A football star at Georgia Tech and in the NFL, Larry Morris, IM 55, died Dec. 19 in Austell, Ga. Following his death, his family provided his brain to a center at Boston University that is researching the brains of former football players to understand degenerative brain disease and the long-term impacts of concussions.
Morris’ bruising style of play earned him the nickname “Brahma Bull.” He played on two undefeated Yellow Jackets teams under Bobby Dodd and was a renowned linebacker during an 11-year NFL career.
In 1963, Morris and the Chicago Bears clamped down on the New York Giants and quarterback Y.A. Tittle. The Bears won the game 14-10, and Morris was named the game’s MVP. Morris was named to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.
After returning to Atlanta, Morris struggled as a real estate developer. His wife, Kay, told the New York Times that her husband’s poor business decisions owed to the early onset of dementia in his mid-50s. Morris had suffered several concussions during his career, and his wife said a geriatric psychiatrist believed his condition related to his football experience.
His brain will help the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in its mission to better protect athletes against brain damage.
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