Troy University Athletics
Fan Feature - Momma Judy
8/11/2017 7:58:00 AM | Football
This story originally appeared in the Troy Football GAMEDAY Program on Nov. 17, 2016
Take a survey of former Troy football players over the last 18 years and ask them who is the face of Troy football … the overwhelming response – Momma Judy.
Momma Judy, Ms. Judy or more formally, Judy Morgan, has been the Troy football secretary for the last 18 years, but her job is much, much more than that.
"Judy is a mom away from home for a lot of these guys," head coach Neal Brown said. "She is a nurturer and she is the front door of the program. Judy is the first person people encounter when they come in the building for a visit or to meet with the coaches."
Quick with a smile or a snack for a visitor who passes her desk, Momma Judy has dedicated the past 18 years to loving and caring for a countless number of young men who have left home for the first time.
"Momma Judy is special to me," Morgan said. "It means that I've done something right and that I've treated these players like a momma. I would love to know if I had a son off playing college football that there was someone there that would love him and tell him he is special and make his day special."
A visit to Tine Davis Fieldhouse is not complete without a visit to Momma Judy as if there was a separate gravitational field surrounding her desk. Whether it's a former player, a current player or coach or an athletics department staff member, you are all but assured of someone perched up at Momma Judy's home away from home.
"Judy has been a part of this program for a long time," Brown said. "When folks come back she is the first person they want to see. They don't want to see their position coaches, Coach Blakeney or Coach Shaughnessy, they are looking to see Judy Morgan."
Her impact on Troy's football players is almost immediate as she has an instant connection with both the young men and their families.
"She's had a special role in this program for a long time and the reason that so many people hold her in high regard is the love and the care she gives the coaches, players and their families," Brown said.
"She does a great job connecting with the families and deals with them more than anyone in our program."
"Ms. Judy is like a mom to us," linebacker William Lloyd said. "There is not one single day when I pass Ms. Judy that she doesn't have a smile on her face. I go up there every day to make sure that I see Ms. Judy. She really cares about the players, she goes above and beyond to make sure the players are taken care of – she looks at us like we're her sons."
After 15 seasons with legendary head coach Larry Blakeney and now her third under Neal Brown, each day is still a blessing for Momma Judy.
"The players, the coaches and the fans are what make Troy football so special," she said.
"I've been doing this for 18 years and I love every day of it, but the players are what make it special. To be a part of their lives and their families' lives it what makes it all worthwhile to me to get up and come to work every day."
Momma Judy's impact on Troy football is deep and irreplaceable. Her legacy lives on with each Trojan football player that passes through the program.
"She is a very positive person and you always want to surround yourself with position people," Lloyd said. "She is always going to have something nice to say and it's the little small things that motivate you. She is our mom away from home."
