Dennis Morgan (American football)

Dennis Morgan (born June 26, 1952) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Western Illinois University and was drafted in the tenth round of the 1974 NFL Draft.

Early years
After Bradley University dropped its football program, he transferred to Western Illinois University where he played running back and was named Honorable Mention All America in 1972.

Dallas Cowboys
He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 10th round of the 1974 NFL Draft. Known as “Strawberry” due to his red hair, his speed allowed him to have an early impact on special teams.

As a rookie, he had the longest punt return in Cowboys history with a 98-yard touchdown against the Saint Louis Cardinals. That season he finished third in the NFL in punt return average with 15.1 yards and led the team in both punt return yards (287) and kickoff return yards (823).

Morgan was cut at the end of the season, because Tom Landry didn't think he could afford the luxury of keeping a player that could only help the team in the return game.

Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles claimed him off waivers, but he played in only 4 games during the 1975 season. He had 170 yards (24.3 average) on kickoff returns and 60 yards (7.5 average) on punt returns.