It has been more than three years since Maurice Morris opened a game as the Seahawks’ lone running back.
Thank Heaven for that. As in Shaun Alexander’s first daughter, Heaven, who was being born on that sunny September day in 2003.
Morris started two games in 2005 alongside Alexander. But durable as he had been, Alexander won’t be on the field Sunday night at Soldier Field because of his broken foot. And the ball-carrying duties will go to the quiet guy known as Mo.
“It’s a big game,” Morris said, “so the main thing is just to go out there and work hard.”
Morris was bombarded with questions: What’s it like to replace the most valuable player? Are you ready for your opportunity? Do you feel pressure? What’s the biggest difference in your style of play from Alexander’s? Where did you get that style?
Morris saved his best line for the response to that last question.
“I’m not the biggest back, so I can’t be in the backfield messing around,” he said. “So I try to hit the hole faster.”
Morris doesn’t say much. Never has. Even as far back as when Gary Campbell first spoke with Morris on the college recruiting trail. Campbell is the longtime running backs coach at Oregon. He helped secure a scholarship for Morris out of Fresno City College.
Morris did his talking on the field. He set three Fresno City records and went on to become the first Oregon back to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
He accomplished that while being a part-time starter as a senior in 2001, sharing the backfield with another future NFL player, Onterrio Smith.
“The main thing is that he’s a determined football player,” Campbell said. “He was one of those guys that gave you everything on the field. What I look for is a guy who can break and avoid tackles, and he can do both.”
The Seahawks took Morris in the second round of the 2002 draft. He was the team’s primary kickoff returner until last season as well as filling in for Alexander whenever needed. The call has come again, but this time it’s a blaring siren compared to a slight tap on the shoulder.
“I said `Are you ready to go?’ and `Now you’ve got a chance to play a little bit and have fun with it,'” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “I was just encouraging him. And he was very serious and he’s ready to go.”
Morris is by no means inexperienced. He’s in his fifth pro season and set career highs with 71 carries and 288 yards in 2005. He’s come up big in a number of situations, including the playoff game last season against Washington when he had to step in for Alexander, who suffered a concussion. Morris had 18 carries for 49 yards as the Seahawks won 20-10.
His teammates hardly bat an eye at Morris going in for Alexander. The way the Seahawks run their offense, Morris sees action anyway, be it on third down or in the two-minute offense.
“I really don’t think I have to say much,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “He’s ready to go. He’s played in bigger games than this, and he’s played well. His run in the Detroit game was probably the biggest play in the game for us. It set up that game-winning field goal.”
Morris, on the field for the two-minute offense, ran 17 yards with 23 seconds left at Detroit in Week 1. Two plays later Josh Brown won the game with a 42-yard field goal.
“He’s not asking for a hole; he just needs a crack,” said Seahawks running backs coach Stump Mitchell. “He’s pretty elusive in the open field.”
