Greg Morton
| Date of birth | October 8, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Akron, Ohio |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle, Defensive end |
| College | University of Michigan |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1977 | Buffalo Bills |
Gregory Alan Morton (born October 8, 1953) is a former American football player. He played professional football as a defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills during the 1977 NFL season. He also played college football at the University of Michigan from 1973 to 1976. He was a starting defensive tackle for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 34 of 35 games from 1974 to 1976. He was honored by the ABC television network as college football's defensive player of the year for 1976. At the end of his collegiate career, Morton ranked third in Michigan's all-time record book in both career tackles and career tackles for loss.
Morton was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1953. He attended Akron Central High School which merged with another school in 1971 to former Central-Hower High School. He was the first student from Central-Hower to earn an NCAA Division I football scholarship.
Morton attended the University of Michigan where he played college football under head coach Bo Schembechler. After playing a reserve role in 1973, Morton was a starting defensive tackle for the Wolverines in 34 of 35 games from 1974 to 1976. Despite being only 6 feet, 2 inches, and 225 pounds, Morton became one of the best defensive linemen in the college game. Bo Schembechler called Morton the "quickest, most aggressive tackle in America," and added, "He's super quick, reacts like a cat and is surprisingly strong."
In 1974, he started all 11 games at the defensive tackle position for the 1974 Michigan Wolverines football team that held its opponents to an average of 6.8 points per game.
In 1975, Morton started 11 of 12 games at the defensive tackle position for the 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team that played in the 1976 Orange Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 8 in both the AP and UPI polls. Morton compiled 107 tackles and 11 sacks for 58 yards in 1975 and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player. In December 1975, the Associated Press published a feature story focusing on Morton's fondness for exotic flora, including a purple passion plant that Morton had named Claudine. The Los Angeles Times dubbed him "Michigan's Plant Man."
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