Bam Morris Update

[Hammer755]

Former Texas Tech and NFL running back Bam Morris was on the sportsradio station here in Houston this morning. He was released from prison a couple of weeks ago, and gave a pretty candid interview about his time spent both in state (Huntsville) and in federal (Leavenworth & Beaumont) prison.

Houston Chronicle NFL columnist John McClain wrote an article about Morris last week (http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/9391054.htm), and is also a regular contributor to the local drivetime shows here, so he was on the show as well. Morris went into much more detail and answered some difficult questions about his incarceration on the show.

Hopefully, his words will translate into action, and he'll be able to turn his life around.

[rkmsuf]

I always love a good Bam Morris update

[cthomer5000]

Miami is interested.

[Fritz]

I wish my nickname was Bam

[WSUCougar]

I wish my nickname was Bam
How do you know it's not?

[Fritz]

At one point, Morris' base salary was $1.2 million a year. All he has now is an NFL pension that will pay him $20,000 a year

I would be very interested in looking at the NFL pension system. Anyone have some good links?

[sachmo71]

The odds are against him, but I wish him luck.

[Glengoyne]

Miami is interested.
I knew it would be too late to mention Miami's RB woes in a thread about Bam Morris with 4 replies.

[albionmoonlight]

I would be very interested in looking at the NFL pension system. Anyone have some good links?
My old law firm did work for the NFL pension system, though I never got to take a peek at it.

I do remember working with a guy who had a college friend just bearly hanging unto the 53rd roster spot for (I think), the Packers. According to him, the NFL pension kicks in after 4 years of service in the league. Accordingly, his friend (who had no illusions of superstardom) was working his ass off on special teams in the hope that he could stick on the roster for four years and qualify for the pension before he left to start his life outside of football. I'm also pretty sure that the amount of your pension relates to how long you worked and for how much money (as it does for most employers).

I don't have any more details than that, sorry.

[WSUCougar]

This is old news (2002), but still interesting:

Retired players get major pension increase


(May 21, 2002) -- NFL players who played prior to 1977 recently began receiving significantly increased pension checks as a result of the latest extension of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement between NFL owners and players.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association included in the extended CBA a $110 million increase in pension payments to 1,400 pre-1977 players. The program, hailed by pension-rights advocates as without precedent in American industry, raises the minimum pension credit to $200 per month for each season played. The increase doubles the pension of the oldest NFL retirees.

"Nobody has reached back and given a pension raise to retired workers of anything approaching this magnitude," said Karen Friedman, policy strategies director at the Pension Rights Center, a Washington, DC group that campaigns for improved retirement benefits.

With the new program, pension checks for the oldest retirees (approximately 800 players who played before 1959) have risen from $100 to $200 per month for each season played.

For those players active between 1959-76 (about 1,410 retirees), pensions improved to $200 from $100-$185 per month for each season played.

To qualify for a pension, the league's oldest retirees originally needed to have played a minimum of five seasons to be eligible. In 1998, that minimum was reduced to four seasons, thereby adding to the number of the league's oldest retirees. Also in 1998, the minimum for players who played after 1992 was reduced to only three seasons. All NFL retirees receive full retirement benefits at age 55.

"This is an important accomplishment, and the credit goes to our club owners and the players," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "They wanted to do more than pay lip service to the contributions of our oldest retired players who helped build the league."

NFL Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw seconded the Commissioner's endorsement of the pension increases.

"We could have taken the money and spent it somewhere else," said Upshaw. "But we decided to spend it where it would have the greatest impact. We are the only industry that goes back and improves the pensions of retired participants."

The most recent pension improvement is part of a series of enhancements made by the NFL to the benefits received by retired players. Those improvements have included:

* March, 1987. "Pre-59ers" receive pension.

* May, 1993. 40 percent pension increase (Pre-59ers, 33 1/3 percent).

* March-April, 1998. 10 percent pension increase (Pre-59ers, 25 percent).

Retired players and their families have written numerous letters of appreciation about the pension increases.

"I appreciate the increases that the current players and owners have made to our pension plan, knowing the law and realizing that there are very few organizations that do anything for retired employees once they are gone," said former Miami Dolphin Dick Anderson (1968-77).

Raymond Berry (Baltimore, 1955-67) wrote about the impact of the increase. "This is a tremendous thing," said Berry. "As a player of that era, it is more than a pension increase - it is also an act that says, 'You are remembered and your contribution to today's game is acknowledged.'"

Monte Lee, who played in the NFL from 1961-65 for St. Louis, Detroit and Baltimore, was shocked when he looked at his bank statement. "I thought an angel had visited my bank account," he said. "With the surprise of a retroactive direct deposit, I was overjoyed."

Widows of NFL retirees also benefit from the increases.

"Charley loved his NFL playing days and his football friends," said Virginia Toogood, widow of Charley, who played from 1951-57 for Los Angeles and the Chicago Cardinals. "He would be grateful for the continued support of his family."

More than $200 million has been spent between 1993-2000 in additional benefits for those out of football. Disability benefits have increased four times since 1993.

The NFL pension plan pays former players nearly $40 million annually.

The extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and its players signed this past January is the fourth of the original 1993 deal. It ensures labor peace through at least the 2007 NFL season.

[Samdari]

How do you know it's not?

Because everywhere he goes, people look at him, say "Hey Leaky" and look at him as if expecting a response.

[Ragone]

Oh.. heaven forbid bam has to work for a living after throwing away millions on weed..

he's lucky the nfl gives him anything at all..