South Florida Sports Paradise

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Burdine Stadium

2011-06-19T19:07:00.001-07:00

The Orange Bowl Stadium pictured in the early 1940s

When the Orange Bowl Stadium opened in 1937, it was originally named Roddy Burdine Stadium. Burdine was one of the city's great economic figures of the early 20th century and was the head of the Burdine's department store chain. His father William Burdine founded Burdine's as a dry goods store in 1898. Roddy Burdine had been a big supporter of Miami's growing sports scene in the 1930s. He was one of the leading advocates to build a football stadium for the newly born Orange Bowl Committee headed by Ernie Seiler.

Unfortunately, Burdine passed away in 1936, one year before the stadium was completed. As a tribute to Burdine, the City of Miami passed a resolution to name the facility after the late merchant. The stadium originally seated 23,330 costing just $340,000 in construction. Although the stadium was officially called Burdine Stadium, most fans and members of the media referred to it as simply the Orange Bowl.

Over the next couple of decades, the stadium would expand in size. In 1948, Burdine Stadium added an upper deck. By 1959, the stadium's official name was changed to the Orange Bowl.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Pete Banaszak

2011-06-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

November 20, 1964: University of Miami fullback Pete Banaszak gains yardage during Miami's 35-17 homecoming victory over Vanderbilt.

A native of Crivitz, Wisconsin, Pete Banaszak came to Miami after being recruited by former longtime Hurricane assistant coach and fellow Wisconsin native Walt Kichefski. A physical and bruising runner with good hands and blocking skills, Banaszak lettered at UM from 1963-65 and led the Canes in rushing as a sophomore and senior while teaming in the same backfield with fellow running back Russell Smith.

Banaszak went on to a long and outstanding pro career with the Oakland Raiders from 1966 to 1978. He returned to the Orange Bowl several times as a member of the Raiders. Banaszak made his pro debut against the Miami Dolphins on September 2, 1966. It also happened to be the first game in Dolphins history. The Raiders would win 23-14.

More than a year later, Banaszak was one of four former University of Miami players on the Raiders roster which won the AFL title and played the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl. (Jim Otto, Bill Miller and Dan Conners were the other three former Canes on the 1967 Oakland roster) The Raiders were overmatched by the veteran Green Bay dynasty and lost 33-14. It would be the last game of Vince Lombardi's legendary coaching career with the Packers.

The Raiders were the NFL's winningest team of the 1970s and were consistent Super Bowl contenders. But it took 9 long years for Banaszak to get back to football's biggest stage. Oakland lost 4 AFC championship games, including 1973 to the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl. But in 1976, Banaszak and the Raiders finally got their ring, beating the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. He scored a pair of touchdowns on short runs near the goal line in Oakland's 32-14 victory.

Banaszak was extremely dependable at the goal line and short yardage situations. He led the NFL with 16 touchdowns in 1975. Banaszak finished his career with 3,772 yards rushing, 1,022 yards receiving and 52 total touchdowns in 173 games.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Miami High vs. Coral Gables 1966

2011-06-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

November 10, 1966: Coral Gables High School fullback Tom Bailey grabs a 37 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Craig Curry against Miami High. The Cavaliers beat the Stingarees 20-7, ending Miami High's 20 game win streak in front of 11,445 fans at the Orange Bowl.The victory was sweet revenge for Gables, which saw its 28 game win streak snapped by Miami High the previous season. Bailey would go on to play his college football at Florida State University and played four seasons (1971-74) with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bailey died in 2005. He was 56.

Orange Bowl Snapshot:: 1950 Homecoming

2011-03-03T10:39:00.001-08:00

November 24, 1950: Members of the University of Miami's homecoming court were among the 45,000 fans who watched the Canes beat Iowa 14-6.

Over the years, I've collected many photographs of the Orange Bowl Stadium from surfing the net. This picture was taken during the University of Miami's homecoming football game against Iowa back in 1950. After doing a little research, this game was historically significant. Yet few people know about it.

Miami in 1950, like much of the South, was a segregated city. There were strict Jim Crow laws that prohibited blacks and whites from gathering and participating at the same functions. But on November 24, 1950, something new happened for the first time in the Orange Bowl Stadium. White and black athletes would compete on the same field.

The University of Iowa brought its football team to Miami to play the Hurricanes. At the time, Iowa had five African-American players on its roster. The University of Miami remained all-white. According to the University of Miami football media guide, UM had canceled games in the past against schools with black athletes. Games against Penn State and UCLA were specifically canceled in the 1940s. The UCLA cancellation was noteworthy because one of its African-American players happened to be Jackie Robinson--the same Jackie Robinson who later broke Major League Baseball's color barrier.

But in 1950, the University of Miami finally began to relax its segregational policies. Black fans were allowed to watch games at the Orange Bowl. But they were designated to only certain areas of the stadium--including the east end zone. The Hurricanes would beat Iowa 14-6 that evening. But late in the fourth quarter, one of Iowa's black players, sophomore halfback Bernie Bennett, scored a touchdown for the Hawkeyes. He happened to score in the east end zone, where a jubilant group of black spectators erupted in cheers.

"We were aware that we were setting a precedent," Bennett recalled. "But nothing happened during the game that reflected any conflict. There was no special security and there was no racist remarks. Once the game started, we just played."

While the game was played without any negative incidents or taunting, the trip to Miami wasn't routine. Bennett and his fellow black teammates were forced to stay in a separate hotel in the black section of town. Miami still had a long way to go at the time. It would be another 17 years before receiver Ray Bellamy would become Miami's first black football player.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Howard Schnellenberger

2011-03-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

January 2, 1984: University of Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger gives his team a pep talk in the locker room before taking the field against Nebraska. The Hurricanes were a two-touchdown underdog against the top ranked Huskers who averaged 52 points per game during the regular season. Miami would beat Nebraska 31-30 to win its first national championship.

South Florida Legend: Derrick Thomas

2011-02-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hall of fame linebacker Derrick Thomas pictured as a senior at South Miami High School in 1984

Derrick Thomas was one of the most fierce pass rushers to ever play the game of football. He terrorized NFL quarterbacks for 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1989 to 1999. But it's hard to believe Thomas wasn't considered the best linebacker on his high school team. When college recruiters visited South Miami High School during the 1984-85 school year, Thomas was considered a talented and raw prospect. But his teammate Keith Carter was hailed by recruiting experts as a complete and finished product ready for college. Thomas went on to stardom as an All American linebacker at the University of Alabama before playing for the Chiefs. Carter would go on to a decent college career at Florida State, but never had near the success as Thomas.

Born and raised in Miami's West Perrine section, Derrick Thomas didn't seem destined for greatness on the football field. He was more likely to end up in jail than the hall of fame. His father Robert Thomas was a B-52 fighter pilot in the Vietnam War, who was killed in action. Growing up without a dad, Thomas didn't have many positive male role models in his life. He hung out with a bad crowd and often got into trouble. He was arrested several times as a youngster. By age 14, he seemed like a lost cause. He was sentenced to juvenile hall. But it was there where he found his true calling.

