Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as a part of a star-studded backfield and helped the staff win two Tremendous Bowl titles, has died, the staff mentioned Sunday.
Morris, a three-time Professional Bowl choice, was 77. In a press release, his household mentioned his “expertise and keenness left an indelible mark on the game.”
“Past the sphere, Mercury was a faithful father, a loving brother, a loyal pal, and a pillar in the neighborhood,” his household wrote within the assertion. “His presence prolonged far past soccer, as he touched the lives of many all through his time in Miami.”
Morris was the beginning halfback and one in every of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in dashing touchdowns in each of these seasons, ending with an NFL-best 12 in 1972 after which 10 extra in 1973.
These two seasons — one of the best in Dolphins’ historical past — simply occurred to be one of the best of Morris’ eight-year profession as effectively. He rushed for a career-high 1,000 yards in 1972, then ran for 954 extra together with a league-best 6.4 yards per carry the next season.
“I believe Shula gave all people a special sort of path and function being coached by this man,” Morris mentioned in 2008. “We had been middle-class folks and middle-class followers, and Shula was a blue-collar employee. And he had sort of a piece ethic that actually allowed you to see that in case you work laborious and also you do what you’re speculated to do, then issues are going to prove for you — not on a regular basis however you modify to that and do what’s essential to attempt to do as finest you’ll be able to.”
Morris made no secret of being crammed with pleasure concerning the 1972 Dolphins being the primary — and nonetheless solely — undefeated and untied staff in NFL historical past, pulling off an ideal season.
He additionally tried to make this clear: No, the Dolphins weren’t rooting in opposition to the groups that got here near matching their feat of perfection and didn’t have champagne on ice ready for the second that the final unbeaten staff in a season will get defeated.
“And for the file, we DO NOT TOAST each time an unbeaten staff loses,” Morris posted on social media in 2015, when the Cam Newton-led Carolina Panthers began 14-0 earlier than dropping the next-to-last recreation of their common season. “There’s no champagne in my glass, solely Canada Dry Ginger ale! Ha!”
That humorousness additionally received pointed at his beloved Dolphins at instances. When Miami was 0-8 within the 2007 season, on its solution to a 0-13 begin and 1-15 file, Morris supplied one other of his many memorable quips.
“The Dolphins will not be embarrassing me, as a result of our file’s on the prime of the heap,” Morris mentioned. “That’s not my staff. Folks say, ‘Your staff is doing unhealthy.’ I say, ‘My staff all has AARP playing cards.’”
Morris had some private struggles after his soccer profession ended, most notably being sentenced to twenty years in jail after his 1982 conviction on cocaine trafficking fees. He fought the conviction, admitting he used cocaine — partly to cope with quite a few lingering accidents — however by no means offered the drug. His conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Courtroom in 1986 and Morris grew to become a motivational speaker urging folks to keep away from medication.
“Was I bitter? Not likely,” Morris wrote in his e book “In opposition to The Grain,” printed in 1998. “I’d not advocate three days in jail to anybody, a lot much less three years. However I have to be trustworthy: I wanted to undergo what I did to develop the character I had after I grew to become a free man.”
Morris went into the Dolphins’ Stroll of Fame in 2013. He stays fourth on the staff’s all-time dashing listing with 3,877 yards behind Csonka (6,737), Ricky Williams (6,436) and Ronnie Brown (4,815).