Eugene “Mercury” Morris, a speedy running back for eight NFL seasons and a key figure on the undefeated Miami Dolphins of 1972, has died at the age of 77.
Morris was a team with backfield mates Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick when the Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, won two consecutive Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973.
Selected in the third round of the 1969 NFL Draft out of West Texas A&M, Morris began his professional career as a kick returner. As a rookie, he led the NFL in kickoff return yards and scored a touchdown on a 105-yard run.
He developed into an effective relief player for the Dolphins, filling in for the powerful Csonka and winning the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl awards in 1971.
Morris’ best season was Miami’s perfect season in 1972. He rushed for exactly 1,000 yards, joining Csonka as the first teammates in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. That year, he also led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns as the Dolphins capped a 17-0 season with a 14-7 victory over Washington in Super Bowl 7.
Morris rushed for 954 yards at an NFL record 6.4 yards per carry in 1973, was again named a Pro Bowler, and the Dolphins won their second consecutive Super Bowl.
He joined the San Diego Chargers for the final season of his career in 1976. He finished the season with 4,133 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns – 31 rushing, one receiving and three kickoff returns.
After his retirement, Morris became one of the most prominent members of the undefeated Dolphins at their annual celebrations, coining the term “Perfectville” to describe their unique place in history and perhaps being the most vocal defender of their greatness compared to other dominant NFL teams that would follow.
“I played on the best team ever,” Morris once told the Palm Beach Post. “We had some of the best players from 1971 to 1974, we had the best record in history during those four years.”
“We dominated the football world.”