Judge William Gladstone recommended Thomas to be sent to the Dade Marine Institute (DMI), an alternative day school for troubled youngsters. It was at DMI Thomas met director Nick Millar, one of several mentors who helped Thomas get his life on track. Millar was a former college wrestler and recognized Thomas's athletic gifts. Thomas spent two years at DMI and was a model student. He channeled his energy towards his passion--athletics. His next goal was to play football for South Miami High School.

Thomas enrolled at South Miami prior to his junior year of high school. Head football coach Sam Miller didn't know much about Thomas at the time. But it didn't take long to notice his startling speed and size. Thomas played running back at tight end his junior year and scored a few touchdowns. But Miller realized Thomas's aggresiveness and physical nature was better suited for the defensive side of the football. He played outside linebacker and rush end, quickly gaining attention from college recruiters. He earned second-team All Dade County honors from the Miami Herald and Miami News. But his teammate Keith Carter was considered the big-name star on the team. Carter was selected to every high school All American team in existence including Parade Magazine, Scholastic Coach Magazine and USA Today. The Miami Herald rated Carter as the second best player in Dade County for the Class of 1985, behind Michael Timpson of Hialeah Miami Lakes.

But while Keith Carter was getting all the headlines and attention from recruiters, Thomas wasn't a complete unknown. He competed in football, wrestling, basketball and track at South Miami and was a standout in every sport. He actually gained more recognition as a wrestler--earning All Dade honors. The Miami Herald ranked him among Dade's 10 best senior prospects and several colleges were showing interest. In the end, he decided to attend the University of Alabama coached at that time by Ray Perkins. From the time he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Thomas dominated and got better and better. He saw action as a true freshman. But once again, he found himself in the shadow of another linebacker teammate-- Cornelius Bennett. But when Bennett graduated in 1987, Thomas had the spotlight to himself for his final two years of college and never looked back. He became the most feared player in college football. Thomas was so quick off the ball, he literally was in the backfield once the ball was snapped. By his senior year he racked up an amazing 27 sacks and won the Butkus Award, given annually to college football's best linebacker.

Thomas was the 4th overall selection in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1989 NFL Draft and he didn't disappoint. He was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1989 and went on to become a 9-time Pro Bowl selection. Off the field, Thomas also made his mark. He never forgot his troubled past or the people who helped him turn his life around. This time Thomas decided he wanted to help kids realize the importance of eduacation. He established the Third and Long Foundation, which helps children with their reading skills. Thomas had suffered from reading disabilities when he was a kid. In 1993, Thomas was honored by the NFL and was given the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

On January 8, 2000, Derrick Thomas' SUV went off the road as he and two friends were driving to Kansas City Airport, where they were going to fly to St. Louis to watch the NFC Championship game. Not wearing seat belts, Thomas and one of his passengers was thrown from the car. The first passenger was killed instantly while the second passenger, who was wearing his seat belt, walked away from the scene uninjured. Thomas was left paralyzed from the chest down. Derrick was later flown back to Miami to be treated by renowned Neurological Surgeon Dr. Barth Green at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Despite receiving the best state-of-the-art paralysis care, Derrick succumbed to his injuries on February 8, 2000, after suffering a pulmonary embolism. Derrick Thomas was 33 years old.

Derrick Thomas left behind a huge legacy. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. His son Derrick Jr. gave his inductment speech. Thomas' mother, Edith Morgan, established the Moms2Moms58 to honor his legacy. The foundation works with professional football players, non-profit organizations, community leaders, political figures and entertainers to educate the public on car seat and seatbelt safety, children's health and sports safety outreach to inner-city youth. Each year Moms2Moms58 hosts the "Celebration of Life Celebrity Weekend" in Derrick's hometown of Miami. On September 2, 2002, the Derrick Thomas Academy, a charter school, opened. It currently has an enrollment of 950 children from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: 1969 Orange Bowl

2011-02-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

January 1, 1969: A view of the Orange Bowl stadium taken from the northwest stands during Penn State's 15-14 victory over Kansas. Penn State won in dramatic fashion when halfback Bob Campbell scored on a 2-point conversion with only 15 seconds left in the game. Campbell's score was a mulligan. Penn State had been stopped on its first try for a 2-point conversion. However, Kansas was penalized for having 12 men on the field. Penn State finished the season undefeated and finished #2 behind Ohio State in the final AP Poll.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Baseball

2011-02-22T15:12:00.001-08:00

August 7, 1956: The Orange Bowl playing field was transformed into a baseball diamond and America's national pastime made its debut in the giant football stadium. A crowd of 51,713 watched the Miami Marlins beat the Columbus Jets 6-2 in a charity game that featured the pitching and hitting heroics of Satchel Paige. The game drew the largest crowd to watch a minor league baseball game at the time.

The stadium was clearly not meant to host baseball. Changing the field into a baseball park was like fitting a square peg through a round hole. The field dimensions were horribly skewed. Home plate was located in the southeast corner of the field and the right field wall was barely 200 feet away. To compensate for the short right field, a giant fence was constructed. But none of that mattered to the fans who were hungry to see baseball. It was a festive night at the stadium. Proceeds went to charity and the pregame entertainment included a concert by jazz and blues legend Cab Calloway. Imagine 50,000 people singing "Heidi Heidi Heidi Ho!" in unison. But the real show was put on by 50-year-old former Negro League legend Satchel Paige. Paige pitched into the eighth inning and also drove in 3-runs with a double to left-center field, giving the Marlins a 6-2 win.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Joe Namath

2011-02-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

January 12 1969: New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath walks off the Orange Bowl field triumphant following the Jets 16-7 upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: The Yamma Yamma Man

2011-02-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Jim Fleming, wearing the striped jacket, helps the cheerleaders fire up the Orange Bowl crowd in 1968. Fleming was more well known among Hurricane fans as "The Yamma Yamma Man"

Jim Fleming was the college student who never grew up. He was a cheerleader for the University of Miami while he was a student from 1964 to 1968. He had a rough, loud and booming voice who could incite any crowd into pandamonium. But when he graduated from college, it seemed he never left. Fleming was so popular among Canes fans and UM students, he became an institution on the Orange Bowl sidelines and was brought back to help lead the cheers for close to four decades. But few people knew him by name. He was more well-known simply by his nickname "The Yamma Yamma Man".

A native of Rochester, New York, Fleming was always short in stature. He attended an all-boys high school in Rochester, competing in track in cross country. But during football season he was a cheerleader. When he enrolled at the University of Miami, he immediately tried out for the squad and was an immediate sensation at Canes games at the Orange Bowl. He was instantly recognized for his unique cheers while screaming into the microphone.

"I got the reputation of being kind of a smart alec--a Jimmy Cagney character," said Fleming in an interview with writer Jim Martz. "I was Mickey Rooney with a chip on his shoulder. When John Routh was the Ibis, we matched so beautifully. We were both irreverent. My irreverance got me in trouble a lot of times".

