Jon Morris, a former AFL and NFL center who spent 11 of his 15 professional seasons with the Boston and New England Patriots, has died. He was 84. The Patriots announced his death Thursday, but the cause was not disclosed.
A standout at Holy Cross, Morris was selected by the Boston Patriots in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL draft and by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the NFL draft. He chose to remain in New England, beginning a career that would include six AFL All-Star selections as the Patriots' center from 1964 to 1969. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1970, the year the team joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger.
Morris also spent three seasons with the Detroit from 1974 to 1977 and closed his career with Chicago in 1978. Over his 15 seasons, he established himself as a dependable presence on the offensive line.
Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft paid tribute to Morris in a statement. "Jon Morris was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise," Kraft said. "For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams."
Morris anchored an offensive line that included future Hall of Famers Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parilli and Jim Nance. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011 and was named to the franchise's 50th anniversary team in 2009.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing