DENVER (KDVR) — Over a year ago, Jackson Morrill was hoping he’d get one more year with the Yale lacrosse team, but the university and COVID-19 had other plans for him.

“For me it was trying to find a place that was very similar to Yalem” said Morrill. 

That place would eventually become the University of Denver where he would play for a hall of fame coach.

“Talking with coach Tierney, one of the first things he said to me had nothing to do with lacrosse, nothing to do with Xs and Os. He just explained to me why every single person on the roster mean a lot to him,” said Morrill.

Ironically, Jackson wouldn’t be the only Yale transfer to join the Pioneers, two of his former teammates are at DU now too.

“Those guys are like brothers to me but getting to know the guys here it seems like these will be relationships I have for the rest of my life,” said TD Ierlan.

Coach Tierney and the Pioneers will only get these three for one year, but he promised Yale’s head coach Andy Shay he would take good care of them.

“I think of him every day and think of how blessed we are to be able to in some way shape or form continue what he started with these three great young men,” said Tierney.

Extended family can come in so many different ways, even in the world of lacrosse.

“Maybe when we meet back up with our Yale alums now who are off in the working world, we will start to realize how crazy it was that we got another year of lacrosse while they were off in the working world,” said Morrill.

DU lacrosse is 6-0 in the conference with three regular season games left.