Terry Morgan is one of 11 Morgan children. Born in Saranac Lake, NY, August 18, 1953, Terry like his other brothers and sisters gravitated to all the sports and recreation the beautiiful Adirondacks had to offer.
Terry is current President and owner of Ok401k.com in Oklahoma City, a leading independent fiduciary advisor for 401k and pension plans. Terry was an All Up State New York football player in 1971. He was recruited by University of Colorado Assistant Coach Duke Benz and instead of going to CU, decided to play 3 semesters at a Jr. College in Kansas to hone his skills for the Big 8 Football conference. Terry started both years for Cowley County Jr. College as a Linebacker and played in all 20 games both seasons in the very competitive Kansas Jayhawk Jr. College Conference.
Terry was not offered a full ride scholarship to Colorado so decided to accept a full ride football scholarship to Division II Nationally ranked football power Western State Colorado in Gunnison, Colorado. Terry put on weight and made All Rocky Mountain Conference Defense in 1975. In 1976 Terry had to share duties at his defensive position with his predecessor Ken Briggs and were both part of a team that went to the NAIA National Championships against Texas A & I in a Bowl game. The Mountaineer football team at Western won the Rocky Mountain Conference in 1975 and 1976. After his college football career ended, Terry pursued the sport of Luge and the goal of competing for the USA in Lake Placid, NY just 9 miles away from his hometown of Saranac Lake, NY.
Terry was a nationally ranked slider in 1978 to 1984 for the USA. He won two National Championships with his partner Bo Jamieson in Doubles Luge in 1981 and 1982. Terry was an Alternate on the US Olympic team in 1980. His doubles partner Jim Mossey of Rochester, NY won the first 2 races of the Olympic Luge qualifying races scheduled over a 10 day period. At race 3 Terry and Jim made a mistake and crashed coming out of curve 12 severely injuring partner Mossey's left knee. Jim was courageous coming out of a hospital bed for the final 3 races to compete with his left knee in a cast but unfortunately could not recover in the final days races.
Terry's sister Bridget was an accomplished slider in the sport of Luge. Bridget was on the USA National World Cup team with Terry that went to Hammerstrand, Sweden. During the 2 weeks that Terry and Bridget were in Sweden, their brother James "Nitro" Morgan was representing the USA in Cortina, Italy for the World Bobsled Championships. Brother John Morgan was doing the color commentary for ABC Wide World of Sports at those World Championships.
By 1983, Terry and partner Bo Jamieson were positioned well to represent the USA in the World Championships on their home track in Lake Placid. As USA #1 Doubles Luge Team and training and getting ready for the last shot against the Europeans on their home track, Terry shattered his left elbow on a freak accident going up the out run stopping his sled after a training run. This accident devasted Terry because it was his last shot at the Europeans before he was planning to retire in 1984 from Luge. Terry was also training to make the Luge team for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo just 10 months later. Terry's left elbow after 2 surgeries never fully healed after that accident. Terry and Bo had to start training by autum of 1983 competing in world cup pre Olympic races in Europe just 5 months after his 2nd operation. Timing is everything in a sport like Luge where athletes are winning and losing by hundredths of seconds. Bo and Terry could not recover their time that had recently won them 2 National Championships and left the Olympic trials quite disappointed in 1984. Terry was never to compete or slide again in the sport of Luge.
Terry has one son James Morgan, age 15 named after his brother Jimmy who was a National Champion Bobsledder and 1976 Olympic team #1 driver for the USA in Innsbruck, Austria. Jimmy was the #1 Driver of the USA 4 man Bobsled at the World Championships in Cortina, Italy in 1981. Jimmy lost his life in the 3rd run at the finnish curve of the World Championships. James "Nitro" Morgan was 31.
Since retiring from serious sport in 1984, Terry has pursued Rugby and Tennis. Terry played for the New York Rugby Club, Las Vegas Rugby Club and retired from competitive rugby playing at the age of 50 in 2003. Since then Terry pursues Old Boy rugby and also referee rugby matches as a member of the Texas Rugby Referee Society.
