons and defensive back Sainristil.

Sainristil was one of the foundational pieces of Michigan’s national title run, and Morgan is ready to leave his own mark on No. 0.

“I’d rather look up to Mikey,” Morgan said. “Mikey was a great leader last year, but you know what I’m saying. I’m to make I’m about to make a legacy in this number. This is about to be a great year.

“I’m just happy to be in a single digit. I didn’t really have control over my number last year, but I made the best of it and made it into a better situation.”

Also official: Semaj Morgan has changed his jersey number pic.twitter.com/JNDxfS2xO9

— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) June 15, 2024

So why the change to zero?

“I like zero,” Morgan said. “I could have got No. 1. I wore No. 2 in high school. Everybody thought I was gonna change my number to two. But I really wanted zero.”

He continued: “They say the best receiver is supposed to wear No. 1. But the best receiver is going to be wearing zero. That’s just plain and simple.” 

Last season, Morgan had 22 receptions for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns as a true freshman, along with four carries for 67 yards and a pair of scores. He also returned three punts for 101 yards with 12 kickoff returns for 186 yards.