ENDORSEMENTS
Several highly respected individuals have recommended my book for your reading pleasure. It is with heartfelt thanks that I extend my appreciation for their endorsement.
“There are hundreds of books about football! Books about the players, books about the games, books about the coaches, books about the fans.
Ever read a book about officials? I thought so. We moan, complain, criticize, and scream…about what?
About officials! That’s what! And we know nothing about them.
Ever wonder what they’re thinking? I certainly have, and now we can know for sure. Gus Morris has written a delightful book about the challenging, disturbing, sad, hilarious world of football officiating. If you love football, read this book-at last you will understand the strange world of officials, and you might even come to like them.
One thing is certain: you will love Gus Morris!”
Bill Curry
Former Player, Coach, Speaker
“Several years ago, a young man came to one of our football clinics with the desire to be a Southeastern Conference Football Official. He exhibited many of the qualities we sought in an official from the physical appearance to his knowledge of the game. Those qualities alone were not enough to make him eligible for our Conference. We always look for the type of personal walk he might exhibit, is he active in his community, perhaps an affiliation with a church, his involvement in his family life and the ability to commit to the needed travel schedule of a game.
Gus Morris had so many of the qualities we chose to seek out when considering a new official. Personal recommendations for a new official also play a significant role in the decision making process. Gus did not lack for those at all. Many people close and not so close to him were very encouraging toward bringing him into the fold.
During the evaluation process, there were multiple positive comments to consider; however, perhaps the most important word that was repeated in reference to Gus was Integrity. Every official knows the broad and all encompassing meaning of the word. Without Integrity, you cannot be of the quality a Southeastern Conference Official is required to be.
Time after time, Gus has performed on and off the field in the manner befitting an SEC Football Official and with tremendous pride in his work. What he has and continues to bring to the world of officiating through his work with young guys wanting to be a part of the SEC family will contribute to a great group of officials.”
Bobby Gaston
Coordinator of SEC Football Officials (Retired)
“After reading Gus’s book on life from an official’s perspective, I was taken back to the mid 80’s when Gus came into our High School association as green as green could be. Ron Goings and I were the training officers and were responsible for all the newbies. There was something about Gus, he just picked it up faster and had a drive that we had not seen before. By the middle of that year, we worked a varsity game together and he never slowed down until a couple of years ago when he retired from the Southeastern Conference Association as one of the best college officials around. Funny thing was, Gus’s dad was a great SEC official, and he never mentioned it and you never knew it, Gus did it all on his own.
What sets Gus’s book apart is it is a day in the life of a great college official. It is not only about sports, but also about life, Gus’s life and it has something for everyone.
If you only buy one book this year, this is the one you will enjoy most, from getting up four hours early to go to a clinic, to stories that just happened to be told during the football season, you can’t make this stuff up.
Again, I highly recommend this as a great gift and a great read.”
Dr. Jack Kelly
Mentor, Business Coach
“Having worked with Gus on the field in the SEC for several years, we can tell you that it was never boring with Gus Morris! His ability to work with coaches on the sideline was second to none. The Line of scrimmage guys always get the brunt of the coaches’ wrath when the calls do not go their way. Gus was a master at this. We can all remember several times where a coach is in the middle of a tirade and Gus was totally stoic, with no emotion whatsoever. And then on the next time-out, you would look over at him and he’d give you that smile, like “I got this handled over here, no worries”. And when a coach crossed the line, he would always make sure he would gently throw that flag directly between the feet of the coach. No emotion, no excitement. Gus always liked to keep a list of all the coaches he had worked in front of. And the list would get longer and longer every year. He took a lot of joy in that and rightfully so.
As most officials will tell you, the games themselves are a small part of what we call the football officiating life. Three – four hours out of the weekend. During these football weekends, you learn so much of what your crewmates are all about. Gus was a great crewmate. He was always quick to inject some humor into our meetings. Always offering up a funny picture or video to any prospective victims we had on the crew that week. And when he was called upon to help, the meals he provided the crew on Friday nights were always incredible! That guy is quite the grill and fry cook!
Gus has a long history of involvement with the SEC through his years of service and of course being the son of an SEC official. Officiating over that last several years has evolved. It is a thankless job, and the scrutiny is endless. Some officials struggle with this. Gus was truly an “old school” official who never let things on the field take the enjoyment out of the avocation. Good or Bad, Gus was always smiling.
It was our privilege to know and work with Gus Morris.
Jesse Dupuy (Side Judge) Matt Loeffler (Referee) Mike Shirey ( Line Judge) Stan Weihe (Umpire) Bobby Ables (Field Judge)
Former Crewmates
When someone finds out that you are an SEC football official the questions begin to flow. What’s your favorite stadium, what’ the loudest stadium, where is your favorite place to go, which coach screams the most, what’s the most exciting game you have worked…….on and on they go. All great questions, however, any official will tell you the most important and greatest thing about SEC officiating are the lifetime friendships that are formed by being a part of the third team on the field and part of a big family off the field. When it’s eight “zebras” against 100,000 screaming fanatics in the stadium the friendships are really important. BUT, when you spend hours of rule study, film study, working scrimmages, and attending clinics you really want to be the “best team” on the field. Gus Morris has captured and opened a picture of how these friendships create the “best team” on the field! Gus in a series of short stories shows you how hard we work, laugh, hug, and often anguish, hurt, and cry.
Gus has been the ultimate teammate and friend to hundreds of officials at all levels of officiating. After reading this book you will understand why he is a great ambassador for football officiating and why he is loved by all. I am proud to call him my lifetime friend and teammate!
This is a story about life in the SEC!
Please buy this book so all of his officiating friends don’t have to buy them all!!!
Chris Conley
Life Long Officiating Friend, Chaplain, Home Builder