Teddy Morris Explained

Teddy Morris
Birth Date:1910 3, mf=yes
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Date: (aged 55)
Death Place:Malton, Ontario, Canada[1]
Position1:Running back
Position2:Flying wing
College:Toronto
Coaching Years1:1940–1941
Coaching Team1:Toronto Argonauts (assistant)
Coaching Years2:1942–1944
Coaching Team2:HMCS York Navy team
Coaching Years3:1945–1949
Coaching Team3:Toronto Argonauts
Coaching Years4:1960
Coaching Team4:Toronto Argonauts
Playing Years1:1931–1939
Playing Team1:Toronto Argonauts
Career Highlights:
As player:
As coach:
Honors:
Cfhof:allan-teddy-morris
Cfhofyear:1965

Allan Byron (Teddy) Morris (March 1910[2] – September 5, 1965[3]) was a Canadian Football Hall of Fame player and coach for the Toronto Argonauts.

Morris began playing Canadian football with Toronto playground teams and moved on to the Winnipeg Native Sons junior football team. Upon his return to Toronto he joined the Argonauts junior squad and quickly earned a spot on the senior team. He was a star player for the Argonauts for nine years and was named All-Eastern running back three times and flying wing twice and named the 1937 Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy winner as the player who best exemplified skill, sportsmanship, and courage in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union.[4]

Morris' recovery of an Argonauts' punt blocked by Winnipeg's Bud Marquardt in the 25th Grey Cup is often cited as the first of the fabled "Argos Bounces" as it bounced off the field and right into Morris' hands preventing a Blue Bomber possession deep in Argos territory.[5] [6]

In 1940, the year following his last game as a player, Morris began as a backfield coach for the Argonauts then, during IRFU's break from playing during the Second World War, coached HMCS York's football team, and upon IRFU's return to play in 1945, became Argonauts head coach earning three consecutive Grey Cups from 1945 to 1947 and respect from fans and players alike.[7] Morris briefly returned to the Argonauts in 1960 as assistant coach to Lou Agase, having been brought in to help the American acclimatize to Canadian football.

Awards, honours, and records

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Running into history. Stewart. John. 2008-03-24. MississaugaBlogs.com. 2008-06-07. on the Sixth Line in Malton … sheep farm was located behind a store on Sixth Line … who owned the place … Alan Byron Morris, better known as Teddy Morris..
  2. Book: 1911 Census of Canada. Government of Canada. Ontario / Toronto East / 43 Toronto / page 10 / Line 48.
  3. News: Teddy Morris Dies. https://web.archive.org/web/20110525012640/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/182684082.html?dids=182684082:182684082&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=SEP+06,+1965&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Teddy+Morris+Dies&pqatl=google. dead. May 25, 2011. 1965-09-06. The Washington Post. D1. 2008-06-01.
  4. Web site: Teddy Morris. Hall of Famers. Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum. 2008-05-31.
  5. Web site: 1937 – Toronto Argonauts 4, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3. Grey Cup History. CFL.ca. 2008-07-17.
  6. News: Grey Cup returns to its roots. Bell-Webster. Josh. 2007-11-05. CFL.ca. 2008-06-07.
  7. News: Allan B. Morris. 1965-09-06. New York Times. 2008-06-07. Allan Byron (Teddy) Morris, who starred at Canadian football for Toronto Argonauts and later coached them to three successive Grey Cup championships died of a heart attack today at his farm home near here (Toronto)….
  8. Web site: The Teddy Morris Memorial Trophy. Ontario Football Conference. 2008-07-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20050106061000/http://www.ofcfootball.com/english/docs/0/1114/1117.asp. 2005-01-06.
  9. Web site: Championship All-Stars. Canadian Interuniversity Sport. 2008-11-21. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080916101527/http://www.vaniercup.ca/page/championship-all-stars. 2008-09-16.
  10. Book: Canadian Football League 2007 Facts, Figures & Records. Canadian Football League. 276. 978-0-9739425-2-1.
  11. Web site: Ted Morris. Honoured members profile. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. 2008-06-08.