Seattle Seahawks: 15 best running backs in franchise history

Number 12: He could have been one of the Seahawks best

Maurice Morris is yet another of the Seahawks backs who could have had much better stats if he’d only arrived at a different time. In this case, he picked the worst possible time to join the Seahawks. Seattle had an absolute monster at RB1 when they drafted Morris with the 54th pick of the 2002 draft. We’ll get to that gentleman later – much later, in fact.

As for the former Oregon Duck, Morris got plenty of work as the Hawks primary kick returner for his first three seasons in the league. He ranked 13th in the league as a rookie, averaging 24.1 yards per return with one score on a spectacular 97-yard return versus the Cardinals. Morris had 233 yards on seven returns in that game. I don’t have to tell you, 12s, that seven kickoff returns in one game is a stat no one wants. The Hawks lost that contest 37-20.

But eventually, his time in the sun arrived. The Seahawks ran their starting RB god into the turf after an unbelievable workload from 2001 through 2005. If you weren’t sure who I was talking about before, you know exactly who he is now. From 2002 – 2004, Morris never got more than 38 carries. In 2005, Morris just about doubled his opportunities with 71 carries for 288 yards. In 2006, he finally got his chance with the first unit, racking up 604 yards on 161 carries.

For the next two seasons, Morris continued to be a key player for the Hawks, yet he never led the team in rushing. Again, it wasn’t the best possible timing for him. Case in point; even though he was the nominal starting running back in 23 games, Morris only scored nine times with 1018 touches in seven seasons with the Hawks. Seattle always seemed to have another back in the limelight, but Morris was much more than a grinder. He just had bad timing.