Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1895, 1899-1901
Place of Birth: Cimarron, NM
Date of Birth: Mar 17, 1876
Place of Death: Pasadena, CA
Date of Death: May 27, 1932
Height: 5-10
Weight: 166
Other College: Michigan
High School: Pennsylvania Military Academy
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. Columbia finished at 8-3-0 that season. After playing one season at Michigan in 1895, Morley went on to receive All-America honors in 1900 and 1901 with Columbia. During his three Columbia seasons, Morley helped the Blue and White amass a record of 23-11-1. The following year, Morley became the first Columbia graduate to assume the head coaching duties at the school. He was equally successful as a coach, chalking up a 26-11-4 record during four seasons at the Columbia helm. His 1902 team finished 9-1, losing only to Yale. After his brief service as Columbia coach, Morley returned to his native New Mexico where he worked as a mining engineer and rancher until his death in 1932.
