Ex-Kentucky and Baylor head football coach and veteran NFL player Guy Morriss passed away on Monday after having a long battle with a neurological disease. He was 71 years old. Read on to know how did Guy Morriss die, what disease he had, and what was the cause of his death.
Prior to his coaching stint, Morriss played center for 15 seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Morriss started 173 of his 217 career games. He coached at Kentucky from 2001-02 and at Baylor from 2003-07.
How did Guy Morriss die?
Guy Morriss died on Monday, September 5, 2022, in Danville after having a six-year-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The unfortunate news of Morriss’ death was first reported by Dick Gabriel of Lexington’s WLAP-AM and later got confirmed by a UK Athletics spokeswoman.
Following the emergence of the news, Kentucky Direct of Athletics Mitch Barnhart paid tribute to Morriss. “He was both liked and respected by the players, who responded to his fair, no-nonsense approach with their best efforts,” he said.
He adds: “His six years in the UK feature some of the best players and most exciting moments in our history. He will be deeply missed and our condolences are with (wife) Jackie, their children, family, and friends.”
Ex-NFL Player & Coach Guy Morriss dead: What was the cause of his death?
Guy Morriss died of Alzheimer’s disease. He was diagnosed with the severe neurological condition that destroys memory and affects critical mental functions in 2016. He made the diagnosis public in a 2017 interview with WKYT where he acknowledged that the condition is likely fatal for him but he’s positive about the treatment.
“The prognosis of beating it is not gonna be there for me,” said Morriss in the interview. “We’ve all kind of accepted it. The prognosis of beating it is not gonna be there for me,” he added.
Guy Morriss was a legend in the NFL both as a Player & a Coach
Guy W. Morriss was born on May 13, 1951, in Colorado City, Texas. He attended Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas, where earned a scholarship to Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Morriss played for the TCU college football team all four years and earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 1973. He became a second-round NFL draft pick in the 1973 season where he played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973 to 1983.
After that, he played for the New England Patriots from 1984 to 1987. Morriss started 173 of his 217 career games including the Super Bowl XV game for the Eagles. He later became the head coach at Kentucky from 2001 to 2002, and then coached Baylor for five seasons, from 2003 to 2007. Morriss compiled a 9-14 record with the Wildcats and an 18-40 with the Bear.
He also worked as an offensive line coach with the Patriots in 1988 and1989, and Arizona Cardianls in 1994 in the NFL. Morriss was also the head coach at Texas A&M Commerce from 2009 to 2012.
Guy Morriss is survived by his Wife, Daughters, and Grandchildren
Guy Morriss is survived by his wife Jackie Morriss, and their four daughters, Colleen, Kerry, Savannah, and Austin. He is also survived by his five grandchildren.
The NFL universe is paying tribute to the deceased ever since the news broke. Morriss will forever be remembered as a humble yet aggressive leader on the field. Our heart goes out to his family. May God let the departed soul rest in peace.