Miami Dolphins legend Mercury Morris has died at the age of 77, the team confirmed Sunday morning. A former third-round pick out of West Texas State, Morris was an electric running back as well as returner, who played a major role in helping the Dolphins reach the top of the NFL world.
The Dolphins released a statement on the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dolphins great Mercury Morris. pic.twitter.com/V2t8SFNVvf
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 22, 2024
Morris won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins, and was a member of the famous undefeated 1972 team, which he led with 12 rushing touchdowns. It was in that 1972 season Morris and Larry Csonka made NFL history by becoming the first teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in the same year. Morris made three Pro Bowls in his eight NFL seasons, and decided to retire following the 1976 season, which he spent with the Chargers, due to lingering injuries.
Morris burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie, leading the league in kick return yards with 1,136 on 43 returns. That includes a 105-yard return touchdown he registered in his first-ever game. While Morris rushed for just 110 yards in his rookie season, he would eventually be given more chances on offense. Having him plus Csonka in the backfield made the Dolphins quite literally unbeatable.
“I think the strength of our team in the ’70s,” Csonka told CBS Sports earlier this year, “was the fact that we controlled the game by controlling the clock by getting first downs and making that third and short yardage, which was consistently almost perfect during that perfect season.”
Morris will be remembered for his electric playing style and electric personality. His 3,877 rushing yards rank fourth all-time in Dolphins franchise history, his 29 rushing touchdowns rank fifth and his 2,947 kick return yards, third. Morris is still the only Dolphin to return more than two kicks for touchdowns.