During a game against Notre Dame in 1965, Fleming's cheers almost got him into a physical confrontation with Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian. At the time, the student section sat behind the opponents bench and would taunt the opposing players much like a basketball game.

"We were obnoxious and it was a highly charged atmosphere," Fleming said. "We were doing a thing with the band screaming, 'Cheer up Ara, the worst is yet to come.' and saying 'Arrrra! Arrrra! By the third quarter, he'd had it. He came over to me and said something you can't print. He said, 'Listen you little SOB. Shut up!' He grabbed me by the throat a little. He was hot. His veins were popping. It shocked me. Somebody was trying to restrain Ara and cool him down. There were a number of cheers back then that would be banned today as people have become more politically correct."

As a kid, I can remember Fleming working the sidelines with his microphone in the 1980s. Some of his popular cheers included, "We've got some Canes over here! Woosh Woosh!". When the referees made what was considered a bad call, Fleming and the drum section of the band would lead the students in the chant "Hey, your momma!" It was a cheer that was eventually banned. When the Canes played the University of Florida, Fleming would scream, "Alligator bags, alligator shoes. If you're a Florida Gator, you're born to lose."

But Fleming didn't just scream into a microphone. In his younger days, he did all kinds of stunts and often paid the price. He dislocated both shoulders, ruptured an achilles, broke his clavicle and suffered a concussion.

"At the USC game in 1966, I was doing a flip and landed the wrong way and dislocated my shoulder falling over a cheerleader," Fleming said. "The USC doctor put it back in place in their locker room at halftime.

But Fleming's legacy at the University of Miami is more than just being a cheerleader. He was the president of the student body and founder of the campus radio station WVUM. But in March of 2006, Fleming died from a heart attack. He was 61 years old. Hurricane football games have never been the same since he left. I can safely say the Yamma Yamma Man was the ultimate University of Miami fan.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Wahoo McDaniel

2011-02-19T11:04:00.001-08:00

November 6, 1966: Miami Dolphin player Wahoo McDaniel attempts a punt against the Buffalo Bills in the Orange Bowl. McDaniel was one of the few players in pro football history to wear his first name or nickname on the back of his jersey

Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was one of pro wrestling's most colorful characters during the 1970s and 80s. A Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American, he would enter the ring in a traditional Indian headress complete with feathers. But before he gained fame as a wrestler, he was a journeyman profesional football player in the American Football League. He played nine seasons in the AFL with four different teams. Among his stops was Miami in 1966 , where he was a member of the first Miami Dolphins team. McDaniel was known as a wild character who loved to drink, party and raise a little hell. But one thing made him unique compared to other players. He was the only player who had his nickname or first name placed on the back of his jersey. Instead of reading "McDaniel", his jersey simply read "Wahoo". Many years later, WWE wrestling owner Vince McMahon Jr. would start a pro football league called the XFL. Many players had colorful names placed on their jerseys. The most memorable was Rod Smart whose jersey read "He Hate Me".

The 1966 Miami Dolphins were a collection of castoffs, misfits and unqualified rookies and their league worst 3-11 record was a reflection of that lack of talent. But among this group of characters was linebacker/punter Wahoo McDaniel. He was selected by the Dolphins in the expansion draft after being left unprotected by the New York Jets. McDaniel was a solid player in New York and once made 23 tackles in one game against Denver in 1964. During the offseason he began his pro wrestling career while working for Vince McMahon Sr. McDaniel, along with former Houston Oiler player Dory Funk Jr. were among low salaried football players who dabbled in wrestling. McDaniel and Funk would become longtime rivals and later legends in the wrestling business.

McDaniel got his nickname Wahoo from his father who was known as "Big Wahoo". Wahoo grew up in Midland, Texas and was an accomplished athlete. One of his high school baseball coaches was future President George H.W. Bush. McDaniel earned a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and played for legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. During his career at Oklahoma, he played in two Orange Bowl games with the Sooners on New Years Day of 1958 and 1959. Oklahoma won both times.

Wahoo McDaniel played three seasons with the Dolphins from 1966-68. But after an altercation where he knocked out two police officers, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers. McDaniel would never play a down in San Diego and quit football to pursue wrestling full time. For the next 20 plus years, he became one of pro wrestling's most iconic figures. His glory years were wrestling in the Mid Atlantic area staging many memorable matches with his peers Ric Flair, Harley Race and the Funk Brothers. But his health quickly declined in the mid 90s and eventually lost both kidneys. He died on April 18, 2002 from complications due to diabetes and renal failure. Wahoo McDaniel was 63 years old.

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Prince

2011-02-18T09:52:00.001-08:00

April 7, 1985: The artist known as Prince performs at the Orange Bowl during the final show of his Purple Rain tour

During the spring of 1985, there wasn't a bigger music star in the world than the artist known as Prince. His landmark Purple Rain album had catapulted the eccentric musician to the top of the pop charts,eclipsing Michael Jackson. Not only was the album number one in sales at the time, he also starred in the movie "Purple Rain" which also did well at the box office.

At the very height of his career, Prince brought his band The Revolution to the Orange Bowl on April 7, 1985 for the final concert of his Purple Rain tour. The Orange Bowl was transformed into the "Purple Bowl". More than 55,000 people attended and they didn't leave disappointed. The opening act was percusionist/singer Sheila E., who was a Prince protoge and had a popular song on the pop charts "The Glamorous Life". Prince performed 22 songs that evening, including every song from the Purple Rain album. He closed his show appropriately with the album's title track.

The tour sold 1.7 million tickets according to Spin Magazine. It also marked the touring debut of his band The Revolution. The Orange Bowl performance would be Prince's only appearance at the legendary stadium. But it wouldn't be his last or most memorable South Florida concert. Nearly 22 years later, Prince performed at halftime of Super Bowl XLI at Dolphins Stadium (Now known as Sun Life Stadium).

Orange Bowl Snapshot: Bennie Blades vs. Notre Dame 1985

2011-02-17T10:11:00.001-08:00

November 30, 1985: Miami safety Bennie Blades returns an interception 61 yards for a touchdown against Notre Dame. Miami won 58-7

During the 1980s, the University of Miami Hurricanes were the bad boys of college football. But where did that reputation begin? If I had to pick one moment in a specific game, it would be Bennie Blades's pick six against Notre Dame in 1985.

At the time Blades was a young sophomore who was just beginning to make a name for himself as a college player. Notre Dame's program may have been at its lowest point. Gerry Faust was coaching his final game and the Irish entered with a 5-5 record. Late in the second quarter, Miami led 13-0 and was in control of the game. Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein fired a pass intended for running back Allen Pinkett. Blades cut in front of Pinkett, intercepted the pass and then used his sprinter's speed to easily cruise 61 yards to the end zone. As Blades returned the interception he slowed down and high-fived teammate Selwyn Brown before crossing the goal line.

