Johnnie Morton
No. 87, 80, 84 | |||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Born: | Torrance, California, U.S. | October 7, 1971||||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
Weight: | 193 lb (88 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | South (Torrance) | ||||
College: | USC | ||||
NFL draft: | 1994 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21 | ||||
Career history | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Johnnie James Morton, Jr. (born October 7, 1971) is a former
Early years
Morton was born in
College career
While attending the University of Southern California, Morton played for the
Professional career
Detroit selected Morton in the first round (21st overall pick) of the 1994 NFL Draft, and he played for the Lions from 1994 to 2001.[1] He would go on to achieve an important secondary role on a deep Lions' receiving corps that also featured Pro Bowl flanker Herman Moore and veteran Brett Perriman. After learning the ropes as a rookie in 1994, Morton became Detroit's featured slot receiver in 1995 and a key contributor on special teams as a kickoff/punt returner. Morton was part of one of the most prolific offenses in Detroit history that year, as the Lions would rack up 436 total points (second highest in the NFL) and end up with ten victories - appearing in the playoffs for the third straight season. He contributed 44 receptions on that team for 590 yards and 8 touchdowns. Perhaps his most memorable game occurred that same season during a classic Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit against the Minnesota Vikings. Moore (127 yards), Perriman (153), and Johnnie Morton (102) all eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark, and Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders rushed for 138 yards, and quarterback Scott Mitchell passed for 410 yards in a 44-38 Lions' shootout victory.
After the departure of Perriman, Morton became more of a featured receiver in Detroit's offense in the ensuing years. His best season statistically was during the 1999 season when he had 80 receptions for 1129 yards on a surprising Lions team that made the playoffs that year, despite the unexpected retirement of Barry Sanders. All told, Morton finished his pro career with 624 receptions for 8719 yards and 43 touchdowns. He currently ranks third on Detroit's all-time list in both receptions and yards-receiving, with 469 and 6,499, respectively.
NFL career statistics
Receiving Stats[2]
Year | Team | GP | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | DET | 14 | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
1995 | DET | 16 | 44 | 590 | 13.4 | 32 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
1996 | DET | 16 | 55 | 714 | 13.0 | 62 | 6 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
1997 | DET | 16 | 80 | 1,057 | 13.2 | 73 | 6 | 51 | 2 | 0 |
1998 | DET | 16 | 69 | 1,028 | 14.9 | 98 | 2 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
1999 | DET | 16 | 80 | 1,129 | 14.1 | 48 | 5 | 52 | 0 | 0 |
2000 | DET | 16 | 61 | 788 | 12.9 | 42 | 3 | 40 | 1 | 1 |
2001 | DET | 16 | 77 | 1,154 | 15.0 | 76 | 4 | 58 | 1 | 1 |
2002 | KC | 14 | 29 | 397 | 13.7 | 30 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
2003 | KC | 16 | 50 | 740 | 14.8 | 50 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
2004 | KC | 13 | 55 | 795 | 14.5 | 52 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 1 |
2005 | SF | 13 | 21 | 288 | 13.7 | 30 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 182 | 624 | 8,719 | 14.0 | 98 | 43 | 424 | 6 | 4 |
Personal life
Morton's older half-brother, Michael Morton, played at UNLV and younger brother, Chad Morton played at USC.[3] The Morton family is of African American and Japanese ethnicity.[4]
Morton had a brief cameo appearance in the movie Jerry Maguire[5] and the television series Moesha.[6]
During the 2001 season, comedian Jay Leno had been poking fun at the Lions' 0-12 record.[7] After the Lions won their first game of the season 27-24 over the Minnesota Vikings, Morton announced that he wanted Leno to "kiss my ass." The following week, Morton appeared as a guest on Leno's Tonight Show.[8]
Mixed martial arts record
1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
By knockout | 0 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Bernard Ackah | KO (punch) | K-1 Dynamite!! USA
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June 2, 2007 | 1 | 0:38 | Los Angeles, California , United States
|
Catchweight (213 lbs) bout. Morton tested positive for elevated testosterone levels.[9] |
See also
References
- ^ "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ "Johnnie Morton Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ Norwood, Robyn (November 16, 1999). "The Morton Chronicles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Gustkey, Earl (December 1, 2023). "They Get Great Reception". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Jenkins, Lee (May 22, 2007). "No Helmet, No Pads, No Escape". New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Payton, Mike (April 11, 2017). "The Roaring 20s: A look back at every draft pick the Lions have made from 20 to 29". SB Nation. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Lage, Larry (November 19, 2008). "Lions have shot to make dubious history at 0-16". Holland Sentinel. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "Leno turns other cheek to Lions". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. December 17, 2001. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "Morton Tests Positive for Steroids".