Bill Morley

William Raymond Morley Jr. (March 17, 1876 – May 27, 1932) was an American college football player, coach, and rancher. Born in New Mexico, he played football at the University of Michigan and Columbia University and was selected as an All-American in 1900 and 1901. Morley served as the head coach of the Columbia Blue and White football team from 1902 to 1905. He later returned to New Mexico where he was a successful cattle and sheep rancher. He was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1971.

Early years Morley was born in 1876 at Cimarron in Colfax County, New Mexico. His parents were William Raymond Morley Sr., and Ada (McPherson) Morley. His father was the chief engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad and later edited The Cimarron News and managed the Maxwell land grant in Cimarron.

Football player Morley was sent east to be educated and reportedly attended school in 18 states.

Morley later attended the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1896. He was five feet, six inches tall and weighed 147 pounds as a football player at Michigan. Morley's sister, Agnes, was also a student at Michigan during the 1895–96 academic year.

Morley subsequently enrolled at Columbia University School of Mines. Caspar Whitney, owner and editor-in-chief of the monthly Outing magazine, chose Morley as the captain and first-team halfback for his 1901 College Football All-America Team. In 1905, The New York Times recalled Morley's playing style at Columbia: "Morley was one of the most aggressive men who ever represented Columbia on the gridiron. As a plunging back he made an enviable reputation, and the same was true when he played quarter back." Morley's Hall of Fame biography emphasizes his accomplishments as a player for Columbia: "The Columbia backfield of 1899 could strike from every position, often with electrifying results. It was that backfield which became the first Lion squad to beat Yale, and the 5–0 victory over the Elis was carried off through the efforts of this Hall of Famer, Bill Morley. Morley's exciting gains and devastating blocks took the heart out of the Eli defense." During the 1903 season, Morley's team began the season with seven consecutive shutouts and finished with a 9–1 record, outscoring opponents 148–43. He served as Columbia's head football coach from 1902 to 1905. Morley compiled an overall record of 26–11–3 as the head coach at Columbia.

Cattle and sheep rancher Morley later returned to New Mexico where he operated an extensive cattle and sheep ranch at Datil, New Mexico, known as the "Drag A ranch." Morley reportedly owned 200 sections of 640 acres each and "controlled several times that number because of control of watering places, and additional sections under Forest Service permits." Morley was one of the leading figures in western New Mexico. He was reported to be a "story teller of no mean ability," a skilled hunter, and "a hated foe of cattle rustlers." Morley was one of the founders of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. In a September 1918 draft registration card, Morley indicated that he was living in Datil and employed in the cattle and sheep ranching business. At the time of the 1930 United States census, Morley was living in Datil with his wife Nancy B. Morley (age 53) and a daughter, M. Faith Morley (age 21). His occupation was listed as stock raising on a stock ranch. Morley's nephew, Norman Cleaveland, won a gold medal in rugby at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

In approximately 1930, Morley moved to Pasadena, California. He was forced to move to a lower altitude due to heart disease. Morley died from heart disease in May 1932. He suffered a "severe attack" while at his home in Pasadena. He lived for a week after the attack, though he did not regain consciousness.

Head coaching record