On Sept. 21st, Miami Dolphins superstar running back, Eugene “Mercury” Morris, was sadly confirmed dead at the age of 77. Morris’ friends, fans, family and former colleagues are left with the memories of a smart, witty, and ultimately flawed legend who embodied every aspect of the game he loved.
Mercury Morris’ career highlights
Eugene Morris had an eight-year career run that would make any athlete envious. He started out in college at West Texas A&M, where he was in the top 3 nationally in rushing yards in 1967. The remaining six of those eight years would remain forever cherished by the Miami Dolphins, despite Morris’ status as a third-round draft pick in 1969.
The very same year he joined the Dolphins, Morris began making and breaking team records. For his very first game, he victimized the Bengals with a 105-yard kickoff return touchdown. He would then continue on his glorious six-year run, which peaked in the hallmark perfect seasons of ‘72 and ‘73.
As soon as Morris became notorious for his slippery speed, Dolphins Coach Don Shula paired him up with rushers Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Csonka and Morris remain Dolphins hall-of-famers, as the two tailed each other for most of the same records. By the end of his career, Morris was selected for the Pro Bowl three times. The two-time SuperBowl champion also had a career run of 4,133 rushing yards and 31 takedowns.
Life after football
After his retirement, Morris stayed committed to football as a broadcaster and coach. Born in Pittsburgh in 1947, he made Florida his home up until his death in 2024. In 1982, he was convicted on drug trafficking charges, after he was arrested for his role in a $120,000 drug deal. Morris denied intent to sell, but admitted to using drugs to help him deal with the injuries he sustained as an athlete.
Morris was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison for cocaine trafficking, but managed to get the sentence overturned in a plea bargain he won in March 1986. After serving three and a half years in prison, he was released early began working as a motivational speaker and campaigning against drug abuse. Eugene “Mercury” Morris is survived by his wife, Bobbie, and five children: Troy, Geno, Maceo, Tiffany, and Elliott. Troy, the family’s spokesperson, who broke the news of Morris’ passing gave no details about the cause of his father’s demise. The cause of Mercury Morris’s death is therefore unknown at time of writing.