Syracuse to retire Jersey of Joe Morris

[NJCuse97]

And has been mentioned, great guy. He said something to me one day that helped me avoid a problem with other players. Don't need to expand on that, but it speaks volumes to his character as a person.

Well now I’m curious!

 

[Crusty]

Someone please explain to me why this took so long!
Geez.
Well deserved Joe. Congrats.

 

[OrangePA]

I have been watching Syracuse football games since 1973. Joe is the best RB Syracuse has had since I have been watching, by a large margin.

It is a shame he got hurt running into the sideline wall in the Dome. He was still terrific after that but never quite the same.

They added pads to those walks because of his injury. They remain there to this day.

Anyway, I agree, this honor is well overdue. Congratulations Joe!

Joe Morris was a unique talent.

Few seem to recall just how good he was at the next level - he was an All-Pro RB for a Super Bowl Champion.

He and Jim Nance might be two of the most underrated professional backs in the history of the game.

I have said that Walter Reyes was the best Orange back I ever saw in the Carrier Dome. Your post has me thinking it through again though Joe only played in the Dome for a limited number of games.

Whatever.

He was truly great and most deserving of this honor.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Joe Morris was a unique talent.

Few seem to recall just how good he was at the next level - he was an All-Pro RB for a Super Bowl Champion.

He and Jim Nance might be two of the most underrated professional backs in the history of the game.

I have said that Walter Reyes was the best Orange back I ever saw in the Carrier Dome. Your post has me thinking it through again though Joe only played in the Dome for a limited number of games.

Whatever.

He was truly great and most deserving of this honor.

No question the Giants don’t win in ‘86 without Lil Joe.

That teams offense was built on the OL, with Simms, Morris and Bavaro getting the glory off their backs.

Damn strike ruined everything...

 

[All4SU]

It’s really a shame he didn’t want to wear #44. At that time, being able to keep the tradition alive might have accelerated SU’s return to prominence, and #44 might still be in play today.

 

[All4SU]

I can still see it like it was yesterday. Those lousy Northwestern tomato cans parted like the Red Sea as Joe ran through their sideline and into the wall. He would have broken 5,000 career yards if it weren't for that injury.

I would have sworn it was against Temple.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Joe Morris, Art Monk and Bill Hurley turned around the program from the true abyss. All-time greats.

 

[capt.cuse]

Joe Morris, Art Monk and Bill Hurley turned around the program from the true abyss. All-time greats.

I totally agree with you. What a shame that the '79 team didn't play their home games in Syracuse. Their offence was one of the best i have seen in my 50 years of bleeding Orange. Definitely the most fun to watch.It is mind boggling thinking what Joe would have done if he would have been on the '87 team. He was amazing.

 

[MSOrange]

I started following football during the Tim Green years so Joe was a bit before my time. I remember watching him for the Giants though and knew he was an alum but didn't understand at the time how good he was at Syracuse. Glad he is finally being honored.

 

[OrangeAl]

I would have sworn it was against Temple.

No, but we had other problems in the Dome with Temple players in the '80's.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Joe was always a great guy- unassuming, quiet, very humble.
I remember Art Monk moving out of the backfield & switching to WR to make room for Joe at RB.
As a sophomore once, I hawked cheap beer at the Dome & Joe scored a coupla TD's - don't remember who we were playing. Coincidence? I think not!
And then of course, he gets drafted by my NY Football Jints! Every time he'd come into a game he made something happen, and finally he beat out that stiff, Butch Woolfork of Michigan, and became the MAN in the SuperBowl winning backfield.
On the Yard at the Cuse, we'd never call Joe "Lil Joe"- one got the sense he didn't like that. We nicknamed him "Kingpin" after the Spiderman villain cause he was built just like him.
First time we called him that to his face- he just smiled...and we knew he liked it. Congrats, Joe!!

 

[All4SU]

Joe Morris almost got my finger broken.

It was the Dome opener against Miami, OH. In those days, the coaches - both home and away - had Spots in the private boxes rather than the cubbies up at the top of the Dome. My seats were in the last row of the first level, directly below the Miami OH coaches’ box. My friend and I stood on our bench seats the entire game, yelling and waving our arms.

Miami scores a TD and the coaches were hooting and hollering. Apparently my friend decided to flip them the bird. Miami kicks off after their TD, and Joe Morris takes the kickoff to the house for a TD. We’re jumping up and down, and a Miami coach leans over the wall and grabs my hand by the middle finger - I had not been flipping them off, honestly - and yells at me, “You do that again and I’ll break it off!”

It was a Dome highlight!

 

[NJCuse97]

Joe Morris almost got my finger broken.

It was the Dome opener against Miami, OH. In those days, the coaches - both home and away - had Spots in the private boxes rather than the cubbies up at the top of the Dome. My seats were in the last row of the first level, directly below the Miami OH coaches’ box. My friend and I stood on our bench seats the entire game, yelling and waving our arms.

