Stanley Morgan deserves to be in Canton!
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| Photo courtesy of NFL.com |
The stats listed in Borges' article truly speak volumes. Allow me to rattle off a few:
- Averaged 22.6 yards per catch in his first six seasons. Five yards more than Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
- 38 100-yard receiving games ranking him fourth all-time. Three receivers before him are all in the Hall
- Retired with 557 catches for 10,716 yards
After reading this article, I was still left yearning to learn more about what made Stanley Morgan such a great player. After going through my list of sources and making phone calls, I was able to secure an interview with someone that played with Morgan. I had the luxury of sitting down with former Patriots running back and teammate of Morgan's, Robert Weathers. Yes we are of relation!
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| Photo courtesy of BST&N |
Q&A with Robert Weathers
1.) What kind of player was Stanley Morgan?
Robert Weathers: Stanley was an electric athlete with so much speed. His ability to run routes with precision gave defensive backs nightmares for years. There were very few balls that Stanley couldn't catch. Morgan was a student of the game and could line up for his pre-snap reads and see things before the quarterback did. He played the position better than most during his era.
2.) What was it like having Stanley Morgan as a teammate?
Robert Weathers: Stanley always had a reserved and calm demeanor. Most of the time he kept to himself. However, when Stanley spoke the locker room listened. Don't get me wrong, Stanley contributed to the fun in the locker room from time to time. It was an honor to call him my teammate and was great to have in the huddle.
3.) According to Ron Borges, he feels that Stanley Morgan has been snubbed for hall of fame candidacy because today's voters never had the opportunity to watch him play. Why do you think Stanley has not made it into the hall?
Robert Weathers: Ron's arguments are spot on. If they truly had the opportunity to watch Morgan, they would see his greatness. Back in the days of when Morgan played, defensive backs had the ability to pressure you, put their hands on receivers in an attempt to deny you the ball. Receivers today can't be touched without there being a flag. I often found myself in awe watching Stanley go to work for several seasons.
4.) What player today reminds you of Stanley Morgan and why?
Robert Weathers: The two guys that come to mind are Cardinals receiver, Larry Fitzgerald and Falcons receiver, Roddy White. These two receivers run routes with precision and are very tactical. No knock to elite big wide receivers like Calvin Johnson & Demaryius Thomas, but Morgan was not blessed with size and the ability to climb the ladder to get balls. Morgan had to use speed and shiftiness to his advantage.
5.) What was your most memorable moment of Stanley Morgan?
Robert Weathers: I remember against the Jets (I believe), Steve Grogan threw a bomb to Morgan that looked to be overthrown. However, the speedy Morgan somehow someway reached out and made the catch with his fingertips. I thought to myself, wow, this guy is amazing. I will never forget this moment because at that moment I realize that I was playing in the big league with athletic players like Stanley.
Another memorable moment was watching him and Mike Haynes go at it during practices. It was like watching synchronizing swimming with each player matching every action, every cut, almost as if they knew what the other person was going to do.
Like Ron Borges, Weathers feels that Stanley Morgan has been long overdue for his call to the Hall. So listen up voters,go to the NFL films archive and study game footage of Stanley Morgan and be prepared to watch a player worthy of Canton Ohio.
I would like to say thank you to Robert Weathers for taking time out of his busy schedule.
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