Tee Moorman passes away

[jimsumner]

Truly sad news.

Duke press release below.

"Former Duke football standout Claude "T" Moorman, II, MD passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 in his hometown of Plymouth, N.C. He was 69 years old.

Born August 21, 1939 in Roanoke, Va., Moorman was raised in Miami, Fla., where he was President of the Student Body at Miami High School and an all-state and All-America football player for the Stingarees. He matriculated to Duke University where he lettered three years (1958-60) for Duke and helped lead the Blue Devils to the 1960 ACC Championship, a No. 10 final national ranking by the Associated Press and a 7-6 win over seventh-ranked Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. He recorded the game-winning touchdown on a pass reception in the fourth quarter against the Razorbacks.

As a senior in 1960, Moorman was selected a first team All-America by both the Football Writers Association of America and the Football News as well as earning first team All-ACC honors. He posted 54 receptions, still the 12th-best single season total for a Blue Devil and the second-highest ever by a tight end. He finished his career with 71 receptions for 709 yards and five touchdowns.

Moorman was recently honored as a member of the 2008 ACC Legends representing Duke University at the ACC Championship game in Tampa, Fla. He was also named to the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, Duke's Top 50 Athletes of the Century (Blue Devil Weekly), Florida's all-time Top 100 Football Players and the Miami High School and Duke University Halls of Fame.

He attended Duke Medical School, completed his MD in 1966, and trained in Orthopaedics at Duke under Dr. Lenox Baker. He volunteered for medical service in Vietnam in 1970 and served with the AMA/USAID Team. He completed law school in 1979 and served with the Army Department of Legal Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. Moorman subsequently commanded US Army Reserve Units at multiple sites and retired as a Colonel from the USAR in 1998. He formed and directed anesthesia groups in Leesburg, Va., Stuart, Fla., and Port St. Lucie, Fla., during his time as an Army Reserve Commander.


Moorman's last decade was focused on living his dream as a farmer on the Albemarle Sound in Washington County, N.C.

He was proceeded in death by his parents and is survived by his cherished companion Mary Dinkins, his children Tee and Lynne Moorman of Durham, N.C., Pam and Scott Beecher of Concord, N.C., Tommy and Debra Moorman of Wake Forest, N.C., Jay and Jamee Moorman of Yuma, Ariz., Jill and Jason Kelso of Orlando, Fla., and his grandchildren Tommy Beecher, Matthew Beecher, Austin Moorman, C.T. Moorman IV, Katie Beecher, Virginia Moorman, Josh Moorman, Marianne Moorman, B.J. Beecher, Dax Moorman, Ellison Kelso, Loch Moorman.

A memorial service will be held at the Duke University Hall of Honor (adjacent to Cameron Indoor Stadium) at 4:00 p.m. with reception following in the Yoh Football Building on May 2, 2009. Internment will take place at the Arlington National Cemetery on July 22, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in his memory to the Bassett Society, a scholarship support for Duke athletes pursuing medical/dental education. Bassett Society, DUMC, Box 3639, Durham, NC 27710.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Tee Moorman was truly special. Watching him play football was a special privilege. Few match his character and contributions.

[blueprofessor]

Several pals from Duke Med said he was a wonderful guy.Met him a few times at Duke receptions before games in FL and was impressed by his flat-out love for Duke and Duke teams.
His close friend and loving companion Mary Dinkins, Director of the Varsity Club, can be reached here if anyone wishes to offer condolences:
mdinkins@duaa.duke.edu

Tee, God bless you and rest in peace!

Blueprofessor

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Several pals from Duke Med said he was a wonderful guy.Met him a few times at Duke receptions before games in FL and was impressed by his flat-out love for Duke and Duke teams.
His close friend and loving companion Mary Dinkins, Director of the Varsity Club, can be reached here if anyone wishes to offer condolences:
mdinkins@duaa.duke.edu

Tee, God bless you and rest in peace!

Blueprofessor

His son, also Dr. Tee Moorman, heads up the Sports Medicine Clinic at Duke.

[roywhite]

Several pals from Duke Med said he was a wonderful guy.Met him a few times at Duke receptions before games in FL and was impressed by his flat-out love for Duke and Duke teams.
His close friend and loving companion Mary Dinkins, Director of the Varsity Club, can be reached here if anyone wishes to offer condolences:
mdinkins@duaa.duke.edu

Tee, God bless you and rest in peace!

