Jon Morris, the center who helped anchor the early New England Patriots and later became a familiar face as an NBC analyst, has died at 84.
The Patriots said Morris “was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise,” and chairman and CEO Robert Kraft pointed to the way he was remembered by generations of fans. Kraft also recalled calling Morris in 2011 to tell him he had been selected to the team’s Hall of Fame, adding that the honor would ensure his contributions were not forgotten.
Morris spent 11 seasons with the franchise when it was still the Boston Patriots, playing from 1964 to 1974. He appeared in 130 regular-season games and started 125 of them. Along the way, he stacked up six straight American Football League All-Star selections from 1964 through 1969, then made another bit of history in 1970 as the first Patriots player chosen for the NFL Pro Bowl.
Born April 5, 1942, in Washington, D.C., Morris came up through Gonzaga College High School before heading to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He served as team captain as a senior and earned All-East honors there.
His pro path started with two teams in the same year. The Green Bay Packers picked him in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft, while the Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the AFL draft. Morris chose Boston after talking with coach Mike Holovak, and that decision launched a career that helped shape the franchise in its earliest years.
On the line, Morris was a steady force who opened space for fullback Jim Nance, who scored a team-record 45 rushing touchdowns from 1965 to 1971. Morris earned first-team All-AFL honors in 1966 and later landed on the league’s all-time second team.
A knee injury shortened his final seasons with New England, but he kept playing afterward. Morris spent 1975 through 1977 with the Detroit Lions, where he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1977, and wrapped up his career with the Chicago Bears in 1978. He retired in January 1979.
The Patriots inducted Morris into their Hall of Fame in 2011, and he also made the franchise’s All-1960s team along with its 35th- and 50th-anniversary teams.
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