Overview
- Morris told reporters Tuesday that he woke at about 2:30 a.m., found an armadillo digging up his flowerbeds and shot and killed the animal on his country property.
- He said the action was legal because his home is outside city limits and that he sent a text to neighbors to apologize for the late-night gunshot.
- The anecdote was picked up by national outlets, including the Associated Press, and an ESPN push notification about the episode prompted wide social-media reaction and criticism of news judgment.
- Reporters noted armadillos are common in Oklahoma and that Oklahoma State posts guidance on managing the animals, and they framed the story as part of a long-running tradition of coaches sharing rural wildlife tales.
- The episode has no reported legal consequences and has been treated as an off-field, humanizing anecdote for Morris as he settles into the job, though coverage has shifted this week toward questions about media amplification.