Blueprofessor

Sorry to hear that; didn't know Dr. Moorman personally, but his dedication to his country and to Duke University was extraordinary.

I do know Mary pretty well (way back to undergrad days), so I'm very sorry for her loss.

[fitimi1]

He was one of the best and he leaves a legency for all to follow: love of family, love of country and love of Duke.

We will miss you, buddy!

[dkbaseball]

I guess what grabs your attention when you first start following sports looms larger than it actually is, but I remember the "Duke lonesome end" as one of the great institutions in college football. Surprised not to see it mentioned in memorials of Moorman.

Last time I saw Mary she was still touting Little Eva as Plymouth's most renowned citizen. Her relationship with Moorman must have been a match made in heaven, as she is -- with all due respect to everyone hereabouts -- the biggest Duke fan of them all. And he was the most prominent Dukie of them all about the time the Devils showed up on her radar screen.

[blueprofessor]

I guess what grabs your attention when you first start following sports looms larger than it actually is, but I remember the "Duke lonesome end" as one of the great institutions in college football. Surprised not to see it mentioned in memorials of Moorman.

Last time I saw Mary she was still touting Little Eva as Plymouth's most renowned citizen. Her relationship with Moorman must have been a match made in heaven, as she is -- with all due respect to everyone hereabouts -- the biggest Duke fan of them all. And he was the most prominent Dukie of them all about the time the Devils showed up on her radar screen.

The original lonesome end was quite a guy and patriot like T Moorman. Army's captain and AA Bill Carpenter won the DSC in Vietnam.
I wonder if they met in 'Nam?
Something about those lonesome ends!

Jim's article:http://www.theacc.com/genrel/092606aaf.html

Best --Blue Prof

[blueprofessor]

The original lonesome end was quite a guy and patriot like T Moorman. Army's captain and AA Bill Carpenter won the DSC in Vietnam.
I wonder if they met in 'Nam?
Something about those lonesome ends!

Jim's article:http://www.theacc.com/genrel/092606aaf.html

Best --Blue Prof

Parallels with T Moorman!
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.c...8662/index.htm
Best--Blue Prof

[Olympic Fan]

As a senior in 1960, Moorman was selected a first team All-America by both the Football Writers Association of America and the Football News as well as earning first team All-ACC honors. He posted 54 receptions, still the 12th-best single season total for a Blue Devil and the second-highest ever by a tight end.

Duke persists in perpetuating the mistaken idea that Moorman was a tight end. He wasn't ... he was a "Lonesome End" in 1960, a wide receiver who was split so far from the formation that he usually didn't go to the huddle.

Last fall, when Moorman was selected to the "ACC Legends" team, Duke tried to list Moorman as a tight end. He responded:

“My first years at Duke [1957-58] were the last of Coach Murray’s Woody Hayes type teams – you know, three yards and a cloud of dust. It was a transition period. It was pretty obvious that the Delaware Wing T that he had run his entire career was getting stale. We started experimenting with different formations.”
Murray eventually settled on a variation of Army’s Lonesome End formation – an offense that featured one end split so wide that he held his position between plays and didn’t return to the huddle.
“I was way out there,” Moorman said. “I ran patterns based on hand signals. That’s one reason it worked so well. I never knew when a pass was called, so I ran every pattern 100 percent.”

Duke struggled to a 4-6 season in 1959, capped by a nationally televised 50-0 loss to UNC. The '59 Blue Devils were so run-oriented that halfback Joel Arrington led the team in receiving with 13 catches.

That's what made the '60 opener such a shock. Murray didn't try to keep his new pass oriented offense a secret. He told the media what he was planning to do.

"Well, South Carolina didn’t believe us," Moorman said. "They had everybody up near the line on defense. I’d give anything to have played my whole career against that formation.”

Moorman caught a school record 11 passes that night as Duke stunned the Gamecocks 31-0. As noted above, he finished with 54 catches as Duke won eight games, including the 1961 Cotton Bowl.

One point to remember -- that was back in the days of one-platoon football. In addition to playing Lonesome End on offense, Moorman played defensive end on defense.

"The reason I got to play [Lonesome End] is that I was the fastest guy we had who could also play defense.”

Most of the passes that Moorman caught were from QB Don Altman, who also happened to be the star pitcher on the last Duke baseball team to play in the College World Series.

