You probably don't think of a 5'7" guy when you imagine an NFL powerhouse. It feels wrong. The league is built on giants, specifically the New York Giants, but back in the mid-80s, the smallest man on the field was the one moving the chains. Honestly, if you watched Joe Morris run, you’d see he wasn't just a "scat back" or a change-of-pace player. He was a pure, unadulterated workhorse who basically carried the offense while Lawrence Taylor and the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" handled the other side of the ball.
People forget how dominant he was. In 1985, Joe Morris New York Giants star, led the entire league with 21 rushing touchdowns. That’s not a typo. Twenty-one. He was basically a human pinball, bouncing off 250-pound linebackers and finding gaps that didn't exist for anyone else.
The Bill Parcells Effect
Bill Parcells was a legendary jerk—in the best way possible. He pushed buttons. He knew that to get the most out of Joe Morris, he had to keep him irritated. Parcells would famously tell him he wasn't good enough or that the team couldn't win with him playing like "that."
It worked.
Morris once noted that Parcells just "irritated the hell" out of him. But he also admitted that under Parcells, he had his most productive years. The logic was simple: if you’re 5'7" and 190 pounds, you can't afford to be complacent. You have to train like a fiend. Morris did. He transformed himself from a second-round pick out of Syracuse who sat behind Butch Woolfolk into the focal point of a championship roster.
By the time the 1986 season rolled around, Morris was a machine. He rushed for 1,516 yards that year. He wasn't just a piece of the puzzle; he was the engine. When the Giants beat the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys in back-to-back weeks that season, Morris went for 181 yards and two touchdowns in each game. You don't see that kind of consistency from "small" backs anymore.
Why Nobody Could Tackle Him
It wasn't just speed. It was leverage. Because he was so low to the ground, defenders struggled to get a clean hit on him. He had these massive thighs—the "Little Train" nickname was fitting—and a center of gravity that made him nearly impossible to wrap up in the open field.
If you look at the stats from Super Bowl XXI, they don't jump off the page immediately. He had 67 rushing yards and a touchdown. But those yards were grueling. They kept John Elway off the field. They wore down the Denver Broncos defense. Without Morris, the play-action passes to Phil Simms don't work nearly as well.
The Numbers That Still Stand
Even today, with all the pass-heavy offenses and dual-threat backs, the Joe Morris New York Giants record book is a testament to his era. He still ranks third in franchise history with 5,296 rushing yards.
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Think about the names he’s ahead of.
Ottis Anderson.
Rodney Hampton.
Brandon Jacobs.
He holds the single-season franchise record for touchdowns (21). He's also the team's postseason leader in rushing attempts and yards. When the weather got cold and the stakes got high, Parcells gave the ball to number 20.
- 21: Total touchdowns in 1985 (NFL Leader).
- 1,516: Rushing yards in the 1986 Super Bowl season.
- 19: Career 100-yard games for the Giants.
- 4: Postseason rushing touchdowns (tied for franchise lead).
The Sudden End and the Ring of Honor
Football is a brutal business. Morris didn't play in 1989 because of a foot injury and a contract dispute. Just like that, the magic was gone. He had a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns in 1991, but the explosion wasn't the same. The "Little Train" had run out of track.
However, the Giants didn't forget him. In 2022, he was finally inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor. He was genuinely stunned. "I wanted to be a Giant great," he said at the time. He actually works for the NFL now, making sure players follow uniform regulations. He jokes that he's not a "jerk" about it, but you can bet he still has that same discipline Parcells beat into him decades ago.
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Why We Should Still Care
Today’s NFL is obsessed with "prototypes." If a kid is 5'7", scouts usually tell him to play slot receiver or return punts. Joe Morris is the counter-argument. He proved that if you have the vision, the leg strength, and a coach who knows how to piss you off just enough, size is a secondary concern.
If you’re a Giants fan, you owe it to yourself to go back and watch the 1985 game against the Steelers where he went for 202 yards. It was a masterclass. He wasn't just running; he was punishing people.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you want to truly understand the Joe Morris legacy, do these three things:
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- Watch the 1986 NFC Championship: See how he handled the mud and the pressure against the Redskins. It shows his grit better than any highlight reel.
- Compare the Stats: Look at how his 1985 season stacks up against modern RB seasons. Very few "elite" backs today touch 20+ touchdowns in a single year.
- Visit MetLife: If you're ever at a game, look up at the Ring of Honor. Morris is there alongside LT and Harry Carson. He earned that spot by being the smallest guy with the biggest heart.
The Joe Morris New York Giants era was a specific kind of gritty, blue-collar football that defined New York in the 80s. He wasn't just a player; he was the soul of the ground game. He reminded everyone that sometimes, the most dangerous person on the field is the one you can't even see behind the offensive line.