James Riley Morgan was born Sept. 5, 1940, in the Freestone County community of Rocky Branch (Creek), which is located between Kirvin and Wortham. He was the youngest son of nine children – three sons and six daughters – born to farmers James and Tennie Morgan. He attended a small country school in that community then went on to attend and graduate in 1959 from the segregated F. W. Wheeler High School in Wortham. He was a well-rounded student and gifted athlete who played a variety high school sports but it was basketball where he excelled.
He received scholarship offers to play college basketball at New Mexico State University but chose to stay close to home and family by enrolling at Paul Quinn College in Waco. At Paul Quinn he continued to play basketball, the sport he excelled and loved.
Upon graduation from Paul Quinn in 1963, he received an offer to play for the professional basketball team, Detroit Pistons. He went through two rounds of tryouts with the Pistons and finally on the second round was offered a spot on the team. He was told that the offer was uncertain with the possibility of being cut from the team at some point.