[TheRose77]

Several pals from Duke Med said he was a wonderful guy.Met him a few times at Duke receptions before games in FL and was impressed by his flat-out love for Duke and Duke teams.
His close friend and loving companion Mary Dinkins, Director of the Varsity Club, can be reached here if anyone wishes to offer condolences:
mdinkins@duaa.duke.edu

Tee, God bless you and rest in peace!

Blueprofessor

Thanks for providing Mary's email address. I worked with her in the football office back in the 70's and we had so much fun. We laughed every day. Mary is truly the greatest Duke fan of them all.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Duke persists in perpetuating the mistaken idea that Moorman was a tight end. He wasn't ... he was a "Lonesome End" in 1960, a wide receiver who was split so far from the formation that he usually didn't go to the huddle.

Last fall, when Moorman was selected to the "ACC Legends" team, Duke tried to list Moorman as a tight end. He responded:

“My first years at Duke [1957-58] were the last of Coach Murray’s Woody Hayes type teams – you know, three yards and a cloud of dust. It was a transition period. It was pretty obvious that the Delaware Wing T that he had run his entire career was getting stale. We started experimenting with different formations.”
Murray eventually settled on a variation of Army’s Lonesome End formation – an offense that featured one end split so wide that he held his position between plays and didn’t return to the huddle.
“I was way out there,” Moorman said. “I ran patterns based on hand signals. That’s one reason it worked so well. I never knew when a pass was called, so I ran every pattern 100 percent.”

Duke struggled to a 4-6 season in 1959, capped by a nationally televised 50-0 loss to UNC. The '59 Blue Devils were so run-oriented that halfback Joel Arrington led the team in receiving with 13 catches.

That's what made the '60 opener such a shock. Murray didn't try to keep his new pass oriented offense a secret. He told the media what he was planning to do.

"Well, South Carolina didn’t believe us," Moorman said. "They had everybody up near the line on defense. I’d give anything to have played my whole career against that formation.”

Moorman caught a school record 11 passes that night as Duke stunned the Gamecocks 31-0. As noted above, he finished with 54 catches as Duke won eight games, including the 1961 Cotton Bowl.

One point to remember -- that was back in the days of one-platoon football. In addition to playing Lonesome End on offense, Moorman played defensive end on defense.

"The reason I got to play [Lonesome End] is that I was the fastest guy we had who could also play defense.”

Most of the passes that Moorman caught were from QB Don Altman, who also happened to be the star pitcher on the last Duke baseball team to play in the College World Series.

What a wonderful flashback! Those were heady times for Duke back in the late fifties and early sixties. More recent Dukies and Duke fans sometimes find it hard to believe what a high level of excellence Duke teams performed at in several sports (especially football, basketball, baseball and certain track events). How exciting to be on campus when the likes of Dave Sime ('58), Tee Moorman ('61) and Art Heyman ('63) were students!

[KBCrazie]

His son, also Dr. Tee Moorman, heads up the Sports Medicine Clinic at Duke.

T also had another son Tommy who played football for Duke during my era (mid 80s).

[Spanarkel]

Dr. Moorman was 79 years old(not 69 as stated in the Duke press release). RIP.

[Spanarkel]

Dr. Moorman was 79 years old(not 69 as stated in the Duke press release). RIP.

69. Apologies.

[sagegrouse]

Dr. Moorman was 79 years old(not 69 as stated in the Duke press release). RIP.

Are you sure? The original post was ten years ago. Tee was in the Class of 1961. If he died in 2009 at 79 YO -- 48 years later -- he would have been 31 when he graduated from Duke.

[53n206]

69. Apologies.

Uimportant, but 79 is correct.

[Spanarkel]

Uimportant, but 79 is correct.

69. I failed to see that the original post was 10 years old.

[sagegrouse]

Uimportant, but 79 is correct.

I was at Duke and 18 YO when Tee Moorman played football as a senior. He passed away ten years ago -- in 2009 -- as indicated by Jim Sumner's OP. It is 2019, and I am 76 YO. If he passed at 79 in 2009, we would have have been 31 YO as a senior at Duke in 1960-61.

Am I missing something obvious? It wouldn't be the first time.

[roywhite]

I'm confused as to how this 10-year old thread got re-activated.

At any rate, Dr. Moorman was a great contributor to Duke over many years and deserves to be celebrated around Memorial Day for his fine contributions to his country, also.
In the meantime, we have lost his dear friend Mary Dinkins.

Mary and Tee were two of the Duke all-timers.