Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris (January 5, 1947 – September 21, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back and kick returner.

After three and a half years in prison, he was released following a plea agreement in which he pled no contest to cocaine conspiracy charges.

[1] Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 5, 1947,[2] Morris attended Avonworth High School in the northwestern suburbs of the city.

[6]: 766  That season, Morris was selected for the Pro Bowl for the first time as a kick returner, although he also was used as a running back in the game.

[5] By 1973, Morris had taken over the starting halfback spot and rushed for 954 yards on 149 carries,[5] despite playing with a neck injury late in the season.

[8][9] After playing three more games in November and December he suffered a neck injury and reinjured the knee, effectively ending his season.

His career 5.1 yard per carry average was third all time among NFL players (1st among halfbacks), only behind fullbacks Jim Brown and Marion Motley.

[13] As of 2017, he ranked sixth all time behind Brown, Motley, running back Jamaal Charles and quarterbacks Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham.

[14] In 1974, Morris co-starred as Bookie Garrett in the blaxploitation film The Black Six alongside other football stars of the day.

On March 6, 1986, his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court because evidence he had offered to prove his entrapment defense had been excluded under a mistaken characterization as hearsay.