Catcher on the Fly Remarks Like This Go to the Heart of What Morris Loves About Football
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SPORTS lazzo picked up one of their all-league linebackers and just stoned him, face to face—stopped him dead. Nick is five feet four—it was a great block; without it, Neil might not have gotten the pass off.” Catcher on the Fly Remarks like this go to the heart of what Morris loves about football. “It’s so Carl Morris is Harvard’s (perhaps the Ivy’s) finest pass receiver—ever. team oriented,” he says. “One person can’t do anything in football. If one thing breaks down, then the whole play comes apart.” Morris, on the other Toying with the pigskin, Carl Morris sits in an unaccustomed hand, makes plays come perch: the Harvard Stadium together. Last year’s Ivy grandstand. He’d like another League Player of the Year, Ivy championship ring to go Carl Morris is surely the with last season’s. greatest pass catcher in Harvard history. Going into his senior year, he al- ready holds eight of Har- vard’s nine major receiving records, including season (71) and career (155) recep- tions; season (993) and ca- reer (2,200) yards; and touchdown catches, again for both season (12) and ca- reer (20). The Sports Net- work named him the num- ber-one wide receiver in all of Division I-AA; he’s also a First Team Preseason All- American and has been se- lected for the East-West Shrine Game, to be held in San Francisco in January 2003. “He is, by far, the best player in our league,” says The game’s turning point — head football coach Tim and per- him. “I caught him out of the corner of my Murphy. “Carl is a ‘once-in-every-20- haps the play that locked up last year’s Ivy eye,” Morris says. “I thought, just duck.” years’ athlete.” football title—came with 6:57 left in the Morris did more than duck; showing Any wide-out who does so much dam- third period against Pennsylvania. That spectacular body control, he virtually age inevitably attracts double-teams and day, Harvard and Penn had something im- stopped on a dime in mid stride, letting even triple coverage. Morris shrugs this portant to settle in the Stadium, since Faulk go hurtling past him out of bounds. off: “Double-teaming opens up our run- both entered with 7-0 records. With the Somehow keeping his balance, Morris ning game and gives the other receivers score tied 14-14, Crimson quarterback Neil then reversed field and loped untouched opportunities to have a big day,” he says. Rose ’02 (’03) lofted a pass 30 yards in the into the end zone to complete a 62-yard He points out that after the best game of air to wide receiver Carl Morris ’03. But scoring play. The touchdown broke open his career—against Brown as a sopho- the ball was overthrown and, to catch up the game; Harvard led the rest of the way more, when he snaffled 10 passes for 220 to it, “I had to get on my horse,” Morris re- in a 28-21 victory. yards, a Harvard record—the next week calls. With a mighty sprint and out- Typically, though, Morris points out he had only one reception against Lafa- stretched arms, hands, and fingers, Mor- something that happened before Rose yette, for three yards. “We won both ris, falling forward, reeled in the toss near threw the ball as essential to the play’s games,” Morris says. “It really doesn’t the opponents’ sideline as Penn defensive success. “Neil was getting blitzed heavi- matter to me—10 catches or one catch.” back Stephen Faulk charged across at ly,” Morris says. “But [tailback] Nick Pa- The veritas shield tattooed on his upper 82 September - October 2002 Photograph by Tracy Powell Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For copyright and reprint information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746. left arm suggests that he means it. place,” says Mills, chuckling. More impor- trumped blood. “Sometimes Mike and I Another play last fall, against Dart- tant, Morris exploits his jumping ability went one-on-one in practice,” Morris mouth, deeply impressed Murphy. The on the gridiron. Last fall, at the goal line says, shaking his head and grinning. “I play was a “fade ball”—a pass to the side- against Brown, Harvard had called for a had to make him look bad.” line between the cornerback and safety— running play but Morris, who’d noticed a This fall, count on Morris doing the that was overthrown and too high. Mor- five-foot, six-inch cornerback, suggested same to Ivy League defenders. Harvard’s ris leaped and snared the