Butch Morse
Encyclopedia
Raymond Joseph "Butch" Morse (December 5, 1910–May 22, 1995) was an American football
end
who played five seasons in the National Football League
.
, Morse would later relocate to Portland, Oregon
, where he graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School
in 1931. In addition to football, where he was MVP
on Benson's 1928 city championship team, he played baseball
and was the leading scorer for the school's basketball
team in 1930.
Morse attended the University of Oregon
, where he was a two-time all-Pacific Coast Conference
end, and an All-America
n in his senior year of 1934, when he was also team co-captain.
in 1935, the year the Lions won their first NFL championship
. Morse played for the Lions until 1940, when he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps
. In 1944, he was an assistant coach for the Air Corps' Randolph Field
Flyers in the 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic, in which the Flyers tied the heavily-favored Texas Longhorns
, 7–7.
in 1981 and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He died in Corvallis, Oregon
in 1995.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
end
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played five seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
High school and college career
Born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Morse would later relocate to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where he graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School
Benson Polytechnic High School
Benson Polytechnic High School is a technical public high school in the Portland Public Schools district. Its campus is located in the center of Portland's Eastside commercial area. Students are given a special emphasis in a technical area...
in 1931. In addition to football, where he was MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
on Benson's 1928 city championship team, he played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and was the leading scorer for the school's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team in 1930.
Morse attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he was a two-time all-Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
end, and an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in his senior year of 1934, when he was also team co-captain.
NFL career
Morse signed with the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in 1935, the year the Lions won their first NFL championship
NFL Championship Game, 1935
The 1935 National Football League Championship game was held on December 15, 1935 at University of Detroit Stadium in Detroit. It was the 3rd annual title game for the NFL...
. Morse played for the Lions until 1940, when he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. In 1944, he was an assistant coach for the Air Corps' Randolph Field
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
Flyers in the 1944 Cotton Bowl Classic, in which the Flyers tied the heavily-favored Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, 7–7.
Personal and legacy
Morse married Alice Marie Simonsen in 1935 in Portland, and the couple had three children. He was named to the Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1981 and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He died in Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
in 1995.