Mercury Morris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mercury Morris | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 5, 1947 |
| Place of birth |  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Position(s) | Running Back |
| College | West Texas A&M |
| NFL Draft | 1969 / Round 3/ Pick 63 |
| Pro Bowls | 3 |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1969-1975 1976 |
Miami Dolphins San Diego Chargers |
Eugene "Mercury" Morris (born January 5, 1947 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former American football player who played running back in the American Football League in the 1960's and the NFL in the 1970's, and played in three Super Bowls.
He attended Avonworth High School in Pittsburgh. Morris attended West Texas A&M University from 1965 to 1969. Morris was an All-American at tailback in 1967 and 1968. After college, he was picked in the third round of the 1969 American Football League Draft by the AFL's Miami Dolphins.
Morris was selected for three Pro Bowls during his nine year professional career. The majority of his playing days were spent with the Miami Dolphins which he helped lead to Super Bowl VI which they lost to a strong Dallas team, he earned Super Bowl rings in Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII. Morris, sharing halfback duties with Jim Kiick, was an instrumental part of the historic Miami Dolphins undefeated team of 1972. That year, he ran for exactly 1000 yd, becoming (along with teammate Larry Csonka), the first 1000 yard tandem in NFL history. He followed that up with a 954 yard season. Morris spent the last season of his career playing for the San Diego Chargers. He finished in the top five of the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice and total touchdowns once during his nine year career.
In 1982, Morris was convicted on cocaine trafficking charges and sentenced to twenty years with a mandatory fifteen year period. On March 6, 1986 his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court because evidence Morris had offered to prove his entrapment defense had been excluded under a mistaken characterization as hearsay. Morris was awarded a new trial. He was able to reach a plea bargain with the prosecutor with the result he was released from prison May 23, 1986, after having served three years. He later went on to a career as a motivational speaker. Towards the end of 2006 his name has come up in a commercial spot for a hair treatment clinic, along with Wade Boggs.
