Mercury Morris: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|American football player (born 19471947–2024)}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=JanuarySeptember 20192024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image = Mercury Morris 2013.jpg

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| number = 22

| birth_date = {{birth date|1947|1|5}}

| birth_place = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|9|21|1947|1|5}}

| death_place =

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

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| draftround = [[1969 NFL/AFL draft#Round three|3]]

| draftpick = 63

| high_school = [[Avonworth High School|Avonworth]] {{nowrap|(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)}}

| college = [[West Texas A&M Buffaloes football|West Texas State]]

| teams =

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* [[San Diego Chargers]] ([[1976 NFL season|1976]])

| highlights =

* 2× [[Super Bowl]] champion]] ([[Super Bowl VII|VII]], [[Super Bowl VIII|VIII]])

* 3× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1972 Pro Bowl|1971]]–[[1974 Pro Bowl|1973]])

* [[List of NFL season rushing touchdowns leaders|NFL rushing touchdowns leader]] ([[1972 NFL season|1972]])

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* [[NFL kickoff return yards leader]] ([[1969 NFL season|1969]])

* [[Miami Dolphins#The Miami Dolphins 50 Greatest Players|Dolphins Walk of Fame]] (2013)

* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1968 College Football All-America Team|1968]])

| statlabel1 = [[Rushing yards]]

| statvalue1 = 4,133

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| pfr = MorrMe00

}}

'''Eugene Edward''' "'''Mercury'''" '''Morris''' (January 5, 1947 - September 21, 2024) was an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[running back]] and kick returner. He played for eight years, primarily for the [[Miami Dolphins]], in the [[American Football League]] (AFL) as a rookie in [[1969 Miami Dolphins season|1969]] then in the American Football Conference (AFC) following the {{nfly|1970}} [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]] with the [[National Football League]] (NFL).▼

▲'''Eugene Edward''' "'''Mercury'''" '''Morris''' (January 5, 1947 -– September 21, 2024) was an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[running back]] and [[kick returner]]. He  played for eight years, primarily for the [[Miami Dolphins]], in the [[American Football League]] (AFL) as a rookie in [[1969 Miami Dolphins season|1969]] then in the [[American Football Conference]] (AFC) following the {{nfly|1970}} [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]] with the [[National Football League]] (NFL).

Morris played in three [[Super Bowl]]s, winning twice and was selected to three [[Pro Bowl]]s.▼

▲Morris played in three [[Super Bowl]]s, winning twice, and was selected to three [[Pro Bowl]]s.

In 1982, Morris was convicted of felony drug trafficking charges. After three and a half years in prison, he was released following a plea agreement in which he pleaded no contest to cocaine conspiracy charges.<ref name="OS">{{cite web |last=Straight |first=Harry |date=January 27, 1991|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-01-27-9101270613-story.html |title=Whatever Happened to Mercury Morris |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |accessdate=November 9, 2021}}</ref>▼

▲In 1982, Morris was convicted of felony [[drug trafficking]] charges. After three and a half years in prison, he was released following a plea agreement in which he pleadedpled [[No-contest clause|no contest]] to cocaine conspiracy charges.<ref name="OS">{{cite web |last=Straight |first=Harry |date=January 27, 1991|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-01-27-9101270613-story.html |title=Whatever Happened to Mercury Morris |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |accessdate=November 9, 2021}}</ref>

== Amateur career ==

Born in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], on January 5, 1947,<ref name=NYTObit>{{cite news |title=Mercury Morris, Elusive Rusher on a Perfect Dolphins Team, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/sports/mercury-morris-dead.html |work=The New York Times |author=Alex Traub |date=September 22, 2024}}</ref> Morris attended [[Avonworth High School]] in the northwestern suburbs of the city. He attended West Texas State University (now [[West Texas A&M University]]) from 1965 to 1969, where he was an [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] for the [[West Texas A&M Buffaloes football|Buffaloes]] at [[Halfback (American football)|tailback]] in [[1967 College Football All-America Team|1967]] and [[1968 College Football All-America Team|1968]]. In 1967, he finished second in the nation to [[O. J. Simpson]] of [[1967 USC Trojans football team|USC]] in rushing yards with 1,274.{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=44–45}}

In his record setting year of 1968, Morris set collegiate records for rushing yards in a single game, with 340, rushing yards for a single season with 1,571, and rushing yards over a three-year college career (freshmen being ineligible), with 3,388.{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=44–45}} Simpson broke the single-season rushing record just one week after Morris set it.{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=44–45}} Morris's three-season career rushing record was broken two years later by [[Don McCauley]].{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=44–45}}

