By DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer
Tom Morton, a former athletic director, coach and teacher at Marine Military Academy, died at Sunshine Haven Hospice in Olmito on Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 64.
Morton, who was born in Ridgeland, South Carolina, began his career at MMA in 1974 and taught everything from world history to geography as well as coached everything from football to track.
In 2013, he was named MMA’s Teacher of the Year – an honor he took great pride in.
“I think sometimes coaches get overlooked when it comes to these awards, but I’ve stepped away from coaching to concentrate on teaching and I guess that might have helped my cause,” he jokingly said in an interview with the Valley Morning Star shortly after receiving the award.
He played college football at Memphis State University for two seasons before transferring to Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) where he helped the Javelinas win back-to-back NCAA Division II championships in 1969 and 1970.
After college, Morton was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1973 NFL draft as an offensive tackle. However, things didn’t work out and afterward he found his way to Harlingen where his father, Jim Morton Sr., was coaching football at MMA.
He would follow in his father’s footsteps and remained at MMA until recently.
Tom’s brother, Jim Morton Jr., was a coach at both Harlingen High and Harlingen South. Tom’s son, Nate, played quarterback for Harlingen High and later wide receiver at Wake Forest University from 2003-06.
His nephew, Jimmy, is the starting quarterback at Harlingen South.