By today's standards, that's not much of a big deal. Players celebrate all the time and this one was tame. But looking back, that play was the first sign of Miami "swagger" that I can remember witnessing. It also opened the floodgates as the Canes rolled to a 58-7 victory. CBS broadcasters Brent Musburger and former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian would voice their outrage over the lopsided score and accused Miami coach Jimmy Johnson of running it up.

Before that game, Miami didn't have much of a reputation other than upsetting Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl and losing to Boston College on the famed "Hail Flutie" play. But this game forever changed Miami's image. Many like to look back at the Canes antics prior to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl against Penn State. But the 1985 Notre Dame game was when Miami became the villains of college football.

South Florida Legend: George Smith

2011-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

The scowl. If you've ever seen or met St Thomas Aquinas High School football coach George Smith, you've experienced it. His facial expression rarely changes. Unless you really know Smith well, it's hard to tell whether he's happy or angry. He can be intimidating, sarcastic and sometimes even funny. The players change. But his face and his teams ability to win games rarely waivers. Smith is the epitome of consistency. His Aquinas Raiders have won 6 state championships, 7 runner-up finishes and 2 mythical national titles. But after 34 years of coaching and 361 career victories, we will no longer see Smith pace the sidelines in his trademark coach's shorts and scowl. He will step down as Aquinas head football coach, but will remain as the school's athletic director. Defensive coordinator Rocco Casullo will be Smith's replacement. It will be hard to imagine South Florida high school football without him.

George Smith never thought he'd be a coaching legend. In fact he never thought he'd be a head football coach. A native of Lafayette, Indiana and graduate of Purdue University, Smith moved to Fort Lauderdale and was originally hired by St. Thomas Aquinas to start the school's wrestling program in 1972. He spent 7 years coaching wrestling while also serving as an assistant football coach under then head coach Dave Franks. In 1975, Smith replaced Franks as head football coach and Broward County football would never be the same.

When Smith arrived at St. Thomas Aquinas, the school's athletic program was mostly known for Chris Evert's tennis exploits and the football team had yet to establish itself as a local power. Brian Piccolo, who graduated in 1961 back when the school as known as Central Catholic High School, was the most famous football alumnus at the time. Aquinas wasn't even considered the best Catholic school football program in Broward County, lagging behind rivals Cardinal Gibbons and Chaminade. That would change.

By the late 1970s St. Thomas Aquinas was starting to emerge as one of the best football programs in South Florida. Smith surrounded himself with quality assistants, many of whom have worked with him for decades or played for Smith. The success of Aquinas began to attract to players from all over Broward. These players included All American lineman Stefan Humphries and quarterback Mike Stanley, who later became a major league catcher for several years. By the early 1980s, Aquinas had eclipsed Hollywood Hills High School to become the predominant power of Broward County. Smith's 1981 Raiders, led by quarterback John Congemi, went undefeated during the regular season before losing to Suncoast High School of Riviera Beach in the state playoffs. It was the best finish in the history of the Aquinas program at that point. But the best was yet to come. Two years later, Aquinas went undefeated again. This time they were led by a big, cocky wide receiver named Michael Irvin. But again, Smith's quest for a state championship was dashed in the state playoffs by then Class 3A champion Titusville.

For all of Smith's success, it's hard to believe it took him 16 years to reach his first state championship game. That first title game appearance didn't go well. In 1991 Aquinas was crushed 39-14 by a Fort Walton Beach team led by future UF Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel. But after 17 years of frustration, Smith's finally got his first state championship ring in 1992 when Aquinas beat Tallahassee Leon 24-9 in Gainesville.

After finally winning it all, Smith called it quits after the 1992 season and remained as the school's athletic director. Mike Spencer took on the daunting task of replacing Smith. Spencer would quickly learn those big shoes were almost impossible to fill. Aquinas qualified for the state playoffs in 1993 and 1994, but were unable to maintain the program's dominance under Smith. Those two years being away from the sidelines were tough for Smith. He still had the competitive juices flowing and decided to return as head coach in 1995. From the that point on, Aquinas would be an almost regular participant in the 4A or 5A state championship games.

From 1996 through 2010, Aquinas reached the state title game a remarkable 11 times in 15 years. Five of those teams would leave with the championship trophy. But some of his best teams never won a title. During a 3-year stretch from 2004-2006, Aquinas lost to Lakeland each year including a double overtime heartbreaker in 2006 at Dolphin Stadium (Now Sun Life Stadium). Smith's 2009 team may have been his best ever. Aquinas was ranked #1 in the nation at the time by USA Today. But the Raiders were upset by Bradenton Manatee in the Class 5A semifinals. Smith's career would not end with a loss. The 2010 team would rebound and defeat Tampa Plant in the 5A state finals, giving Smith his 6th and final state title. It would be his last game..

George Smith leaves an enormous legacy and void in local high school football and Broward County athletics. Not only was he a great football coach, he also developed the most successful complete athletic program in South Florida as the school's athletic director. St. Thomas Aquinas has won or challenged for state titles in just about every varsity sport. The school's athletic program has won the Miami Herald's Broward County All Sports Award every year for over 20 years running.

He has a huge amount of admirers and critics. Many claim Aquinas has an unfair advantage over most of its competition.. Good or bad, St. Thomas Aquinas is a private school that has the ability to draw students throughout South Florida. In a few cases, there have been athletes who've moved to South Florida from out of state or from other parts of Florida just to be a part of Smith's program. One notable example was when former Miami Southwest High defensive back Lamarcus Joyner transferred to play for Aquinas during his senior year. While I can't prove St. Thomas Aquinas recruits athletes from other schools, there's no doubt talented kids want to be a part of that program. Under Smith, hundreds of his former players have gone on to college and have become successful in various fields. During his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin went out of his way to mention Smith in his speech and the impact he had on Irvin's life as a coach and mentor. No matter what your opinion may be of George Smith, there is no doubt there will never be another one like him.

George Smith by the numbers:

Career Record: 361-66

State Championships: 1992, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2010

National Championships: 2008, 2010

Undefeated Regular Seasons: 1981, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2010

Notable Former Players:

Tony Brown - Class of 00
Wes Byrum - Class of 07
Greg Cox - Class of 84
Duron Carter - Class of 09
John Congemi - Class of 82
Tavares Gooden - Class of 03
Leonard Hankerson - Class of 07
Stefan Humphries - Class of 84
Michael Irvin - Class of 84
Lamarcus Joyner - Class of
Sterling Palmer - Class of 89
Daryl Porter - Class of 93
Twan Russell - Class of 92
Nate Salley - Class of 02
Tony Sands - Class of 88
Terry Smith - Class of 93
Mike Stanley - Class of 81
Slip Watkins - Class of 86
James White - Class of 10
Major Wright - Class of 07
Sam Young - Class of 06

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Jim O'Brien

2009-09-02T11:15:00.001-07:00

Jim O'Brien might be the most unlikely Super Bowl hero who ever played. In 1970, the long-haired rookie kicker for the Baltimore Colts was just hoping to play in the NFL. He was a 3rd round draft pick from the University of Cincinnati and most football fans outside of Baltimore had never heard of him. But on January 17, 1971 in the Orange Bowl, O'Brien forever etched his name in Super Bowl history. He would kick a field goal in the final seconds to win Super Bowl V.

