Picture this: an excited crowd pours into the arena for an evening of monster truck driving, competition, and entertainment. They kick off the event as the truck drivers are introduced on the video board with pre-recorded greetings and highlights. Then, before they announce the final truck and its driver…a face emerges from the tunnel…juggling a soccer ball. This is Morgan Kane - the driver of the world-renowned monster truck, Grave Digger.
Cape Fear Men's Soccer alumni Morgan Kane began competing with Monster Jam driving nationwide household-favorite Grave Digger from 2016-2021 - earning numerous accolades such as 2016 Monster Jam Amsoil Series West Champion, 2016 Monster Jam World Racing Champion, and 2018 Monster Jam Stadium Champion, just to name a few.
Throughout Kane's journey with Monster Jam, he knew that he wanted to share personal connections with fans all around the world and have an impact on their communities in a positive way. Kane thought to himself, "I need to find a more universal language to connect with these people", and that is where he brought his passion for soccer back into the fold. He began making stadium entrances in-person while juggling a soccer ball so that he could share a piece of him with the fans that transcends any language barriers he may have faced. Crowds all over the world thoroughly enjoyed this as Morgan became a familiar face to soccer-loving fans across the globe.
"They see soccer as a game of life in other countries," says Kane. "So going overseas to do that sort of thing and connecting over different cultures was a big deal to me and the fans."
But before he was juggling in arenas for monster truck fans, Kane took the pitch with Cape Fear Men's Soccer in the Spring of 2009 where he quickly became known as the "king of assists" by his teammates and coaches. Kane initially pursued his Division I soccer career with a 4-year institution, but quickly realized that he wanted to be closer to home with more off-field support in academics and leadership building.
"While I truly felt like myself and enjoyed every minute on the field, it was what Cape Fear had to offer off the field that captured my attention," remarks Morgan. "Cape Fear's coaches were focused on keeping my grades strong and developing me as a man. I could probably still tell you to this day where the Athletics offices are for tutoring and meeting…there are so many people there who truly cared for me as a student, not just as an athlete."
Upon competing in regular season play in the Fall of 2009, Kane went right into the starting 11 and became a dangerous left back with a knack for attacking up the sideline. He was a utility player with hunger for goals while keeping the defensive line in check.
Kane quickly caught the attention of the local soccer community and initially had plans to walk-on to the UNCW team upon graduating, but another avenue caught his attention instead.
Kane grew up family-friends with the family of Dennis Anderson: the creator and owner of the world-famous Grave Digger monster truck. While Kane had been exposed to motor sports and Monster Jam throughout his childhood, he had not initially considered getting involved after leaving Cape Fear. But in the Winter of 2010, Kane re-sparked his interest in monster trucks after meeting with the Anderson family and Monster Jam crew as they passed through Wilmington. That following summer, Morgan spent his time volunteering with Steve Simms: a friend of the Anderson family who was also involved in competitive monster truck driving. After working hard and cultivating his relationship with Simms and his crew, Morgan was offered an opportunity to drive.
And with that, Morgan rejected his UNCW acceptance letter to travel across the United States with Steve Simms' crew. Morgan started off hitting stunts in an entry-level truck as he cultivated his skills enough to earn the opportunity to drive Stone Crusher, which was Simms' premier truck. In the summer of 2013, Feld Entertainment (the owning enterprise of Monster Jam) approached him to drive with them. "It felt like going from the minor leagues to the big leagues," reflects Kane.
From that point on, Morgan's career took off as he traveled all over the world driving various trucks for Monster Jam tours. He grew his passion for philanthropy and for bonding with fans everywhere his travels took him.
"Only about 10% of the job is driving," says Kane. "This is the only time in some people's lives where they can let go of their responsibilities and have fun with us at Monster Jam for 2 hours. And with that I ask myself - 'How can I make the most impact for every family that shows up?'"
The driver for rival truck Maximum Destruction began building a rapport with Morgan, which led to Morgan eventually driving Maximum Destruction in 2014-2015. Finally, Morgan was given the opportunity to drive one of the most well-known trucks: Grave Digger. "When you talk about monster trucks, the truck you immediately think of, world wide, is Grave Digger," says Kane.
Kane continued driving Grave Digger and earning numerous accolades with Monster Jam until 2021. He is now employed with Team Penske - one of America's top auto racing organizations as a Senior Partnerships Manager. Looking back, Kane stays true to his roots in soccer and the lessons he learned with Cape Fear.
"I hit a crossroads in my college career, then Cape Fear prepared me for bigger and better things," reflects Kane. "Giving back to communities with sport is what made me who I am - both through soccer and monster trucks."
