Watched "Bam" Morriss tonight at the Merrill Center in Katy. He plays for the Copperheads, and indoor football team. Pretty entertaining, and he looks good. You can tell he is a bit out of shape but had some great runs and honestly, I don't think they would have won without him. If you live in the area and want to see football in March, the tickets are cheap and they have a game next week. I found their website, www.katyprofootball.com. It would be a good story if this was his start to a comeback.
The Merrill Center is nextdoor to Katy High School. Exit Pin Oak by Katy Mills, go through the first light along the feeder and take a right at the second light, Fm1463, and it will be infront of you. Pretty nice facility, brand new.
'Bam' Morris signs with Copperheads By Dennis L. Silva, II. dsilva@katycourier.com The Katy Copperheads added some punch to their offense on Wednesday. Former All-Pro NFL back Byron "Bam" Morris signed with the Copperheads as he attempts to make a return to professional football. Morris, a Cooper, Texas, native, attended the Copperheads' practice Wednesday night to take his physical and begin what will be a quick tutorial before the team's first game on Saturday. The Copperheads had been in talks with Morris for the past three weeks after strong recommendation from strength and conditioning coach Dewey Thomas, who had been training with Morris at Velocity (Sugarland, Texas). "Coach Dewey has been training me and working out with me. It's been a long time (since he last played pro football five years ago)," Morris said. "It's a challenge I'm looking forward to and I'm hoping for a good outcome. "I want to get my quickness back and get back in playing shape so that come June or July, a (NFL) team may bring me in." Morris, a 1994 NFL draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, played 75 games in the NFL as a member of the Steeler Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. He averaged 3.9 attempts per carry and was a member of the Steelers Super Bowl XXX team, gaining 73 yards in 19 carries. "We're going to have a cram tutorial with him," Copperheads coach Bryan Blake said. "We plan on getting him on the field this weekend against Beaumont. We do a lot of running, a lot of short yardage situations, and when we get down inside the goal line, we love to pound the ball. "He's a great asset for this team and I'm lucky to have him. He's going to fit in perfect for us." Unfortunately for Morris, his NFL career has taken a back seat to his off field troubles. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to felony possession of mar1juana. In 1997, he was arraigned in Baltimore after having been accused of assault on a female. In August 2000, Morris, 6 feet tall and 245 pounds, pleaded guilty to two counts of Federal drug trafficking and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. His last endeaver occurred in September 2001 when he was convicted of violating his parole that stemmed from a 1996 plea bargain. He was thereby sentenced to 10 years in a Texas prison. However, despite those mishaps, Morris is determined to make a comeback after being clean for five years. "All that I've been through has definitely gotten my attention towards doing the right thing," Morris said. "I just need to stay positive. I don't have to prove anything to anybody. This (comeback) is for me. "Being drug and alcohol free for the past five, six years, I want to see where I am physically and mentally." Morris signed his contract midway through practice and was eager to get on the field, practicing and getting acclimated to his new team, as well as a new way of life. "There's nothing to lose at all," Blake said. "This is exactly what this league (NIFL) is for. This is a springboard for higher leagues and this is perfect for his situation. He's ready to get back in the league and he's going to use this to get there. We're a new franchise and he's ready to be a part of it."
Sports Sunday showed video of Bam Morris in practice. It was a toss left and he was "tackled" by being pushed into the barrier. As he jogged back to the huddle, he pulled up his shorts - he had on red athletic draws. Now you can have that mental image.
