Jon Morris, the center the Green Bay Packers selected in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft, has died at age 84 after a long battle with dementia.
The Packers took Morris with the 27th overall pick that year, ahead of the Boston Patriots, who chose him in the fourth round of the AFL Draft. Morris, a standout at Holy Cross, instead signed with the Patriots after talking with coach Mike Holovak. He wanted an immediate starting job and liked the idea of Boston, where he also considered law school.
“I was 22, and Boston was a lively town, and I felt comfortable there,” Morris once said. “Green Bay seemed dead outside football.”
Vince Lombardi had offered him a two-year, no-cut contract and indicated that starting center Jim Ringo would not block his path. The Packers went on to win multiple championships, including the first two Super Bowls, while Morris began his career in the AFL.
Morris spent 11 seasons with the Patriots from 1964 to 1974. He appeared in 130 games and started 125 of them, anchoring the offensive line during the franchise’s early years. He earned six consecutive AFL All-Star selections from 1964 through 1969 and became the first Patriots player selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in 1970.
In 1966 he received first-team All-AFL honors. He was later named to the AFL’s all-time second team. His blocking helped fullback Jim Nance score a team-record 45 rushing touchdowns between 1965 and 1971.
A knee injury limited Morris late in his Patriots tenure. The team traded him to the Detroit Lions in 1975. He started all 42 games over three seasons in Detroit and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1977. He finished his career with the Chicago Bears in 1978, playing in 10 games as a backup.
Across 15 professional seasons, Morris appeared in 182 games and started 167. After retiring in January 1979, he worked as a color commentator on Patriots radio broadcasts from 1979 to 1987 and later served as an NFL analyst for NBC.
The Patriots inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2011. He was also named to the franchise’s All-1960s team and its 35th- and 50th-anniversary teams.
“Jon Morris was one of the great players who helped build the foundation of our franchise,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement released via the team. “For generations of Patriots fans, he represented the toughness, dedication and pride of those early teams.
“It meant so much to me to call Jon in 2011 and tell him he had been selected to our Hall of Fame, ensuring that his contributions would always be remembered. On behalf of our family and the entire Patriots organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jon’s family, friends and former teammates.”
Morris was born April 5, 1942, in Washington, D.C. He attended Gonzaga College High School before starring at Holy Cross, where he served as a team captain and earned All-East honors. He died Oct. 15, 2026, in Meredith, New Hampshire.
From the Packers’ perspective, Morris represented a high draft selection who chose another path during the team’s dynasty years under Lombardi. His consistent production and seven league All-Star honors elsewhere underscored the talent Green Bay identified but never landed on the field.
The Morris family will hold private services.
