Jon Morris, the Patriots Hall of Fame center who played 11 of his 15 pro seasons with Boston and New England, has died at 84, the Patriots announced Thursday, according to NFL.com.
Morris spent 15 seasons as a professional center across the AFL and NFL, becoming one of the most decorated linemen in franchise history. His death closes the book on one of the last living links to the Patriots’ earliest teams.
The Main Development
A cause of death was not disclosed. Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft honored Morris’s place in team history in a statement.
“Jon Morris was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise,” Kraft said. “For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams.”
Career And Patriots Legacy
Morris was a six-time AFL All-Star at center for the Boston Patriots from 1964 to 1969, then made the Pro Bowl in 1970 when the franchise joined the NFL following the AFL-NFL merger. He spent 11 of his 15 pro seasons with the Boston and New England Patriots, lining up alongside franchise greats Gino Cappelletti, Babe Parilli and Jim Nance.
A Holy Cross product, Morris was drafted by the Boston Patriots in the fourth round of the 1964 AFL draft and by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of that year’s NFL draft. He chose to stay in New England rather than join Green Bay.
After his run with the Patriots, Morris played three seasons in Detroit from 1974 to 1977 before closing out his career with a final season in Chicago in 1978.
Honors
The Patriots inducted Morris into their Hall of Fame in 2011 and named him to the franchise’s 50th anniversary team in 2009, cementing his standing among the club’s foundational players from its AFL era.
What’s Next
No additional details on funeral arrangements or cause of death have been released. The Patriots have not announced any further public tribute beyond their statement following the news of Morris’s death.
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