Morris Stroud
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Morris Stroud (born May 17, 1946), was a former tight end for the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs from 1970 to 1974. At 6'-10", Stroud is the tallest player in NFL history. He wore uniform #88.
As a student at Clark Atlanta University, a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia, the Miami, Florida-born Stroud was a center and power forward on the Panthers' basketball team. Despite Stroud having little experience on the gridiron, Chiefs coach Hank Stram selected him in the third round of the NFL draft as a tight end. He thus supplanted the 6'-9" Ernie Ladd as the NFL's tallest player. Coincidentally, Ladd had spent the 1967 and 1968 seasons — the final two years of his eight-year professional career — with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In seven years, Morris Stroud caught 54 passes for 977 yards, seven touchdowns, and averaged 18.1 yards per reception. However, Stroud became a notable special teams player — specifically at blocking field goals. On many opponents' field goal attempts, Stroud lined up under the goalposts and tried to deflect the ball as it came down. Later rules changes led to the adoption of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (informally known as the "Stroud Rule"): "Goal tending by any player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goal post is prohibited. The referee could award 3 points for a palpably unfair act".
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