The 1970 football season was the first following the NFL-AFL merger. The first four Super Bowls matched up the champions from the NFL and the AFL. Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Colts were established NFL powers. The Colts were among three NFL franchises that joined the new American Football Conference that was primarily made up of teams from the old AFL. The Cowboys were the champions of the National Football Conference. Super Bowl V established several firsts in the history of the big game. It was the first Super Bowl played on artificial turf. It was also the first Super Bowl in which the MVP (Dallas linebacker Chuck Howley) was a defensive player and also played for the losing team.

Super Bowl V featured some of football's greatest players including hall of famers Johnny Unitas, John Mackey, Ted Hendricks, Mike Ditka, Bob Lilly and Bob Hayes. But it was also one of the most poorly played Super Bowls of all time. The game was often referred to as "The Blunder Bowl" or "Stupor Bowl" Both teams combined for a record 11 turnovers, including 7 by the Colts who were the winning team. Dallas committed a Super Bowl record 10 penalties for 133 yards. But the most enduring image of the game was Jim O'Brien's 32-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining in the game to give the Colts a 16-13 victory.

In a game that was filled with turnovers and mistakes, it was only fitting O'Brien's game winning field goal was set up by a Dallas interception. With less than a minute remaining in the game and the score tied 13-13, Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton threw a pass intended for running back Dan Reeves. The pass was high and bounced off Reeves's fingertips and fell into the arms of Colts linebacker Mike Curtis who returned the ball to the Dallas 32 yard line.

With only five seconds left on the clock, all eyes turned to Colts kicker Jim O'Brien. The rookie was under incredible pressure. O'Brien was an old-school straight-on style kicker, as opposed to today's kickers who all kick soccer-styled from the side of their foot. O'Brien was also one of the last of his era, who wasn't just a kicking specialist. He was also a wide receiver and wore #80. But if he was nervous, he never let anyone know he was scared.

"I always pretended that every field goal was the last second of a championship game," O'Brien said. "I wasn't the greatest kicker and I never pretended to be. I never told anybody I was. Whenever we needed a kick, I made it. I never missed a kick that would have won a game."

Colts quarterback Earl Morrall took the snap, placed the ball perfectly and O'Brien drilled the ball through the uprights of the Orange Bowl's east end zone. The Colts won their only Super Bowl as the Baltimore Colts.

"I knew that it was going to be good," O'Brien said. "It probably could have gone 55 yards. It was the best kick of my life and I was very fortunate to be in that spot and to be successful."

Jim O'Brien played only four seasons in the NFL. He was a decent to average kicker at best and also caught 14 passes as a backup receiver including 2 touchdowns in his career. He is not the only kicker to have the opportunity to win a Super Bowl. Twenty years after O'Brien's game winning field goal, Buffalo's Scott Norwood tried to duplicate O'Brien's heroics in Super Bowl XXV. But Norwood's 47-yard attempt fell wide right. O'Brien's distinction for being the only player to kick the game winning field goal in the Super Bowl finally ended when New England's Adam Vinatieri made the winning kick to beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Vinatieri did it again two years later to beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Mercury Morris

2009-09-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Former Miami Dolphins running back Eugene Morris was so quick on his feet, it was only appopriate he was nicknamed after the Greek god of speed--Mercury. When he scored, he didn't just settle for one yard runs or dives over the goal line. Morris preferred to cruise 40, 50, 60 and sometimes 70 yards past defensive players and leaving them in the dust. He ran fast on the field and he lived just as fast off it. Soon his life spun completely out of control and crashed with cocaine addiction. But just as he overcame the label of a "bust" after he was drafted, he beat his drug habits as well.

Eugene Morris was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He was always athletic, talkative and cocky. He was a standout high school basketball and football star at Avonworth High School. Academically he was a bit of an underachiever. He was intelligent, but didn't necessary apply himself in the classroom. His grades were average, but his athletic ability certainly wasn't. After graduation he took his talents to West Texas State University, now known as West Texas A&M University.

Morris first made a name for himself by putting up huge numbers at the small Texas college. He and USC's O.J. Simpson were the most prolific college runners of the day. During his junior year in 1967, Morris rushed for 1,274 yards and finished second in the nation behind Simpson. In 1968, Morris set college records with 340 yards rushing in one game, 1,571 in one season and 3,388 yards for his career. Unfortunatley for Morris, Simpson broke Morris's single-season rushing record. Simpson also had the advantage of playing for national power USC and easily won the Heisman Trophy. Morris was a small college phenom whose name was on top of the NCAA rushing statistics but was an unknown to most college football fans. But he was no secret to pro scouts.

During his career at West Texas State, Morris earned the nickname "Mercury" for his blazing speed and great breakaway runs. When his college career ended, he was invited to play in the North vs. South Shrine Game at the Orange Bowl. The North vs. South Shrine Game featured many of the top college seniors in the nation. For the first time, Morris got the opportunity to play and prove himself against athletes from bigger schools. But Morris struggled in his few carries and lost a fumble. He was still highly regarded by the pro scouts. But his draft stock slipped and he was picked in the 3rd round by the Miami Dolphins in 1969 NFL/AFL common draft.

When Morris arrived in Miami in 1969, the Dolphins were a struggling 3-year-old AFL franchise. George Wilson was in his final year as the team's head coach and there was a culture of losing. But while the Dolphins weren't winning many games, they were stockpiling a growing group of young, talented players. These young prospects included quarterback Bob Griese, running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, receiver Howard Twilley, defensive linemen Bill Stanfill and Manny Fernandez and defensive back Dick Anderson. This young core of players would later realize their potential under their next head coach Don Shula.

From the time Shula was hired by owner Joe Robbie to replace Wilson, the Miami Dolphins became South Florida's flagship franchise. They were the only pro team in town and they would no longer take a back seat to the University of Miami or local high school football. Miami became a Dolphins town. During Shula's first season as Dolphins head coach in 1970, Miami finished 10-4 and made the playoffs. Shula had brought a team-first mentality and discipline to a group of players who were talented but needed the right leadership. Most of the players bought into Shula's philosophy. But Mercury Morris wasn't one of them.

