Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Before SAU Sports Hall of Famers Nik Lewis and Karonce Higgins made their mark as Muleriders, there was Shreveport native Val Morris who set the standard for all other SAU pass catchers to follow. 

In the early 1990s, Morris could be found on the gridiron showcasing his exceptional pass-catching abilities. But he could rarely be caught. The speedy wideout hauled in a then-program record 151 passes over four seasons (1990-93), set a new single-game receiving yards record with 216 (vs. Howard Payne; 1992) and became the second wide receiver in program history to cross over 2,000 career receiving yards.

His 838 yards receiving in 1993 set a new program record and he is one of only two in the modern era, of which he became the first, to record two seasons of 750 yards receiving. Morris' career ended with 16 receiving touchdowns; the third-most at the time by any Mulerider pass catcher. 

All of Morris's records held for at least a decade and the Pelican State native remains in the top five of nearly every major receiving category. 

His prowess on the outside earned him All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference honors in three different seasons which included a unanimous first-team selection in 1993 and a first-team honor as a wideout and a second-team plaudit as a punt returner in 1992. 

His 493 career punt return yards were the third-most at the conclusion of his career and he was the first Mulerider to record two seasons of 25 or more punt returns. 

A two-time NAIA All-District 17 selection, Morris was named NAIA honorable mention All-America as a wide receiver in 1992 and 1993.

The Bayou State native attended camp with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins in 1994 and '96 and eventually began playing in the arena league back home for the Shreveport-Bossier Battlewings from 2001-2003.