Former Pirate Foreman dies at 32

By Nathan Summers, The Daily Reflector

Friday, August 19, 2005

A football team bent on rebuilding a winning tradition suffered a loss in its family tree Thursday, when former standout East Carolina University player Morris Foreman died at the age of 32. According to sources, Foreman died during emergency surgery after suffering an apparent heart attack late Wednesday night.

A decade ago, Foreman was in the midst of a memorable career as a linebacker at ECU, a career that had roots just a few miles away in Farmville. Wearing an uncommon number for a linebacker, Foreman's No. 7 was a symbol of consistency under coach Steve Logan and became an icon to his former prep program.

In his senior season in 1995, the three-year fixture on the Pirates' defense exploded, making 83 tackles including a sack, a couple of forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

"Just 10 years ago, he was out here practicing," said former ECU teammate and friend Junior Smith, standing at the outer edge of ECU's Cliff Moore Practice Facility Thursday evening. "We were working out together out there. It hurts us all a lot, especially his former teammates."

But Smith, a star running back on those Pirates teams and now ECU's running backs coach, remembered the personality every bit as much as the athlete.

He remembered the guy who claimed crossword puzzles and bowling as his primary hobbies, and who worked as a collector for the St. Delight Missionary Baptist Church.

"He cared about people, cared about his family, cared about his kids," said Smith, who was a senior when Foreman was a junior. "He had God-given talent. He put the team first a lot of times. He would give his last to his friends."

The former Daily Reflector boys basketball Player of the Year and two-time football MVP spent a season at Fork Union Military Academy, still a familiar route for football players to Division I programs like ECU. But it was while he was a senior with Farmville's Jaguars in 1990 that Foreman began to blossom fully as an athlete and a man.

"He was somewhat of a folk hero when he played football and basketball here," said Farmville Central football coach Dixon Sauls. "Our community embraced him. He was such a talented young man and a great leader and a fierce competitor. Morris was a once-in-a-lifetime player as a coach, my once-in-a-lifetime player."

According to Sauls, who said he'd spoken with his former prized player within the last two weeks, Foreman was married with children and was working at the Craven County Correctional Institution.

Foreman's stalwart play as an 18-year-old was evident on the state level in 1990, as he was named one of the top four prep football players in North Carolina by the News & Observer. His sense of local pride was perhaps most evident in his choice to play at ECU, snubbing the likes of Michigan, North Carolina and N.C. State.

"I respected him because he gave it his all out there, and you could trust him on the field," Smith said. "He was a very committed person off the field. He never got into any trouble. He loved being around athletics, always wanted to be with the boys. He always tried to keep the morale up."

Despite playing on opposite sides of the ball, it's safe to say that both Smith and Foreman shared some of the same spotlight numerous times (photos of each of them served as the cover of ECU's 1994 media guide).

Still, Smith said, he shared the bond of teammate with Foreman, which is a little different than any other.

"We had gotten pretty close in the years we were here together," said Smith, who added he'd spent much of the day on the phone with old teammates remembering Foreman.

Ironically for Sauls – who is in final preparation for his 22nd season with the Jaguars – there will be a reminder in front of him every day of Foreman, who's son, Demetrius Staton, is currently a member of the Jaguars' football team. Sauls called the sophomore's father a Michael Vick before his time – No. 7, left-handed, 6-foot-1 and determined to win.

But Staton is not the only way Sauls will remember the player who quarterbacked Farmville to a pair of undefeated regular seasons in football and a state championship in basketball. The old No. 7, which Foreman wore as the Jags' QB and hung onto while with the Pirates, has not been worn by anyone since.

Aside from the No. 7 that will be on every Farmville helmet this season, no one at Farmville will wear the number again.

Nathan Summers can be reached at (252)329-9595, or at nsummers@coxnc.com.