Morris found himself playing very little and backed up Jim Kiick at tailback. He was used to being the star of every team he played for and his ego demanded the same treatment with the Dolphins. But he needed an attitude adjustment. The Dolphins were emerging as one of the best teams in football and Morris felt left out. In 1970, he only carried the ball only 60 times the entire season, while the team clinched its first playoff appearance in franchise history. In 1971, Morris carried only 57 times and it appeared he was a huge draft bust. The Dolphins made it to Super Bowl VI, losing to the Dallas Cowboys 24-3. Miami was led by its punishing backfield of Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. While Csonka and Kiick were the most productive tandem of running backs in the NFL at the time, Super Bowl VI exposed a weakness amongst Miami's biggest strength. The team lacked a home run threat in the backfield. Csonka was power runner who gashed through defenses, often running over and trampling tacklers. Kiick was known for his versatility as both a runner and receiver and was money on goal line and short yardage situations. But neither Kiick nor Csonka had the speed to break big runs. The loss in Super Bowl VI opened the door for Morris. Mercury Morris never touched the ball from scimmage in the game and he vented his frustration.

"A reporter came up to me after the game and said, 'Hey Mercury, is there something wrong?'" Morris said. "I said yes, something's wrong. I didn't play in this game. The only time I was off the bench, except for the kickoffs, was for the national anthem."

Shula was concerned with Morris's attitude and discipline. But he never questioned his talent. In 1971, Morris averaged 5.8 yards per carry, the best on the team. Shula decided to increase Morris's role on the team for the 1972 season. He began rotating Morris and Kiick at the tailback position. Morris played so well, it became almost impossible for Shula to take him out. Soon, Morris had replaced Kiick as the leading tailback. The move could have completely destroyed team chemistry. Kiick and Csonka were the best of friends and were often inseparable. They were nicknamed "Butch and Sundance" and once did a promotional poster wearing cowboy outfits and riding horses. But both understood the promotion of Morris to starting tailback made the team better.

Morris made an immediate impact once he was inserted into the starting lineup. He rushed for exactly 1,000 yards, scored 12 touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. His galloping running style was perfect for the Orange Bowl's artificial turf. He often made violent cuts, faking out defenders and then darting past them. When he reached the end zone, he would often end his touchdown runs with a thunderous spike of the football. Morris and Larry Csonka became the first pair of running backs from the same team to rush for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. The Dolphins went from a good team to a great team--perhaps the greatest of all time. Miami finished the season undefeated and went on to beat the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. Morris was selected to the Pro Bowl and once again, found himself compared with Buffalo's O.J. Simpson as football's fastest running backs.

In 1973, Morris continued to make big plays from the backfield. He carried the ball 41 fewer times than in 1972, but he was more efficient. Morris rushed for 954 yards and averaged a remarkable 6.4 yards per carry, the best in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl again and Dolphins went 12-2 and went on to beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. It would be the last time the Miami Dolphins would rule pro football. It was also the last time, Morris would enjoy great individual success.

Morris's career began to decline in 1974. Injuries were beginning to take a toll and he played only five games in the 1974 season. Csonka, Kiick and wide receiver Paul Warfield would leave the Dolphins for the World Football League and the Miami dynasty was over. Off the field, Morris's life began to spiral out of control. He began using drugs, particularly cocaine. His play also began to suffer. In 1975, he played his final season with the Dolphins, rushing for 875 yards, but his average per carry was a career-low 4.0. Morris finished his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers in 1976 and carried the ball just 50 times for 256 yards.

With his football career over, Morris's drug use became a bigger problem. He not only used cocaine, he also was trafficking it. In 1982, his life hit rock bottom. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory 15 year term. But on March 6, 1986, his conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court due to evidence Morris had been unable to prove entrapment based on excluded evidence that was mistakenly characterized as hearsay. He was given a re-trial and reached a plea agreement. Morris was released from prison on 23, 1986. He had been given a new lease on life and he wasn't about to throw it away.

Morris always had the gift of gab. He was charasmatic, articulate and very likeable. He would use those skills as a motivational speaker and began preaching to young people about the dangers of drugs. Over the years, he's shared his story with thousands of people.

"I'm happy that things turned out the way they did in my life," Morris said. "And I'm thankful, as I look back, for every single circumstance that I've gone through because it's enabled me to learn something about myself and about what teammates are and about who people are."

Morris has remained close with his former Dolphin teammates and can be seen at just about every reunion.

"Eugene has grown immensley in the years since we've been playing together," said former Dolphin offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg. "He made some mistakes that a lot of young people make and he got caught and got into a lot of trouble for it and he paid the price for it. I really enjoy my relationship with Eugene Morris nowadays. He's a pleasure to be with---a very bright fellow, very articulate and just a lot of fun."

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Marino and Kosar 1984

2009-08-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Miami was the quarterback capital of the world in 1984. The Orange Bowl was the home field for pro and college football's best passers Dan Marino and Bernie Kosar. It was aerial excellence the sport had never seen before. Going into the 1984 season, Sports Illustrated placed Marino and Kosar on the cover its pro and college football preview issue. Both were tall, curley-haired righties from blue collard towns along the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, coming off great debut seasons in 1983 with the Dolphins and Hurricanes. It's been said the Sports Illustrated cover can be a jinx. But both quarterbacks would more than live up to the hype.

If you were a fan of the passing game, the Orange Bowl was your one-stop destination every fall weekend. Both quarterbacks were coming off spectacular debut seasons in 1983. Marino was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year and Kosar led the University of Miami to its first national championship as a redshirt freshman. But statistically the 1984 Miami quarterbacks set the standard of excellence at their respective levels. Marino completely re-wrote the NFL's passing records. He finished the season completing 362 or 564 passes for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. The Dolphins won the AFC title and reached Super Bowl XIX.

Kosar's 1984 season was a year of extremes. He would shatter all the UM passing records completed 262 of 416 passes for 3,642 yards and 25 touchdowns. But despite Kosar's amazing numbers, the Canes could not overcome a young defense that struggled under first-year coach Jimmy Johnson that included devastating consecutive losses to Maryland (42-40), Boston College (47-45) and UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl (39-37) to finish the season. Kosar would finish 4th in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was named Academic All American in his final season as a Cane. He would graduate academically and leave school to enter the NFL supplemental draft.

Neither the Dolphins nor the Hurricanes won championships in the 1984 season. But it may have been the most entertaining year to watch football at the Orange Bowl. The two quarterbacks would become close friends and rivals when Kosar joined the Cleveland Browns. They later became neighbors in Weston and teammates when Kosar joined the Dolphins in 1994 and backed up Marino for his final three seasons. It's doubtful South Florida football fans will ever see a better pair of quarterbacks come along at the same time again.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: The City of Miami Welcomes You To the Orange Bowl

2009-08-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

The great stadiums all have that special trademark feature that distinguishes it from any other facility. It doesn't have to be something flashy or extravagant. Boston's Fenway Park has the famed "Green Monster" left field wall. Chicago's Wrigley Field has the manual operated scoreboard and the ivy-covered brick walls. But when you walked into the Orange Bowl Stadium, you were greeted by the long, narrow sign made of thin sheet metal hanging from the north stands that read, "The City of Miami Welcomes You to the Orange Bowl." Along with the palm trees behind the east end zone, it made the Orange Bowl a unique place like nowhere else.

