Frank Joseph Morze Jr. (Pronounced: MORE-zee) (March 21, 1933 – May 28, 2006) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He played in the league for seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
 Morze in 1961 | |||||||||
| No. 53, 58, 63 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 21, 1933 Gardner, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | May 28, 2006 (aged 73) Incline Village, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Gardner (MA) | ||||||||
| College: | Boston College (1951-1954) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1955 / round: 2 / pick: 21 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Biography
editEarly years
editFrank Morze was a native of Gardner, Massachusetts and graduated from Gardner High School in 1951, where he played basketball, football, and track and field. He went on to attend Boston College, where he played college football under Mike Holovak from 1951 to 1954.[1] Morze started in all four years, and was given All-East and Catholic All-America honors, as well as being named the team's most valuable player in his final year. He graduated from the school in 1955.
Professional career
editMorze was selected in the second round of the 1955 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers as the 21st overall pick. However, due to the military draft he did not join the team until the 1957 season.[2] While in the military, Morze spent two years as a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Lejeune.
As a 24-year old rookie in 1957, Morze started every game for the 49ers[3] and helped lead the team to their first NFL playoff appearance in franchise history. It would be Morze's only playoff appearance in his career.
He played regularly for the team at the center position, until signing with the Cleveland Browns for the 1962 season as a free agent.[4] Morze only saw action in two games in 1962 but appeared all 14 games for the Browns the following year.[3]
He would rejoin the 49ers for the 1964 season under Hickey again, but then retired.
Life after football
editIn 1981, Morze moved to Nevada with his wife, Nancy, and three children: David, Michael, and Suzanne. Morze started his own metal fabrication business in Las Vegas called Silver State Steel.[5] In 1996, Morze was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame.[6] Morze died in Nevada in 2006 after battling with heart disease.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1954 Boston College Eagles Roster".
- ^ Dan McGuire (ed.), The San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League Present the Shotgun Offense: Press, Radio, Television Information for 1961. San Francisco, CA: San Francisco 49ers Football Club, 1961; p. 27.
- ^ a b "Frank Morze Overview," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com
- ^ Art Johnson (ed.), San Francisco 49ers: 1964 Press, Radio, and TV Guide. San Francisco, CA: San Francisco 49ers Football Club, 1964; p. 25.
- ^ "SILVER STATE STEEL GROUP, INC, Las Vegas, Nevada, NV 89118-1791".
- ^ "Frank Morze (1996) - Varsity Club Hall of Fame".
- ^ "Frank Morze Obituary (2006) San Francisco Chronicle". Legacy.com.