Roslyn native Kevin Morton, a 2008 graduate of Abington Senior High School, is the football program’s all-time leading passer with 6,307 yards.
Today, he’s the proud father of a four-year-old son, a Health & Physical Education Teacher at Easton Area High School, and a quarterback coach at Freedom High School in Bethlehem.
He accepted the new position in February after teaching at Muhlenberg High School for seven years.
“I’ve met a lot of really good people and good teachers that I stay in communication with. I enjoyed my time at Muhlenberg, I just needed to get out of the commute,” he said. “Easton’s a little bit different in terms of the school’s size and socioeconomic structure. It’s been a great first 8 years teaching and coaching in public education.”
In 2013, Morton got his start in public education as an aide at Abington, and he got his first taste of coaching the same year when he coached Abington’s ninth grade team to an undefeated season. He also worked with Abington assistant Terence Tolbert—his former quarterback coach—coaching the quarterbacks at the Varsity level.
The year before he returned to his high school alma mater, he was shattering football records and stacking up accolades. As a senior at Kutztown University in 2012, Morton was named a BSN College Preseason All-American and was honored with the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week twice while also being tabbed as the NCAA.com Offensive Player of the Week and the D2football.com Offensive player of the Week.
Morton’s quarterback career at Kutztown ended with 15 passing records, 14 of which still stand today. He was voted to the University’s All-Time Football Team in 2015 and helped lead the Golden Bears to their first PSAC Championship in program history in 2011. He is also the only three-time KU Male Athlete of the Year in school history.
In 2018, Morton was inducted into Kutztown’s Hall of Fame.
Best memories from Abington High School:
“A lot of the guys I played with have remained close with me. We had our first playoff appearance in 2006, and that was a crazy year because we knocked off the first seed as a 16th seed. The atmosphere in the fall when your football team is doing well creates a positive buzz. I remember the excitement around the football program which hadn’t really been there since the late 1980s. I remember that crossover between football and how that relayed into the hallways.
After we left, things just kept getting better. They had teams that went 8-3, 9-1, and it was good to see that success continue over almost a decade.”
Most satisfying professional moments:
“What sticks out most to me as I get older is the impact that you’re making on the student-athletes who maybe aren’t the most talented, but they’re able to learn something about discipline and hard work and how that translates to the real world.
You learn what some of the kids are going through, and how holding them accountable can help point them in the right direction. They learn not to let their environment dictate their actions and start doing things differently.”
I try to carry that over into teaching. I try to adapt to today’s teenager. They’re built differently and they’ll push back against command-and-control approaches. I still hold kids accountable and enforce rules, but I do it in a way that doesn’t create conflict or distrust of authority figures.”
Favorite things about the greater Glenside area:
“I grew up in Roslyn, and three of my best friends and I still talk. There’s always that pride about where you’re from, and I remember that growing up. My parents still live in Roslyn. It’s a place that people enjoying living in and staying in and it offers a lot of cultural diversity, which is something that my wife and I have talked about. We want our kids to grow up with that same kind of diversity.
Words of wisdom/advice for Abington’s recent graduates:
“Try to understand your goals and have a plan. We had preparation drilled into us as students, and I try to relay those messages now that I’m a teacher. Whatever you’re trying to do after high school, try to weigh out the pros and cons of those things and be prepared for what’s ahead.”
For Kutztown University’s interview with Morton while he was a student, you can watch this Youtube video:
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Photo courtesy of Easton Area High School, Kutztown University