The famous stadium sign didn't always exist. When the Orange Bowl opened in 1937, it was originally known as Roddy Burdine Stadium, named after the famous local merchant. Burdine had died just months before it was built. The stadium capacity was just over 22,000 at the time and was single-decked. By 1948, the stadium was double-decked on both the north and south stands. Even though it was officially named Burdine Stadium, most fans and the media always referred to it as the Orange Bowl. By 1959, the stadium's name was officially changed to the Orange Bowl. But still the sign didn't exist.

By the early 1960s, the City of Miami continued to renovate and expand the stadium. A project was launched to double-deck the west end zone. In 1963 the west end zone became connected with the north and south stands. Several changes to the stadium were made, including a new scoreboard and a new entrance sign outside the west end of the stadium which read "Miami Orange Bowl" in large orange letters. But the most noticeable addition was the new sign that separated the upper and lower decks of the north stands, "The City of Miami Welcomes You to the Orange Bowl". It was painted orange with white letters. Over the years, the design and color scheme had changed. By 1983, the sign was remade was painted white with orange letters. In the late 1990s the sign was expanded to include names of former great University of Miami players as part of its Ring of Honor. Names like Vinny Testaverde, Bernie Kosar, Jim Dooley, Ted Henricks, George Mira and Ottis Anderson were among those listed.

I'm not sure where the sign is today. I would like to think someone has it saved and displayed in their backyard. Perhaps its in a museum. It's possible it was destroyed and recycled along with the rest of the rubble of concrete and steel during the spring of 2008. But whererever it is, the sign will go down as one of the great landmarks the City of Miami will ever have.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Carlos Alvarez

2009-08-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Carlos Alvarez wasn't the first athlete, nicknamed "The Cuban Comet". That distinction belongs to former major league baseball player Minnie Minoso. But to University of Florida fans, he was truly an original. For a short time, he was college football's best and most dynamic receiver. He set records that would last for decades at UF and he did it in an era when few college teams threw the ball frequently. He was the pride of Miami's Cuban community and his homecoming in 1969 against the Hurricanes would turn into one of the great indivdual performances ever by a receiver in the Orange Bowl. The Cuban Comet was launched.

Alvarez arrived in Miami when he was ten-years-old and he barely knew a word of english. His family had just fled Cuba following the Castro Revolution. As a young boy new to the United States, he recalled sitting in classroom behind a student named Paul Armstrong. Alvarez copied everything from Armstrong's paper, including his name. Adjusting to life in Miami wasn't easy. But what made the transition smoother was his love for sports. Alvarez was always athletic and was blessed with good foot speed. He was an accomplished basketball player and track athlete. But the sport that he loved most was American football.

At North Miami High School, Alvarez became one of the best athletes in Miami-Dade County. He played running back and his blazing speed made him one of the best high school players in the state. During his senior year in 1967, he was named to the Miami Herald's All City Team and became the subject of an intense recruiting war between the Universities of Miami and Florida. He grew up watching the Hurricanes and was a fan of quarterback George Mira. But during the recruiting process, there was one incident that made him a Gator for life.

"My dislike for Miami started when they were recruiting me and at the office of their head coach at the time, Charlie Tate," Alvarez said. "There was a stuffed Gator hanging---right in the middle of his office. When it upset me right away, I knew immediately I was Gator bound." Alvarez said.

Another factor that helped steer Alvarez to Gainesville was the recruiting efforts of UF assistant coach Lindy Infante, who was a graduate of Miami High and of Cuban descent. "Lindy said to my mother that he was Cuban, then my mom really pushed to go there."

The awkward young boy who once struggled with english developed into a stellar student in the classroom. He scored a 491 out of a possible 495 on the state placement test, making him one of the state's brightest student athletes as well one of its best. When he arrived in Gainesville, freshmen were ineligible to play varsity football. Because he didn't have great size, UF coaches decided to move him from running back to receiver to better utilize his speed. In high school, Alvarez caught only one pass in his career. But just as he adapted to American society as a young immigrant, he made the smooth transition to wide receiver. He was a quick study.

In 1969, Alvarez exploded onto the college football scene. He was one of a talented group of sophomores who helped energize the University of Florida football program. This group included quarterback John Reaves and running back Tommy Durrance. Together they were known as "The Super Sophs". In his first college game, Alvarez and the Gators crushed the University of Houston 59-34. Alvarez caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Reaves on the very first pass play of their college careers. Game after game the combination of Reeves to Alvarez was shattering SEC records. By the end of the 1969 season, Alvarez caught 88 passes for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns--all SEC records.

But the highlight of his great sophomore season came in the Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes. As a high school player, Alvarez had never won a game at the Orange Bowl. His North Miami High teams lost twice there. His freshmen team at UF had also lost to the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl. But on November 29, 1969, Alvarez turned the Orange Bowl into his house. A crowd of 70,934 packed the stadium and many of them were Cubans watching their first American football game waiving Cuban flags. Alvarez turned in amazing record performance. He caught 15 passes for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Gators won 35-16 and finished the season with an 8-1-1 record.

"I knew in the beginning when we were warming up that something was going to happen in that game," Alvarez said. "Then the whole evening, we just couldnt miss. Having all your relatives there and a lot of Cubans up in the stands, it was pretty magical."

He was named to the Kodak All American Team and was the youngest player and only sophomore selected to the squad. Alvarez seemed to be on his way to breaking every receiving record in college football. But a knee injury he suffered in high school while playing basketball became worse. "There was no injury per se," Alvarez said. "My right knee just started to swell." It was deteremined by doctors that the end of Alvarez's bone was beginning to wear out. He was never quite the same player again. He was limited in practice and his play began to decline. He continued to be a productive receiver, but his numbers would never approach what he accomplished as a sophomore. During his junior year in 1970, he caught 44 passes for 717 yard and 5 touchdowns. He caught 40 passes for 517 yards and 2 touchdowns his senior year.

Off the football field, Alvarez was a brilliant student and was a campus activist. It was during the Vietnam War era and America's youth began questioning the social order. He formed a group called the Florida League of Athletes. Many thought it was type of union for players to make demands of coaches and administrators. But according to Alvarez it wasn't.

"That was probably the most misunderstood group that ever got together on a college campus," Alvarez said. "All it was ever meant to do was to apprise people that athletes were students too and that we could participate in campus activties whether they were controversial or not.

Due to his chronic injuries, Alvarez never made it to the NFL. But he followed in his father's footsteps and became an attorney. He graduated from Duke University Law School in 1975 and currently practices law in Tallahassee.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Jerome Brown

2009-08-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

There was nothing small about Jerome Brown. The former University of Miami defensive tackle was not only a physically large man, he lived large. He played big in big games. He spoke loudly and he loved to drive his cars fast. He was the leader of the swaggering Miami Hurricanes of the 1980s. He played and lived with swagger until the day he died.

