Morris Stroud Jr., a tight end for the Chiefs and an NFL rules namesake, died on Oct. 17 in Kansas City. He was 70.
Stroud spent six seasons with the Chiefs, from 1969-1974. His first season of action was in 1970, and he appeared in 69 games with 49 starts. In his career, Stroud caught 54 passes for 977 yards and seven touchdowns.
At 6-10, Stroud was among the tallest players in NFL history. The Miami native played basketball at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, but he was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 1969 draft.
Chiefs Coach Hank Stram used Stroud on field-goal coverage teams, placing Stroud under the goalpost to bat away balls approaching the crossbar.
That's no longer allowed after the NFL created the "Stroud Rule," which states "Goaltending by any player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar is prohibited. The referee could award three points for a palpably unfair act."
Funeral services will be Sunday at 2 p.m., at Duane E. Harvey Funeral Directors at 9100 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, Mo. Visitation is scheduled from noon-2 p.m. local time, at the chapel.
