Jon Morris

Last updated

Jon Morris
No. 56, 63
Position: Center
Personal information
Born: (1942-04-05) April 5, 1942 (age 82)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school: Gonzaga College
(Washington, D.C.)
College: Holy Cross (1961–1963)
NFL draft: 1964  / round: 2 / pick: 27
AFL draft: 1964  / round: 4 / pick: 29
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Games played:182
Games started:167
Fumble recoveries:2
Player stats at PFR

Jon Nicholson Morris (born April 5, 1942) is an American former football center who played for fifteen seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the Boston / New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears.

Contents

Early life

Morris attended the Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball.

College career

After Gonzaga, he played center and linebacker for three seasons of college football with the Holy Cross Crusaders. He was the Washington Daily News's Athlete of the Year in 1960 and Holy Cross Varsity Club Athlete of the Year and Lineman of the Year in the 1963 season. He was selected first-team All-Eastern in his senior year, captained the Senior Bowl, and played in the College All-Star Game in August.

Professional career

Morris was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round, with the 27th overall pick, of the 1964 NFL draft. However, Morris chose to play with the Boston Patriots, who selected him in the fourth round, with the 29th overall pick, of the 1964 AFL draft.

Morris was the team's Rookie of the Year, and their "Unsung Hero" in 1965. He was an AFL All-Star six times, 1964 through 1969, and was a Pro Bowl center in 1970. He was the first Patriot to be selected for the Pro Bowl. He played 128 games for the Patriots, the eighth best individual record in club history.[ citation needed ]

Morris played three years (1975–1977) with the Detroit Lions, elected by Lions teammates as their Offensive Player of the Year in 1975. He played his fifteenth and final professional season with the Chicago Bears in 1978.

Morris recovered several fumbles during his career. The first was a fumble by running back Ron Burton in the Boston Patriots 24–7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Fenway Park on October 23, 1964.[ citation needed ] In 1966, he recovered a fumble by running back Larry Garron in the Patriots 27–27 tie with the Kansas City Chiefs at Municipal Stadium on November 20.[ citation needed ] He also recovered a fumble by fullback Jim Nance in a 16–0 loss to the Houston Oilers at Fenway on October 13, 1968.[ citation needed ]

Morris wore no. 56 for the Patriots, as did Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Andre Tippett.

After football

After his playing career, Morris worked as the color commentator on Patriots radio broadcasts from 1979 to 1987, followed by color analysis of NFL games for NBC television.

Honors

Morris was named to the AFL All-Time Second-team, and to the fan-selected Boston Patriots All-1960s Team.

Morris was inducted into the Holy Cross Hall of Fame in 1973, was an inaugural inductee of the Gonzaga College High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983. He was joined in 1991 by his brother, Will, who quarterback at Gonzaga and for the Maryland Terrapins as well serving as Gonzaga head football coach from 1975 to 1978.[ citation needed ]

In 2011, Jon Morris was selected by a senior selection committee as a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. [1]

Personal life

His father was John D. Morris, a longtime reporter and editor in the Washington bureau of the New York Times. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New England Patriots</span> National Football League franchise in Foxborough, Massachusetts

The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third-most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gino Cappelletti</span> American football player (1934–2022)

Gino Raymond Michael Cappelletti was an American professional football player. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and was an All-Star in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots, winning the 1964 AFL Most Valuable Player Award. Cappelletti is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, and the Patriots' All-1960s Team. He served as the Patriots' radio color commentator until July 2012. His nicknames included "the Duke" and "Mr. Patriot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babe Parilli</span> American gridiron football player (1930–2017)

Vito "Babe" Parilli was an American football quarterback and coach who played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), three in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and 10 in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Kentucky, where he twice received consensus All-American honors and won two consecutive bowl games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foxboro Stadium</span> American football stadium in Foxborough, MA, US demolished in 2002

Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) for 31 seasons and also as the first home venue for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) from 1996 to 2002. The stadium was the site of several games in both the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Foxboro Stadium was demolished in 2002 and replaced by Gillette Stadium and the Patriot Place shopping center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curt Gowdy</span> American sportscaster (1919–2006)

Curtis Edward Gowdy was an American sportscaster. He called Boston Red Sox games on radio and TV for 15 years, and then covered many nationally televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports and ABC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s. He coined the nickname "The Granddaddy of Them All" for the Rose Bowl Game, taking the moniker from the Cheyenne Frontier Days in his native Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Bellino</span> American football player (1938–2019)

Joseph Michael Bellino was an American professional football player who was a halfback in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots. He played college football for the Navy Midshipmen, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1960. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Dryer</span> American football player and actor (born 1946)

John Frederick Dryer is an American actor, radio host, and former professional football player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Buoniconti</span> American football player (1940–2019)

Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti(Pronounced: Bone-uh-CON-tee) was an American professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Buoniconti played professionally for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls with the Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Dee</span> American football player (1933–1979)

Robert Henry Dee was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Tippett</span> American football player (born 1959)

Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1981. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett was selected to five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Since 2007, he has been the Patriots' executive director of community affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Bell</span> American football player (born 1940)

Bobby Lee Bell Sr. is an American former professional football linebacker and defensive end who played for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and was a member of the Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Riley</span> American football player (1947–2020)

Kenneth Jerome Riley was an American professional football cornerback who spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1983. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Despite his accomplishments, he was never an exceptionally well-known or popular player. Riley was never once selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game or the Pro Bowl, but he was selected to three All-Pro teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Holovak</span> American football player, coach, and executive (1919–2008)

Michael Joseph Holovak was an American football player, coach, and executive. He played college football at Boston College, where he was an All-American at fullback in 1942.

Jim Lee "Earthquake" Hunt was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the American Football League (AFL)'s Boston Patriots from 1960 through 1969, and for the NFL' Boston Patriots in 1970. He was a four-time AFL All-Star, and was one of only 20 men to play the entire ten years of the AFL. He was used as a defensive end occasionally. He played college football for the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curley Culp</span> American football player (1946–2021)

Curley Culp was an American professional football defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State University, where he was also an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. He played football professionally in the AFL for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969, and in the NFL for the Chiefs, Houston Oilers, and Detroit Lions. He was an AFL All-Star in 1969 and a six-time AFC–NFC Pro Bowler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Taseff</span> American football player and coach (1928–2005)

Carl N. "Gaucho" Taseff was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). Taseff had an 11-year playing career, primarily with the Baltimore Colts, where he was a member of the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship winning teams. Taseff then coached for 27 seasons, winning Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII as part of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Brumm</span> American football player (born 1941)

Donald Dwain Brumm is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles. He went to one Pro Bowl during his ten-year career. Brumm played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected in the first round of the 1963 NFL draft with the 13th overall pick. He was also selected in the third round of the 1963 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

James Francis Whalen, Jr. was a professional American football tight end.

Willie Carroll Townes was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Tulsa.

Dennis Wayne Byrd was an American professional football defensive end who played in the American Football League (AFL) one season for the Boston Patriots. He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, where he was named first-team All-ACC in each of his three years of varsity competition and was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1967. He is regarded as one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the Atlantic Coast Conference history.

References

  1. ↑ Guregian, Karen (March 27, 2011). "Jon Morris gets his due, call". The Boston Herald . Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  2. ↑ "JOHN D. MORRIS, EDITOR, 60, DEAD". New York Times. April 9, 1975. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.