Bam Morris
Encyclopedia
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football
running back
who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Chicago Bears
, Baltimore Ravens
, and the Kansas City Chiefs
.
where he won the 1993 Doak Walker Award
as the top running back in college football
. Among other accomplishments while playing for the Red Raiders
, Morris was ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game in 1993. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 91st overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft
(3rd round). His older brother Ron Morris
played for the Chicago Bears
and collegiately at Southern Methodist University
(SMU). Their older brother J.C. Morris played college football at Texas Christian University
(TCU).
s during 75 games. He also caught 103 passes for 790 yards and one touchdown. He played for the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX
, gaining 73 yards on 19 carries. He wore uniform number 33 for the Steelers.
possession of marijuana in a plea bargain
deal in front of a Rockwall County, Texas
judge.
Police testified that they found 4 kilograms of marijuana and one gram of cocaine
in his car during a traffic stop. He was fined $7,000 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service and six years probation.
He was cut by the Steelers after the guilty plea and signed as a free agent
with the Baltimore Ravens. He wore uniform number 33 as a Raven. After two seasons, both marked with suspensions concerning the NFL's substance abuse policy, Morris was released. He signed with the Chicago Bears the following year, but was cut after playing in only 2 regular season games. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He wore uniform number 39 as a Chief.
Morris pleaded guilty in August 2000 to two counts of federal drug trafficking and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. As part of the plea bargain, Morris admitted to distributing 100 kilograms of marijuana in the Kansas City area between 1998 and 2000.
On September 10, 2001, Morris was convicted of violating his parole stemming from his 1996 plea bargain and sentenced to 10 years in a Texas prison. He was released early on July 31, 2004.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, and the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
Early life
Morris attended Texas TechTexas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
where he won the 1993 Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
as the top running back in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. Among other accomplishments while playing for the Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
, Morris was ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game in 1993. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 91st overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
(3rd round). His older brother Ron Morris
Ron Morris (American football)
Ronald Wayne "Ron" Morris is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played six seasons for the Chicago Bears...
played for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and collegiately at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
(SMU). Their older brother J.C. Morris played college football at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(TCU).
Professional career
During his NFL career, he recorded 3,809 yards on 974 attempts and scored 35 touchdownTouchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s during 75 games. He also caught 103 passes for 790 yards and one touchdown. He played for the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
, gaining 73 yards on 19 carries. He wore uniform number 33 for the Steelers.
Off-field issues
Morris has become more well known for his off-field legal troubles than his football prowess. On June 27, 1996, Morris pleaded guilty to felonyFelony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
possession of marijuana in a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
deal in front of a Rockwall County, Texas
Rockwall County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,080 people, 14,530 households, and 11,972 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 15,351 housing units at an average density of 119 per square mile...
judge.
Police testified that they found 4 kilograms of marijuana and one gram of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
in his car during a traffic stop. He was fined $7,000 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service and six years probation.
He was cut by the Steelers after the guilty plea and signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Baltimore Ravens. He wore uniform number 33 as a Raven. After two seasons, both marked with suspensions concerning the NFL's substance abuse policy, Morris was released. He signed with the Chicago Bears the following year, but was cut after playing in only 2 regular season games. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He wore uniform number 39 as a Chief.
Morris pleaded guilty in August 2000 to two counts of federal drug trafficking and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. As part of the plea bargain, Morris admitted to distributing 100 kilograms of marijuana in the Kansas City area between 1998 and 2000.
On September 10, 2001, Morris was convicted of violating his parole stemming from his 1996 plea bargain and sentenced to 10 years in a Texas prison. He was released early on July 31, 2004.