Mercury Morris, who played running back for eight seasons in the NFL, passed away on September 21. He was 77. Morris played for the Miami Dolphins from 1969 to 1975, and for the San Diego Chargers in 1976. He played in Super Bowls VI, VII, and VIII with the Dolphins: a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, a win over the Washington Redskins to cap Miami’s perfect 17-0 season, and a win over the Minnesota Vikings. Morris was selected for the Pro Bowl in all three of those seasons.
Morris led the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns in 1972, and with a 6.4-yard rushing average in 1973. His most productive season was 1972, when he gained exactly 1000 yards rushing. Larry Csonka also rushed for over 1000 yards in 1972, and the pair became the first teammates to rush for 1000 yards in the same NFL season.
Morris played college football at West Texas State University.
Today’s card of the day is Morris’s rookie card, a 1971 Topps. He also appeared on Topps cards the following five years.