After college, Morris was picked in the [[1969 NFL/AFL draft#Round three|third round]] of the [[1969 NFL/AFL draft|1969 AFL-NFL]] [[Common Draft]] by the [[American Football League|AFL]]'s [[1969 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/mercury-morris-legendary-dolphins-rb-and-member-of-undefeated-1972-team-dies-at-77 |title=Mercury Morris, legendary Dolphins RB and member of undefeated 1972 team, dies at 77 |author=Grant Gordon |website=nfl.com |date=September 22, 2024}}</ref>

== Professional football career ==

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In the 1972 and 1973 seasons, Morris earned Super Bowl rings in [[Super Bowl VII]] and [[Super Bowl VIII]] and was selected for the Pro Bowl in both years. In 1972, he shared the halfback position with Kiick, participating in a few less plays than Kiick but having more carries as a running back.{{r|Csonka|p=205}} That year, he ran for exactly 1,000 yds on 190 carries,<ref name=pfr1 /> becoming, with teammate [[Larry Csonka]], the first [[List of NFL teams with multiple 1000 yard rushers|1,000-yard tandem]] in NFL history. Morris was first thought to have finished with 991 yards but the Dolphins' management asked the league to examine a play in which Morris fumbled a lateral so he was awarded the nine yards previously recorded as lost on the play, giving him 1,000 yards for the season. That year, Morris also led the NFL with 12 rushing [[touchdown]]s {{r|Neft_13th|p=766}}<ref name=pfr1 /> and his 5.3 yard per carry average was third in the NFL.<ref name=pfr1 />

By 1973, Morris had taken over the starting halfback spot and rushed for 954 yards on 149 carries,<ref name=pfr1 /> despite playing with a neck injury late in the season. His 6.4 yard per carry average led the NFL that season,{{r|Neft_13th|p=766}}<ref name=pfr1 /> and he finished third in the NFL in rushing touchdowns.<ref name=pfr1 />

Morris excelled in several playoff games leading up to Miami's two Super Bowl victories. In 1972, he led the Dolphins in rushing in both the divisional playoff game against [[Cleveland Browns|Cleveland]] and the [[1972 AFC Championship Game|AFC Championship Game]] against [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Pittsburgh]] with 72 yards and 76 yards respectively.{{r|Neft_13th|p=235,242}} In 1973, he led the Dolphins in rushing for the divisional playoff game against [[Cincinnati Bengals|Cincinnati]] with 106 yards and added 86 more rushing yards in the [[1973 AFC Championship Game|AFC Championship Game]] against [[Oakland Raiders|Oakland]].{{r|Neft_13th|p=253,260}}

=== Late career ===

Morris continued playing for the Dolphins in 1974 and 1975, before spending the last season of his shortened career playing for the [[San Diego Chargers]] in 1976. In 1974 a knee injury Morris suffered in the preseason limited him to five regular season games that year.{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=83}} Morris missed the season opener and returned for the second game of the season, but then reinjured the knee in game 3.<ref>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2024-02-February 20, 2024|newspaper=The Miami News|date=September 23, 1974|title=Miami finds lost attack|author=Noble, Charlie|page=7C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/301509307/?terms=%22mercury%20morris%22&match=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2024-02-February 20, 2024|newspaper=The Miami News|date=September 30, 1974|title=It's war folks, and Dolphins are walking wounded|author=Noble, Charlie|page=8C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/301551212/?terms=%22mercury%20morris%22&match=1}}</ref> After playing three more games in November and December he suffered a neck injury and reinjured the knee, effectively ending his season.<ref>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2024-02-February 20, 2024|newspaper=News-Press|date=December 9, 1974|title=Miami wins 4th title|author=Holliman, Ray|page=3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/301509307/?terms=%22mercury%20morris%22&match=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2024-02-February 20, 2024|newspaper=St. Lucie News-Tribune|date=December 18, 1974|title=Mercury Morris doubtful|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/778584958/?terms=%22mercury%20morris%22&match=1}}</ref> In 1975, Morris led the Dolphins in rushing yards, with 875,<ref name=pfr1 /> despite sharing the halfback position with [[Benny Malone]].{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=91}} After being traded to San Diego before the 1976 season, he ran for 256 yards on 50 carries that year and decided to retire after the season, in part due to lingering difficulties from the neck injury suffered in a 1973 game against the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and reinjured in a car accident.{{r|Morris_Fiffer|p=98}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Mercury Morris likes life without football|author=Brubaker, Bill|newspaper=Miami News|date=December 19, 1979|access-date=2020-03-March 23, 2020|via=newspapers.com|pages=1B–2B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47232408/the-miami-news/}}</ref>

