Undrafted UNC RB Romar Morris Signs With NY Jets

Invited to tryout at the team’s rookie mini-camp following April’s NFL Draft, former UNC running back Romar Morris was officially signed to the New York Jets’ 90-man roster Tuesday morning.

Originally a three-star recruit out of Salisbury High School (NC) in the Tar Heels’ 2011 class, according to Scout.com, Morris saw his collegiate production peak in 2012–his redshirt freshman season.

However, a standout performance at UNC’s pro day this past spring–where he ran the 40-yard dash in an incredible 4.3 seconds–put him back on the radar of many NFL scouts.

With the added importance of speed in the NFL, a league comprised of the nation’s best athletes, the Jets may be hoping to find the next “Fast” Willie Parker.

Morris, a 5-foot-9-inch speedster, carried the ball 69 times for 386 yards and two touchdowns in 2012, while also helping as a receiver out of the backfield–adding 12 receptions for 204 yards and a pair of scores.

Never again during his time in Chapel Hill, though, would Morris account for that much yardage, as head coach Larry Fedora continued to rotate a plethora of other talented running backs–such as AJ Blue, TJ Logan and Elijah Hood–into his fast-paced offensive system.

This past season, Morris was given just 19 touches–10 carries and nine receptions. He also found the endzone just once in his senior campaign, accounting for only 64 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards as the team’s fourth option at his position.

For his career at UNC, Morris earned 13 starts in 50 games. He had 213 carries for 1,024 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 54 receptions for 499 yards and two TDs.

Parker, who displayed similar top-notch speed–played for UNC from 2000-2003 under John Bunting, and like Morris, saw his production drop off throughout his college career.

The Pittsburgh Steelers liked what they saw from Parker in terms of his athleticism, though, and decided to sign him to an undrafted rookie contract anyway.

He then made the team and ended up playing six seasons in the Steel City, rushing for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons from 2005-2007.

In 2005, Parker also helped quarterback Ben Roethlisberger defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL–a game where he ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run, still the longest run in the game’s prestigious history.

For Morris to even have a shot to reach the same lofty heights as Parker, however, he’ll need to first make the Jets’ 53-man regular season roster.

That process will begin during NFL Training Camps later this summer, where rosters are whittled down each week throughout the preseason.