Jon Morris, a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 84.
The Patriots announced his death on Thursday.
“Jon Morris was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise,” said Patriots owner Robert Kraft in a statement. “For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams. 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 born on April 5, 1942 in Washington D.C. and played college football at Holy Cross. He was drafted by both the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and the then-AFL’s Boston Patriots in 1964, eventually deciding to come to New England. Over the next 11 seasons through 1974, he saw action in 130 games with 125 starts for the club and was voted AFL All-Star on six occasions as well as the Patriots’ first ever NFL Pro Bowler in 1970.
Injuries hampered him late during his Patriots career, and he was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1975. Morris added 42 more starts during his three years in Detroit, and later played 10 games as a reserve for the Chicago Bears. He retired from pro football in 1979.
After his playing career, Morris spent nine years as a radio color commentator for the Patriots. He later also worked for NBC.
Morris was named a member of the Patriots’ Team of the 1960s, as well as their 35th and 50th anniversary teams. In 2011, he was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame.