On the football field and on the track, there was no holding Herman Morris back as he bettered Southwestern’s oldest existing records and made Lynx history.
In the fall of 1971 the Commercial Appeal headline read: “Morris’ Record Effort Keys Lynx Victory.” The previous day Herman had rushed for 191 yards on 23 carries against Austin College, bringing his total to 1,246, a 1971 Lynx record for career rushing yardage.
In April of 1972, another headline read: “Morris Shatters Lynxcat Record.” This time the report capsule Herman’s Southwestern record-breaking time of :09.5 seconds in the 100-yard dash against Hendrix and Arkansas State College.
Herman Morris grew up in Memphis and was a standout at Lester High School. At Southwestern, he showed his prowess as a leader in many campus activities. He served as president of the Black Student Association, president of his residence hall, was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and named to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
In the meanwhile, records continued to tumble as Herman established a single season rushing record of 855 yards in only 7 games and set a career rushing record of 2,031 yards. For his outstanding performance he was named to the All-College Athletic Conference football team in 1970 and earned Honorable Mention Little All-American in Football in 1971.
In recognition of an outstanding athlete who sprinted to success on the football field and through the finish line in track and field, Rhodes is honored to induct HERMAN MORRIS, JR. into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 23rd day of October, 1998.
