No. 86 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Easley, South Carolina, U.S. | February 17, 1955||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 181 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Easley | ||||||||
College: | Tennessee | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Stanley Douglas Morgan (born February 17, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. [1] A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the NFL record (among receivers with at least 500 catches) with 19.2 yards per catch, and also holds the Patriots team record for total receiving yards in a career. [2]
A four time Pro Bowl selection and two time All-Pro, he was selected to the New England Patriots team Hall of Fame, the team's highest honor, in 2007. Morgan was named to the New England Patriots 1970s and 1980s All Decade Teams. [3]
In 2021, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Morgan to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2021. [4]
Morgan played high school football at Easley High School in Easley, South Carolina. [5] In 1972, his team won a state championship. [6]
Morgan went on to play college football for the University of Tennessee, [7] where he was an outstanding multi-position player, appearing in all 46 Volunteers games in his four-year career. [8] As a freshman in 1973, he was used primarily as a wide receiver with 22 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns. [9] In his breakthrough sophomore season, he had 128 rushes for 723 yards and 11 touchdowns, 10 catches for 234 and two touchdowns, and 29 punt returns including one touchdown, for an SEC-leading 84 points. [10] He made the All-SEC team in 1974 as a wide receiver (UPI) and a running back (AP2). [11] [12] His 1,587 all-purpose yards that year remained a school record until 1987.[ citation needed ] His junior year, Morgan was used as a running back (133 carries for 809 yards and 8 touchdowns) and also a kick returner. [13] In a game against Maryland he scored three touchdowns, including a 50-yard run and 70-yard punt return. [14] He also became the first Volunteer to rush for 200 yards in a game with 201 against Hawaii. [15] His senior year, he balanced his time more, finishing second on the team in both rushing (90 carries for 388 yards and 9 touchdowns to Bobby Emmons' 462) and receiving (14 catches for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns to Larry Seivers 737). He had 201 yards receiving against TCU, the second most at the time. [16] His 11 touchdowns that season placed Morgan second in the SEC to LSU's Terry Robiskie, and earned him 1976 All-SEC honors as a running back (AP) and receiver (UPI). [17]
Tennessee Volunteers career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | GP | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Ret. | Punt Ret. | Totals [10] | |||||||||||||
Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Ret | Yds | TD | Ret | Yds | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
1973 | 11 | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 22 | 511 | 23.2 | 4 | 14 | 309 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 852 | 22.4 | 4 |
1974 | 12 | 128 | 723 | 5.6 | 11 | 10 | 234 | 23.4 | 2 | — | 255 | 0 | 29 | 375 | 1 | — | 1,587 | — | 14 |
1975 | 12 | 133 | 809 | 6.1 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | — | 63 | 0 | 20 | 284 | 2 | — | 1,169 | — | 10 |
1976 | 11 | 90 | 388 | 4.3 | 9 | 14 | 317 | 22.6 | 2 | 6 | 136 | 0 | 25 | 193 | 0 | 135 | 1,034 | 7.7 | 11 |
Career | 46 | 353 | 1,952 | 5.5 | 28 | 48 | 1,075 | 22.4 | 8 | 37 | 763 | 0 | 74 | 852 | 3 | 512 | 4,642 | 9.1 | 39 |
He holds the all-purpose yards record for the University of Tennessee, which stands at 4,642, and led Tennessee in that category all four seasons. He shares the modern record for career touchdowns with 39, [10] [18] his 28 rushing touchdowns is third all-time, [19] and his 1,615 combined return yards is 5th. Morgan was inducted into the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2000. [10]
Morgan was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1977 NFL draft (25th overall). [20] Despite being used primarily as a running back after his freshman year, Morgan's exceptional speed helped him transition back to wide receiver. In his rookie season, he had 21 receptions for 443 yards and three touchdowns. [21] In the third quarter of a Week 12 game against the Baltimore Colts in the 1979 season, he had a 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 50–21 win. [22] He averaged over 20 yards per reception his first six seasons, with a career-high and franchise-record 24.1 yards per reception in 1978. He led the NFL in yards per reception in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and ended his career with the three best seasons in that category for a Patriots receiver (and six of the top 12). [23] In a 1978 game against the Baltimore Colts, Morgan had five receptions for a franchise-record 170 yards; [24] he broke his own record in 1981 against the Miami Dolphins with five receptions for 182 yards, a mark that stood for 17 years. [25]
Morgan led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1979 with a then-franchise record 12. [26] [27] Morgan topped 1,000 receiving yards a then franchise-record three times (1979, 1981 & 1986). [28] His best season as a Patriot was 1986 when he caught 84 passes for a then-franchise-record 1,491 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the Patriots to the AFC East title. [27] [29] Morgan appeared in four Pro Bowls (1979, 1980, 1986 & 1987) and was selected 2nd Team All-Pro in 1980 and 1986. [30] [31] [32] Morgan was a member of the 1985 AFC Champion New England Patriots, and caught six passes for 51 yards in Super Bowl XX, a 46–10 loss to the Chicago Bears. [33] In Week 3 of the 1986 season, Morgan had seven receptions for 161 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a 38–31 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. [34] In the following season's Divisional Round, he had three receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns in a 22–17 loss to the Denver Broncos. [35] After 13 seasons with New England, he was signed by the Indianapolis where he played just one season. [36] He finished his final NFL season with 23 receptions for 364 yards and five touchdowns. [37] At the time, he held the franchise record in every receiving category with 534 catches (now fourth to Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Troy Brown) for 10,352 yards (still the franchise record) and 67 touchdowns. (now second to Rob Gronkowski). [2] He also has the franchise record with 38 games with 100+ receiving yards, 10,479 yards from scrimmage, and is second to Kevin Faulk with 11,471 all-purpose yards. He finished his career with 557 receptions for 10,716 yards (19.2 yards per catch) and 72 touchdowns (solidly in the all-time NFL top 100 in all four categories), along with 127 rushing yards and 989 combined return yards. [1]
Morgan was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2007. [38]
In 2021, The Athletic named him the best #25 pick since the AFL-NFL merger, and noted that many of his teammates were rankled by his absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite having more receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than many of his contemporaries. [39]
Legend | |
---|---|
NFL record | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | Punt Ret. | Kickoff Ret. | Total Yds | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | TD | Ret | Yds | TD | Ret | Yds | TD | ||||
1977 | NE | 14 | 21 | 443 | 21.1 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 220 | 0 | — | — | — | 673 |
1978 | NE | 16 | 34 | 820 | 24.1 | 75 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 32 | 335 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 1,183 |
1979 | NE | 16 | 44 | 1,002 | 22.8 | 63 | 12 | 7 | 39 | 0 | 29 | 289 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1,342 |
1980 | NE | 16 | 45 | 991 | 22.0 | 71 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,027 |
1981 | NE | 13 | 44 | 1,029 | 23.4 | 76 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 116 | 0 | — | — | — | 1,166 |
1982 | NE | 9 | 28 | 584 | 20.9 | 75 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 587 |
1983 | NE | 16 | 58 | 863 | 14.9 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 876 |
1984 | NE | 13 | 38 | 709 | 18.7 | 76 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 709 |
1985 | NE | 15 | 39 | 760 | 19.5 | 50 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 760 |
1986 | NE | 16 | 84 | 1,491 | 17.8 | 44 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,491 |
1987 | NE | 10 | 40 | 672 | 16.8 | 45 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 672 |
1988 | NE | 16 | 31 | 502 | 16.2 | 32 | 4 | 1 | -6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 496 |
1989 | NE | 10 | 28 | 486 | 17.4 | 55 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 486 |
1990 | IND | 16 | 23 | 364 | 15.8 | 42 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 364 |
Career | 196 | 557 | 10,716 | 19.2 | 76 | 72 | 21 | 127 | 0 | 92 | 960 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 11,832 |
Morgan was wide receivers coach for the XFL's Memphis Maniax. [40] [41]
Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. is an American former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967, and after several assistant coaching positions, was head coach of the New England Patriots from 1984 to 1989. With the Colts, Berry led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards three times and in receiving touchdowns twice, and was invited to six Pro Bowls. The Colts won consecutive NFL championships, including the 1958 NFL Championship Game—known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played"—in which Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. He retired as the all-time NFL leader in both receptions and receiving yardage.
Randy Gene Moss is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record, as well as the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie.
Torry Jabar Holt is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and retired with the 10th most receiving yards, including a record six consecutive seasons with 1,300 yards. He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, and spent the next ten years with the Rams and is remembered as one of the members of "The Greatest Show on Turf".
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), playing much of it with quarterback Peyton Manning. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft.
Reginald Wayne is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft with the 30th overall pick. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Wayne was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI. He ranks second in Colts' franchise history to Marvin Harrison in major receiving categories: receptions, receiving yards, targets, and receiving touchdowns. On December 14, 2014, Wayne played in both his 209th game and his 142nd win as a member of the Colts, breaking the franchise records set by Peyton Manning.
Carl McNally Pickens is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team All-American honors in 1991.
Wesley Carter Welker is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for 12 seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. Regarded as one of the greatest undrafted players of all time, he holds the NFL record for receptions by an undrafted player. Welker played college football at Texas Tech University, where he won the Mosi Tatupu Award and was a first-team All-Big 12 as a senior.
Nate Washington is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He then played six seasons for the Tennessee Titans before playing his eleventh and final season for the Houston Texans.
Lawrence Anthony Miller is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Tennessee.
Harold Leon Jackson is an American former football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 through 1983. He played college football for the Jackson State and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL draft.
Robert Gronkowski is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played his final two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Rex Burkhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Bengals, Burkhead spent his next four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he appeared in consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII. Burkhead joined the Houston Texans in 2021, spending two seasons with them before retiring in 2024.
Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons.
Nelson Efamehule Agholor is a Nigerian-American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his five seasons with the Eagles, he won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII. Agholor also played one season with the Las Vegas Raiders before joining the New England Patriots.
DeVante Parker is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft with the 14th overall pick. He played with the New England Patriots in 2022 and 2023.
Corey Damon Davis is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football for the Western Michigan Broncos, where he became the NCAA Division I FBS leader in career receiving yards. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans fifth overall in the 2017 NFL draft, where he played for four seasons before signing with the New York Jets.
Michael William Gesicki is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State. He is the record holder for most receptions by a tight end in Penn State history. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Tamaurice William "Tee" Higgins is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson, where he won the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship as a sophomore, and was selected by the Bengals with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jaylen Waddle is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted sixth overall by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Michael Pittman Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American as a senior, and was selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.