Standing at an intimidating 5’7” and 195 pounds, Joe Morris was too busy anchoring the Giants’ rushing attack than worrying about how he sized up against his counterparts.
A pickup from Syracuse in 1982, Morris began getting some real playing time in 1984 and shortly after became the team’s starting running back. He parlayed that into an incredible 1985 and ’86 campaign where he had back-to-back 1,000 rushing yard seasons and 21 and 15 touchdowns in ’85 and ’86 respectively.
The 1986 playoffs saw Morris at this combative best. In the Divisional Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, Morris ran for a staggering 159 yards and two touchdowns in New York’s 49-3 romp of Joe Montana‘s golden boys. He would help out the cause as well in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, where he scored a touchdown in each game.
Morris was given the ball 29 times in that NFC Championship against the Washington Redskins as part of the Giants’ strategy to counter the harsh, windy conditions that plagued Giants Stadium that night. He did not disappoint, rushing for 87 yards and his one rushing touchdown was the second and final touchdown New York would score in their 17-0 triumph.
After a strike-shortened 1987 campaign, Morris picked up another 1,000 yard rushing season in 1988. A foot injury before the ’89 season caused Morris to leave his rushing days behind him in New York, but his departure opened the door for another Giants running back, Ottis Anderson.