He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
His uncle, Dwight Lee had played football in college at Michigan State where he had earned an All-American honorable mention.
During his senior year in 1996, Murphy compiled 80 tackles on defense and the Detroit Free Press named him an All-Met player.
[3] He sat out the 1997 season as a redshirt (college sports) before acting as the second-string tight end behind Eric James.
This season was Maryland's best in over a decade, with the team finishing with a 10–2 record, securing the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, and a Bowl Championship Series berth against fifth-ranked Florida, where Murphy led the Terps in receptions in the losing effort.
[7][8] Prior to the 2008 season, Murphy injured his shoulder during practice with a partial rotator cuff tear.