Guy Morriss

Guy Morriss built a remarkable football legacy as both a durable and dependable NFL offensive lineman and a respected high school, college and NFL coach. Morriss had a 15-year NFL playing career with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. He spent time with both the Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals when he transitioned to coaching, where he spent 27 seasons on the sidelines.

Born in Colorado City, Texas, he attended Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas, where he played tight end. After high school, Morriss earned a scholarship to Texas Christian University (TCU) where he was all Southwest Conference (SWC) in 1972.

Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft, Morriss quickly earned a reputation for his toughness. Over 11 seasons in Philadelphia, he became a team captain and was a fixture on the offensive line. He helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to an NFC championship and a Super Bowl XV appearance in the 1980 season. After a decorated 11-year career with the Eagles, Morriss signed with the New England Patriots in 1984, where he played his final four seasons before retiring after the 1987 campaign. With the Patriots he helped them win an AFC championship and a Super Bowl XX appearance. Morriss played 229 total games in the NFL.

After hanging up his cleats, Morriss transitioned to coaching. He began his coaching career with the Patriots in 1988 for two seasons as offensive line coach. Perhaps his biggest coaching break, although he didn't know it at the time, was when he joined Hal Mumme and Mike Leach at Valdosta State University in 1992 as offensive line coach. It was there in the hot southeast Georgia sun that the modern "Air Raid" offense was born. When Mumme accepted the position as head coach at the University of Kentucky, he asked Morriss to join his staff.

In 2001, when Mumme was forced to resign because of a recruiting scandal, Morriss was named interim head coach at Kentucky, and shortly after, he earned the permanent position. He led the Wildcats to an impressive 7–5 season in 2002, highlighted by a thrilling almost upset against highly ranked LSU who won on a last second "Hail Mary" touchdown. His success at Kentucky earned him the head coaching job at Baylor University, where he guided the program from 2003 to 2007.

His love for the Bluegrass State brought him back in 2008 to an assistant coaching job at Kentucky State University, He landed the head coaching job at Texas A&M - Commerce in 2009, a position he held before stepping down in 2012. He ended his coaching career back in his adopted state of Kentucky with stints at Warren Central High School (Bowling Green) and Lexington Christian Academy.

In his later years, Morriss publicly battled Alzheimer’s disease with courage, becoming a symbol of strength for many in the football community. Guy Morriss passed away on September 5, 2022 at the age of 71.

Profile photo UK Athletics. 1978 Topps Trading Card. Biography by John T. Broome.