The New England Patriots announced Thursday that Jon Morris, the standout center who helped shape the franchise’s earliest years, has died at age 84.
No cause of death was provided. Morris spent 11 seasons with the Boston and New England Patriots during a 15-year professional career that spanned both the AFL and NFL.
A cornerstone of the early Patriots
Morris arrived in Boston in 1964 and became one of the most decorated players of the AFL-era Patriots. The former Holy Cross standout earned six AFL All-Star selections from 1964 through 1969, then made the Pro Bowl in 1970 after the AFL-NFL merger brought the club into the NFL.
- The Boston Patriots selected Morris in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL Draft.
- The Green Bay Packers also drafted him that year, taking him in the second round of the NFL Draft.
- Morris chose Boston and began an 11-season run with the franchise.
- He played for Detroit from 1974 through 1977 before finishing his career with Chicago in 1978.
As the Patriots’ center, Morris anchored an offensive front that played alongside several figures who later entered the Patriots Hall of Fame, including Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parilli and Jim Nance.
Patriots remember Morris
Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said Morris’ influence extended far beyond his on-field accolades.
“Jon Morris was among the outstanding players who established the base of this franchise,” Kraft said. “For several generations of Patriots fans, he stood for the toughness, commitment and pride of those early teams.”
The organization inducted Morris into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011. He had previously been named to the franchise’s 50th anniversary team in 2009.