Morris finished in the top five of the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice and total touchdowns once during his eight-year career. His career 5.1 yard per carry average was third all time among NFL players (1st among half backshalfbacks), only behind just[[fullback (gridiron football)|fullbacks]] [[Jim Brown]] and [[Marion Motley]].<ref name=ypr>{{cite web|title=NFL Yards per Rushing Attempt Career Leaders|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rush_yds_per_att_career.htm|publisher=Pro-Football-Reference|access-date=March 3, 2017}}</ref> As of 2017, he ranked 6thsixth all time behind Brown, Motley, running back [[Jamaal Charles]] and quarterbacks [[Michael Vick]] and [[Randall Cunningham]].<ref name=ypr /> Morris's career kickoff return average of 26.5 is among the all-time top 20 for players with at least 100 returns, and was in the top 10 at the time of his retirement.<ref name=pfr3>{{cite web |title=Pro-Football-Reference Career Yards per Kick Return Leaders|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]] |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/kick_ret_yds_per_ret_career.htm|access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref>{{r|Neft_13th|p=784}} As of 2017 he was ranked 18th.<ref name=pfr3 />

== Post-football career ==

In 1974, Morris co-starred as Bookie Garrett in the [[blaxploitation]] film ''[[The Black Six]]'' alongside other football stars of the day.<ref>{{cite book |title=Against the Grain |author=Eugene "Mercury" Morris with Steve Fiffer |year=1988 |pages=67–69 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |isbn=0-07-043195-7}}</ref>▼

In 1982, Morris was convicted of [[cocaine]] trafficking. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, with a mandatory 15-year term. On March 6, 1986, his conviction was overturned by the [[Florida Supreme Court]] because evidence he had offered to prove his [[entrapment]] defense had been excluded under a mistaken characterization as [[hearsay]]. Morris was granted a new trial. He was able to reach a [[plea bargain]] with the prosecutor, resulting in his release from prison on May 23, 1986, after having served three years. He later appeared in an anti-cocaine [[Publicpublic Serviceservice Announcementannouncement]] where he talked about his time in prison.<ref name=cbs1>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/legendary-miami-dolphins-running-back-mercury-morris-dies-at-77/ |title=Mercury Morris, legendary Miami Dolphins running back, dies at 77 |first=Nadirah |last=Sabir |date=September 23, 2024 |work=[[CBS News]] |access-date=September 25, 2024}}</ref>▼

▲In 1974, Morris co-starred as Bookie Garrett in the [[blaxploitation]] film ''[[The Black Six]]'' alongside other football stars of the day.

▲In 1982, Morris was convicted of [[cocaine]] trafficking. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, with a mandatory 15-year term. On March 6, 1986, his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court because evidence he had offered to prove his [[entrapment]] defense had been excluded under a mistaken characterization as [[hearsay]]. Morris was granted a new trial. He was able to reach a [[plea bargain]] with the prosecutor, resulting in his release from prison on May 23, 1986, after having served three years. He later appeared in an anti-cocaine [[Public Service Announcement]] where he talked about his time in prison.

After being released from prison, Morris later went on to a career as a [[motivational speaker]].<ref name=NYTObit/><ref name=cbs1/>

Morris died on September 21, 2024, at the age of 77.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/nfl/dolphins/2024/09/22/rb-mercury-morris-leader-of-miami-dolphins-perfectville-dies/75336652007/ |title=Mercury Morris, star on Miami Dolphins' 1972 undefeated team, dies at age 77 |last=Habib |first=Hal |date=September 22, 2024 |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |access-date=September 22, 2024}}</ref> He was survived by five children and three sisters.<ref name=NYTObit/>

Towards the end of 2006, he was in a television commercial spot for a hair-treatment clinic along with [[Wade Boggs]].

==NFL career statistics==

'''Source:'''<ref name=pfr1 />

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="2"| Legend

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Mercury}}

[[Category:1947 births]]

[[Category:Living2024 peopledeaths]]

[[Category:American football running backs]]

[[Category:American motivational speakers]]

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[[Category:American sportspeople convicted of crimes]]

[[Category:American Football League players]]

[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]