Story by Carlee Ecklund, Staff Writer
While students know David Morgan as an English teacher here at the high school, he has worked diligently throughout his life to become a successfully published author. His passion for writing extends beyond the classroom, creating an imaginative space for all his students.
Morgan has written 16 books since 2003 and has one in the making.
“I’m currently writing a book right now that’s going to be out in August of 2026, and it’s called ‘The LeBron Phenomenon, My Front Row Seat to History,’ and it’s all about my experience covering LeBron James,” Morgan said.
Growing up, Morgan said he was motivated in high school and he was smart, but he did not work hard; however, that did not affect his long-term dedication for education.
“I got a 15 on my ACT, and now I have an honorary doctorate, and I have a master’s. I’ve written 16 books, and I was part of a team that won an Emmy for a documentary.”
It was not until college when Morgan started writing for the Youngstown State newspaper that he really found his passion for sports writing.
English teacher David Morgan participates in the Columbus Book Festival last summer. He sat in a booth with his eight-book children’s series and some other pieces to showcase his work.
Morgan said he was not afraid of becoming an author–he said people just need confidence.
“If you want to do something, just do it. Quit worrying about the fear; the fear is what’s going to hold you back,” Morgan said.
Previous to Morgan being an English teacher, he had grown fond of educating children.
“I was going into schools, and I thought this was fun. Kids are great to be around, so I just looked into what I needed to do to get a teaching license to be able to teach,” Morgan said.
Morgan’s favorite part about writing a book is writing about high school sports because it is probably the only time a student will ever get anything positive written about them.
“You’ll go to restaurants or somewhere, and you’ll see a story that you wrote 12 years ago, and it’s all yellow and beat up and tattered, but it’s up on a wall in a restaurant because that was somebody’s grand-grandson or grand-daughter,” Morgan said.
Morgan emphasized basic standards to being a writer: “[You have to be] unbiased, you have to be objective, you have to write about both sides [and] you have to research. You have to not have a personal agenda,” Morgan said.
Morgan is pictured with his colleagues after winning a regional Emmy Award in June 2022 from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Central Great Lakes chapter for the historical documentary about the life of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marion Motley, who broke professional football’s color barrier in 1946 with the Cleveland Browns.
Morgan’s advice for young students who want to write but don’t know where to get started: “Everybody can write. Everybody has a story to tell, because everybody’s story is unique. So don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid to write.” Morgan said.
Reflecting on his writing process, Morgan shared how he balances being an author with being a teacher.
“When I was writing my first six or seven books, I wasn’t a teacher, and most of my writing I do during the summer. Over the last three or four years, I’ve written about eight books. They were all done during the summer,” Morgan said.
As Morgan was navigating through career paths, he decided to combine both sports and writing into one career.
“Why not have a career putting those together and be a sports writer and travel and do everything that I’ve always wanted to do, but just write about it?” Morgan said.
Morgan’s biggest traits when it came to being a successful writer were confidence and determination.
“You just have to believe it–you have to have confidence. I’m going to do whatever I need to do to get there, and that’s going to happen,” Morgan said.
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