Miami scores a TD and the coaches were hooting and hollering. Apparently my friend decided to flip them the bird. Miami kicks off after their TD, and Joe Morris takes the kickoff to the house for a TD. We’re jumping up and down, and a Miami coach leans over the wall and grabs my hand by the middle finger - I had not been flipping them off, honestly - and yells at me, “You do that again and I’ll break it off!”

It was a Dome highlight!

Love this story! I have a similar hoops tale for another day.

 

[HtownOrange]

Joe Morris could start east and cut back west (and vice versa) better than anybody else I have seen. I remember him running through linebackers that could only watch blow by because they were running in the wrong direction.

I forgot about Art Monk moving to WR making room for JM. Seems to me that Monk made the most of it.

Have you ever noticed how many of our greats are also guys with great character? They made their statements on the field as opposed to the self-hyped punks many other schools pack their teams with. Just an observation and, yes, I know our guys are human, they just better character. Makes me think HCDB is deeper into SU football than most people realize.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[All4SU]

One of a kind.

I remember him running hard, and getting shoved out of bounds, and running right into the concrete wall of the Dome. (Injuring his shoulder.) After that, they put pads on the walls. You would think someone would have thought of that beforehand.

 

[CuseGrad94]

Little Joe is why I'm a Giants fan

still an all time fave

100% me too. I had always been a Broncos fan because they were Orange and Blue, but when Joe went to the Giants, instantly became a fan and they have been my favorite team ever since. I remember going the PITT game when I was a kid and chanted we want Joe as he had a shoulder injury and couldnt plany. I couldn't have been more than 10. I had a shrine in my bedroom to him. I had posters, cutout articles from the Herald Journal hung on the wall and I took neon glow stick type material and wrote out Joe Morris on a big piece a of paper and taped it to my wall. Every night I went to bed wanting to be the starting RB for SU and the Giants. Then I realized as you get older that you need some talent too...LOL

 

[Ringostar57]

About time! Long overdue.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Ok - so is retiring a jersey different from retiring a number? So other kids can be #47 but his jersey will be hung from the rafters? Unless a kid with the last name Morris signs with SU, then they say sorry kid, #47 is not an option- that jersey is retired

 

[721Comstock]

Joe Morris could start east and cut back west (and vice versa) better than anybody else I have seen. I remember him running through linebackers that could only watch blow by because they were running in the wrong direction.

I forgot about Art Monk moving to WR making room for JM. Seems to me that Monk made the most of it.

Have you ever noticed how many of our greats are also guys with great character? They made their statements on the field as opposed to the self-hyped punks many other schools pack their teams with. Just an observation and, yes, I know our guys are human, they just better character. Makes me think HCDB is deeper into SU football than most people realize.

Art Monk played WR like he was still a RB.
He almost never stepped out of bounds, he’d always look for more yardage and to lay a pop onto the DB.

Class acts.

I’m a HUGE Joe Morris fan from my GMen fandom, which became rabid during the 80’s in large part due to his efforts.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Ok - so is retiring a jersey different from retiring a number? So other kids can be #47 but his jersey will be hung from the rafters? Unless a kid with the last name Morris signs with SU, then they say sorry kid, #47 is not an option- that jersey is retired

Players can still wear it. At least they do in basketball anyway. Sherman Douglas had his jersey retired but Tyler Lydon still wore #20. Seikaly's #4 is retired, but will be worn by Elijiah Hughes. I assume the same is true with football.

EDIT: I just remembered that McNabb's 5 is worn by Butler, so I guess it pertains to football as well.

 

[kuethstheman]

Joe's signature run was the sprint draw. The Orangemen ran that over and over, but it always seemed to work for Joe. Great straight line speed and a lot of power for a back his size.

And speaking of his size, Joe always said, "I'm short, but I'm not small."

Anyone who ever saw Joe without pads can attest. He was a weight-room giant, huge chest, shoulders and thighs. Think he might have had the highest squat on the team.

And has been mentioned, great guy. He said something to me one day that helped me avoid a problem with other players. Don't need to expand on that, but it speaks volumes to his character as a person.

Hard to imagine a guy who is more richly deserving of this honor.

Your mention of the sprint draw reminds me. I was really hyped for Joe's first game with the Giants so I made sure to watch. He finally gets in and they run a play for him. For a moment, he must have thought he was at SU and the play was a sprint draw but that wasn't in the Giants' playbook. Joe stands right where he lined up waiting for the QB to drop and give it to him, the QB is waiting for Joe come get the ball and hit the hole. Joe eventually gets the ball and is gang-tackled before taking a step. Wasn't a great start but he had a great career there.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Ok - so is retiring a jersey different from retiring a number? So other kids can be #47 but his jersey will be hung from the rafters? Unless a kid with the last name Morris signs with SU, then they say sorry kid, #47 is not an option- that jersey is retired

Different. #47 is still in play. As is #5, #9, #39, and #88.