John Joseph Morton (July 22, 1922 – December 17, 1983) was an American football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears in 1945 and in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) with the Los Angeles Dons in 1946 and the Buffalo Bills in 1947. Morton was the head football coach at the University of Toledo for one season, in 1956, compiling a record of 1–7–1.
 Morton in 1946 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 22, 1922 East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 1983 (aged 61) Manteno, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1942–1943 | Missouri |
| 1944 | Purdue |
| 1945 | Chicago Bears |
| 1946 | Los Angeles Dons |
| 1947 | Buffalo Bills |
| Position(s) | End, defensive end, defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1955 | DePauw (Line) |
| 1956 | Toledo |
| 1957–1958 | Green Bay Packers (DL) |
| 1959 | Marquette (Asst.) |
| 1961 | Grand Rapids Blazers |
| 1963 | Grand Rapids Blazers |
| 1964 | Joliet Explorers (DC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1–7–1 (NCAA) 10–12–1 (UFL) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1961 United Football League championship | |
| Awards | |
Playing career
editMorton was a member of the Missouri Tigers football team that played in the 1942 Sugar Bowl and was a member of the 1943 All-Big Six Conference football team. He played for the 1944 Purdue Boilermakers football team as a member of the United States Navy.[1] He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1944 NFL draft.[2] He played for the Bears in 1945 and signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference on February 28, 1946.[3] He scored his only professional touchdown that year in a game against Chicago Rockets.[4][5] He played two games for the Buffalo Bills in 1947.[4]
Coaching
editFrom 1953 to 1955, Morton was the line coach at DePauw University. On February 23, 1956, he was hired for the same position at the University of Toledo.[6] Three months later, head coach Forrest England was given a year's leave due to illness and Morton was promoted to head coach.[7] Toledo went 1–7–1 in 1956 and both Morton and England were fired at the end of the season.[8]
From 1957 to 1958, Morton was the defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.[9] In 1959, he returned to the college ranks as an assistant at Marquette University.[10]
Morton was the head coach of the Grand Rapids Blazers of the United Football League in 1961 and led the team to the league championship.[11][12] In 1962, he was named head coach and director of player personnel for the Jackson Panthers of the American Football Conference, but the league folded before the season began.[13] He returned to Grand Rapids in 1963, but resigned prior to the 1964 season.[14][12] He instead spent that year as the defensive coordinator of the UFL's Joliet Explorers.[15]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Rockets (Mid-American Conference) (1956) | |||||||||
| 1956 | Toledo | 1–7–1 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| Toledo: | 1–7–1 | 1–5 | |||||||
| Total: | 1–7–1 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Morton to Assist Faurot at Missouri". Youngstown Vindicator. December 13, 1945. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "1944 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Los Angeles Pros Add Star Ends; Dick Horne Signs Up". Eugene Register-Guard. February 27, 1946. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "John Morton". Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dons at Chicago Rockets - October 5th, 1946". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Morton, Cahill Signed To Coach Rocket Linemen". Toledo Blade. February 23, 1956. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Morton Replaces England As Coach". Toledo Blade. May 17, 1956. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Rothman, Seymour (January 14, 1957). "Larche Hired As TU Grid Coach". Toledo Blade. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "John Morton". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ^ "Morton Joins Marquette Staff". Toledo Blade. February 12, 1959. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Morton To Coach Semi-Pro Team". The Pittsburgh Press. July 16, 1961. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "Blazers Seeking New Grid Coach". Toledo Blade. June 17, 1964. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Coach Signed". The Owosso Argus-Press. February 26, 1962. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Morton is Coach". The Bonham Daily Favorite. May 19, 1963. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Tornadoes Sign Two Backs For Final Exhibition Test". Toledo Blade. August 19, 1964. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Jack Morton at Find a Grave