Jon Morris, Legendary Patriots Center, Dies at 84
Robert Kraft pays tribute to the six-time AFL All-Star who played 11 seasons with the franchise.
Jon Morris, a legendary center for the Boston and New England Patriots, has died at the age of 84. His death was announced by the Patriots organization on Thursday. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Morris, a six-time AFL All-Star for the Boston Patriots between 1964 and 1969, also earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1970 following the AFL-NFL merger. He began his professional career with the Patriots after being selected in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL draft out of Holy Cross, opting to stay in New England over being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the NFL.
His career spanned 15 seasons, including a stint with the Detroit Lions from 1974 to 1977 and his final year with the Chicago Bears in 1978. During his time with the Patriots, Morris was a key part of an offensive line that featured future Hall of Fame teammates like Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parilli, and Jim Nance.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft described Morris as one of the foundational players of the franchise. "For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams," Kraft said in a statement. "It meant so much to me to call Jon in 2011 and tell him he had been selected to our Hall of Fame, ensuring that his contributions would always be remembered."
Morris was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011 and was also named to the team's 50th anniversary team in 2009.