football in the going at that defender instead with a lofty offense is largely intact, with Rose re- air, knowing he was about to be whacked. pass. Result: another Morris touchdown. turning at quarterback and tailback Nick Sure enough, “The Dartmouth safety hit In addition to good foot speed, “He’s Palazzo ’03 again running the ball, both him as hard as a football player can get got a gear you can’t measure when you working behind a familiar offensive line. hit,” says Murphy. “But Carl popped up time him in a 40-yard dash,” says Murphy. Receivers Rodney Burns ’05, Kyle Cre- off the ground so fast—and then patted Mills adds, “Before I coached Carl, I didn’t marosa ’03 (’04) and Sean Meeker ’03 will the helmet of the guy who had drilled see a difference between speed and foot- provide more targets for Rose. On de- him. That play told me that this kid is a ball speed. I’ve seen him pull away from fense, the secondary has several new can’t-miss at the NFL level.” Morris re- guys who would beat him in a footrace. faces, though the line is experienced. members that hit: the two players clashed He’s got a nose for the goal line and his Two-time all-Ivy selection Dante Bales- face masks in mid-air and Morris had x- heart propels him faster to get there. tracci ’04 will anchor the linebackers. rays the following week (negative) due to When he has a chance to get into the end And at crunch time, look downfield for swelling of his neck and jaw. “You’ve got zone, I’ve never seen him caught.” Carl Morris. “The best feeling for me to like pain,” he explains with a smile. But “the most impressive thing about comes in a tight game, a close game where “There are guys who are bigger, faster, Carl is that he is a tireless worker,” Mills it’s going back and forth,” Morris says. stronger, and everyone can hit pretty continues. “He is driven to achieve any and “There’s a play coming up that can turn well. You can’t show them any pain.” all goals he sets for himself. He has an out- the game around. Everyone’s all tense. To quarterback Neil Rose, Morris is standing character, an insatiable appetite That’s when I sit back, relax, and get my “the most complete player out there. Carl for greatness.” Ordinarily, Morris stays late chance to really be in the moment.” And, may not be the tallest, the fastest, or the at practice; he admires the great NFL re- quite often, in the end zone as well. guy with the stickiest hands, but he does ceiver Jerry Rice for his achievements and craig lambert everything well. He breaks open plays after for the fact that “No one ever finished a he catches the ball. Carl makes me a bet- workout with him. Even in the prime of ter quarterback.” Morris also helps run- his career, he worked harder than anyone.” Historic Henley ning backs because, as Rose notes, he “can Morris plans on an NFL career himself, crush people.” The best blocking receiver and is likely to have one. Scouts and Even given the storied history of Har- in the league, Morris admits that a good agents have already expressed strong in- vard crew, it was an unprecedented day. downfield block is one of his favorite terest, although the pros are a rare desti- On Sunday, July 7, the final day of the things to inflict. “I don’t get many of nation for someone who started playing Henley Royal Regatta in Henley, Eng- them,” he says. ”So I try to take full ad- football in eleventh grade. Morris grew land, Harvard won three titles. The vantage of the ones I get.” The man can up outside Washington, D.C., the son of Crimson varsity captured the Ladies’ also throw the pigskin: last fall, Morris Vern and Jane Morris. His British mother Plate—Henley’s number-two interna- completed two passes, a 43-yarder against met his American father in Italy while the tional eights race—by 2³⁄₄ lengths over Princeton and a 35-yard touchdown pass latter was on duty with the U.S. Air London’s Molesey. Coach Bill Manning’s that triggered a second-half comeback Force. Partly due to his mom’s English freshmen took the Temple Cup by against Dartmouth. (Seventeen seconds heritage, their son played soccer; he three-quarters of a length over Oxford afterwards, Morris hauled in a 32-yard moved to the gridiron only after years on Brookes University. In the coxed-four touchdown pass.) the pitch as a high-scoring center for- Britannia Cup, Harvard split its JV eight Such athletic versatility starts with ward. At the private Episcopal High into “A” and “B” fours, who defeated all some natural gifts.