Bam Morris
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Date of birth: | January 13, 1972 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Cooper, Texas | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| College: | Texas Tech | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1994 / Round: 3 / Pick: 91 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||||
Byron "Bam" Morris (born January 13, 1972) is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Early life
Morris attended Texas Tech where he won the 1993 Doak Walker Award as the top running back in college football. Among other accomplishments while playing for the Red Raiders, Morris was ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game in 1993.[1] He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 91st overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft (3rd round). His older brother Ron Morris played for the Chicago Bears and collegiately at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Their older brother J.C. Morris played college football at Texas Christian University (TCU).[2]
Professional career
During his NFL career, he recorded 3,809 yards on 974 attempts and scored 35 touchdowns during 75 games. He also caught 103 passes for 790 yards and one touchdown. He was the leading rusher for the Steelers in their Super Bowl XXX loss to the Cowboys, gaining 73 yards on 19 carries.
Off-field issues
Morris has become more well known for his off-field legal troubles than his football prowess. On June 27, 1996, Morris pleaded guilty to felony possession of marijuana in a plea bargain deal in front of a Rockwall County, Texas judge.
Police testified that they found 4 kilograms of marijuana and one gram of cocaine in his car during a traffic stop. He was fined $7,000 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service and six years probation.
He was cut by the Steelers after the guilty plea and signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. After two seasons, both marked with suspensions concerning the NFL's substance abuse policy, Morris was released. He signed with the Chicago Bears the following year, but was cut after playing in only two regular season games. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Morris pleaded guilty in August 2000 to two counts of federal drug trafficking and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. As part of the plea bargain, Morris admitted to distributing 100 kilograms of marijuana in the Kansas City area between 1998 and 2000.
On September 10, 2001, Morris was convicted of violating his parole stemming from his 1996 plea bargain and sentenced to 10 years in a Texas prison. He was released early on July 31, 2004.
See also
References
- ↑ "Vote in our poll: Byron Morris and Byron Hanspard". The Daily Toreador. April 2, 2007.
- ↑ "Passing the Bucks". Texas Monthly.