Every day, patients fill our office and give us the privledge of taking a few minutes to step into their lives and learn more about them. Very often, our conversations begin with orthopaedics and end with talks of children, grandchildren, work...life. We thought we would take a few minutes to invite our patients to learn more about our orthopaedic surgeons, "out of the office."

Many people know that Dr. Morris loves sports, places a high value on personal growth, and is quite competitive. Here are a few things you may not know...

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Dr. Morris, how did you decide to become a physician? There are so many areas in which a doctor can specialize. What caused you to become interested in orthopaedics, specifically? 

I hold a strong belief that a person's true purpose in this world is to develop one's potential to the fullest. My strength in the sciences and love for being around people initially led me to want to be a doctor. Soccer, snow skiing and various other sports have been an important part of my life since I was three years old. I suppose it was a mix of knowing I wanted to be in healthcare, be involved with athletics, and later to be a surgeon that led me to go into orthopedics.

‍If you had not become an orthopaedic surgeon, what would you be doing today? What was your “next choice” for a profession?

If I had not gone into orthopedics when I was younger I would have been a teacher.  I really love working with children and coaching youth sports, and I have always enjoyed teaching and giving advice to others. So I know being a teacher, with the goal of becoming a professor, would have been what I would have gone into had I not become an orthopedic surgeon.  If I had to make a career change knowing what I know now, before I had children, I would have wanted to be a snow ski patrolman and live in the mountains.  But I love Anniston, and the family life I have here feels irreplacable.  So, I plan on being in Anniston for the next 20 years, at least. Such a great place.

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Tell us a little about how you met your wife. How long did you date, and how long have you been married?

I met my wife (Lucy Vandervoort Morris) in medical school at South Alabama in Mobile, AL.  After dating her less than a year I knew she was "the one," and I proposed on the top of Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta after we finished a hike. We have been married 12 years.

Your life has been full of wonderful accomplishments and honorable titles, but in 2015, you received one of the most valuable rewards when you became a dad. Martha was born in 2015, and your blessing doubled in 2020, when Cecile was born. What’s the best part of being a dad?

My favorite part of being a dad is getting to experience everything again for the first time.  The first time they feel snow, or the joy experienced with splashing in a puddle in the rain,or seeing their reaction when they accidentally put a fist full of sand in their mouth at the beach.  I also enjoy engaging with their imagination and playing pretend for as long as we can.

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One of the best parts of parenting can be watching our childrens' personalities develop. Tell us a little about your girls.

Martha (7) is strong-willed, smart, silly, funny, theatrical, and she is more athletic than she realizes. She does not enjoy any of the sports I like, except snow skiing. Tumbling is the only thing she will practice on her own--nonstop.  She is good at everything she has tried, but does not have much interest in becoming a master of just one thing, yet.

Cecile as a younger child (2) is more of an observer. She is reserved, but she is more interested in copying Martha's tumbling or my working out.  She likes to hang from a pull-up bar until her hands start to give out.  She enjoys reading books at night and always asks for 2 more. She never asks for just 1 more book. She is already noticeably very kind and empathetic towards others.

We all know that once something makes its way to the internet, it’s there forever. With that in mind, let’s say your great-great grandchildren are reading this article one day.  What’s the one thing you would want them to know or remember about you?

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I hope to be in good enough fitness shape to play with my great-grandchildren, but since you asked about my great-great-grandchildren, I hope they will know I have been doing my best to write down several of my thoughts and pieces of advice on life for them. Many people can remember the Baz Luhrmann song "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen." I hope to have a catchy speech like that to share with them one day.  And all they have to do is look through my numerous iphone notes and paper journals. Maybe it will be organized, one day.

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Dr. Morris is dual board certifiedin Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies atthe University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and recieved his medical degree fromUniversity of South Alabama in Mobile. He completed an orthopedic surgeryresidency at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He completed anorthopedic surgery residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, andcompleted an additional one-year fellowship in Sports Medicine OrthopedicSurgery with the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

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