Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Names Carry Prestige
MORPHIS SONS BESTOWED NAMES OF PURPOSE
LINCOLN — Enterprise-Leader sports editor Mark Humphrey recently interviewed retired Lincoln Police Chief Russell Morphis, and his son, Lincoln 2019 graduate Sterling Morphis, who played four sports as a senior. The following is a transcript from that interview.
WCEL: “Russell, your sons’ names are Sterling and Lincoln. It’s like your boys have been given names to bless them, to make them go somewhere in life, to be high achievers. Can you tell us about naming your sons?”
Russell Morphis: “… With Sterling and it was like really no discussion, me and his mother, ‘Sterling sounds great.’ With Lincoln, that’s just another one that you don’t hear every day, but it’s not trying to name him or Sterling because you don’t hear it often. Those are just names that immediately came to my mind. I think Lincoln is another one of those names that makes you stand up and take notice of that name. I’ve gotten compliments and comments on both their names.”
WCEL: “Let’s make this a two-part question. Sir, what is your vision for your sons’ lives?”
Russell Morphis: “Sterling and Lincoln both, as for their lives, right now I’m very proud of them. Besides being good students, besides being good athletes, the thing I’m proud the most of is they’re both just excellent young men. Sterling has now graduated high school, and has been nothing but excellent. You couldn’t ask for more of a son. I’m very proud. He’s done great academically. He’s done great athletically, but in the end if you talk to probably anybody, he’s just a solid, solid young man. I expect him to go on to JBU. I think he’s going to do well in school and I think he’s going to do a good job for the Golden Eagles there.”
“Lincoln, same way, he does excellent academically. He does good athletically, but again, Lincoln’s just a great, great (kid), turning into a young man. I still look at them both as my little boys, but Lincoln is 15 years old now and he’s a great young man. Another thing is if you ask anybody, probably the best thing is ‘he’s a solid, solid young man.’ I’m very proud of him and his grades and his athletics, but mostly because he’s just been an excellent son. Sterling and Lincoln, you couldn’t ask for two better boys.”
WCEL: “Some things that sharpen people are consistent competition. Tell us about playing 1-on-1 with your dad in basketball and playing catch with him in football or golfing with him?”
Sterling Morphis: “It definitely made me better. It’s always a competition. As I got older, I got better. Once I turned about 16, I started beating him at things. For one thing, playing catch in the backyard that just develops skills for baseball. But then basketball, it just helps in everything. But with Lincoln, when I play with him I try to help him because I don’t want to discourage him, but I want to help him.”
WCEL: “So, you don’t want to humiliate him when you’re playing 1-on-1, but at the same point, you’re not going to let the kid beat you if possible?”
Sterling Morphis: “It depends. I don’t humiliate him, but I’ll beat him because I feel like it makes him go harder and it makes him better.”
WCEL: “In other words, if he puts up a lazy shot you’re going to block it?”
Sterling Morphis: “Oh yeah, I’ll swat that thing into the roof for sure.”
Sterling graduated in May and has gone on to John Brown University where he will play basketball on scholarship while younger brother, Lincoln, begins his sophomore year at Lincoln High School. Lincoln is playing both football and golf this fall.