Just about the only thing small about Jerome Brown was his hometown of Brooksville, Florida, located just north of Tampa in Hernando County. He was always the biggest kid in his class. His personality was just as large as his size. He was a class clown, loud and gregarious and always backed up his boastful claims. People were always drawn to him and he never lacked friends. By the time he graduated from Hernando High School, he was a hometown legend. He was a star in football, baseball and basketball. As a senior he was 6-foot-2, 250 pounds and had the speed of players much smaller. He led Hernando High School's baseball team to a state championship as a junior, while leading the team in home runs and stolen bases. He was the leading scorer and rebounder on the basketball team. But on the football field, he was truly a man among boys playing defensive tackle and tight end. He was recognized as one of the finest high school athletes in the nation and was named to the prestigious Parade All American Team in 1982. Colleges from all over the Southeast rushed to Hernando High School to recruit him. In the end, he chose to attend the University of Miami and its emerging football program.

It didn't take Brown long to make a strong impression on the Miami coaches. He was one of five true-freshmen to see action on the 1983 national championship team. He was a raw talent who got by on natural athletic ability. But his technique was poor and he was at times undisciplined. Brown's first two years at UM were spent primarily as a backup. But everything came together his junior year in 1985. He went from a raw prospect to quite possibly the most dominant defensive lineman to ever suit up for Hurricanes.

By 1985, Brown had grown to 275 pounds and finally became a polished player. He was now able to blend technique along with his natural athletic gifts. He introduced himself to the college football world on October 19, 1985. The Canes traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. Miami was a young team and unranked at the time, while Oklahoma was a top national championship contender. In a game that featured two future hall of famers (Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman) and dozens of future NFL players, Jerome Brown was the best athlete on the field. Late in the first quarter with the score tied 7-7, Oklahoma attempted a short field goal to take the lead. Brown charged up the middle, through the Oklahoma line, and blocked the kick. He then pumped his arms and screamed to the crowd it was going to be a long day for the Sooners. Brown almost single-handidly dominated the game. Late in the second quarter, he sacked Oklahoma quarterback Troy Aikman. Two plays later, he stormed by the OU offensive line and combined with UM teammate John McVeigh to sack Aikman again. The tackle was so violent, Aikman would fracture his leg. The injury ended Aikman's career at Oklahoma and lead to his transfer to UCLA where he would later emerge as a top pro prospect. Brown finished the afternoon with 14 tackles from his defensive tackle position, blocked a kick and a recovered a fumble. He did this despite being constantly double-teamed. The Canes won 27-14 and were back as a national championship contender. The Canes finished the year 10-2 and Brown was named All American.

When the 1986 season began, Miami emerged as the nation's most dominant team. The Canes also developed a bad boy reputation both on and off the field. UM players were known for talking trash and intimidating opponents. Brown was the team's unquestioned leader. He would sack quarterbacks and throw down ball carriers like sacks of garbage and then stand over them and talk trash. When Oklahoma visited the Orange Bowl play Hurricanes in 1986, Brown set the tone during the coin toss. He stared down the Oklahoma captains at midfield and then yelled "fresh meat!" The second-ranked Canes beat #1 Oklahoma again 28-16 behind 4 touchdown passes by Vinny Testaverde. The Canes cruised through the regular season undefeated and Jerome Brown was the most feared defensive lineman in college football. Despite missing three games due to injury, he was still named to every All American team that existed and was a finalist for the Outland and Lombardi Trophies. The Canes finished the season ranked #1 and were invited to the Fiesta Bowl to play #2 Penn State.

When the Canes arrived in Tempe, Arizona, Brown became the focus of attention. It was his idea to dress up the team in military fatigues during the Canes flight to Arizona. Brown was the first player to get off the plane and he made it clear he was ready for war. During a steak fry function hosted by the Fiesta Bowl, Brown was insulted by a racial skit performed by the Penn State players that also lampooned Miami coach Jimmy Johnson. He led a walkout of the Miami players from the restaurant and said, "Did the Japanese go sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor befor they bombed them?" But Penn State was ready and upset Miami 14-10. Brown and the Canes defense did their part to win the game. Miami dominated every statistic except the score. Penn State was held to just 162 yards of total offense. But Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw five interceptions and Canes turned the ball over seven times. Brown had a sack and led a stout defense. But his efforts were left wasted in Tempe.

Jerome Brown finished his UM career with 183 career tackles, including 21 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, caused 5 fumbles and recovered 4. The Canes played in a New Years Day bowl in all four years he played, including the national championship in his freshman season at the 1984 Orange Bowl.

In 1987 he was selected in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles. He quickly prospered playing for head coach Buddy Ryan and teammed up with Reggie White and Clyde Simmons to form one of the best defensive lines in the NFL at the time. He was named twice to the Pro Bowl.

Off the football field, he also stood out. He was easily recognized on campus for riding his red motor scooter to class. He once broke up a Ku Klux Klan rally by himself in his hometown.

"Jerome had a big 4-wheel drive truck with speakers and loud music," said former Eagle teammate Keith Byars. "And Jerome just came out there and drowned the whole Klan rally they had going. He wasn't going to back down to them and they just dispersed."

He once saved a trucker in an overturned cab. "I tried to interview him about the KKK rally,"said Ray Didinger of the Philadelphia Daily News. "I tried to interview him about saving the trucker on the highway. But he really didn't want to deal with it. In his mind, he did what anybody would have done under those circumstances."

But in the prime of his career, his life was cut short. On June 25, 1992, Brown and his 12-year-old nephew Gus were killed in an automobile accident in their hometown of Brooksville. Brown lost control of his Corvette at high speed and crashed into a power pole. He was 27-years-old.

"He's a person who impacted a team like nobody on any team I've ever played on," said former UM teammate and punter Jeff Feagles.

During an interview with NFL Films, former UM quarterback Vinny Testaverde said of Brown, "Whenever you talk about Jerome Brown to anybody, the first thing you do is smile. He really touched so many people in such a short time that he was with us. It really was incredible."

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Ed Newman

2009-08-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Longtime sports broadcaster Keith Jackson used to refer to offensive linemen as "the big uglies". The stereotype has always been that offensive linemen were big on brawn but not necessarily big on brains. Former Dolphins guard Ed Newman fit only part of that stereotype. He was arguably the strongest player to ever wear the Miami Dolphins uniform and possibly the smartest. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Newman set the Dolphins bench press record lifting 510 pounds. But even more impressive, was his transition from the football field to his current job as a Miami-Dade County circuit court judge.

Ed Newman arrived in Miami in 1973 as a 6th round draft pick out of Duke University. At the time, the Dolphins were the best team in football. Miami was coming off a perfect 17-0 season and boasted pro football's best offensive line that included All-Pro guards Larry Little and Bob Kuechenberg. From the moment he arrived, Newman was considered a longshot. At 6'2 and 245 pounds he wasn't particularly big--even for those times. But what Newman did possess was unbelievable strength, work ethic and intelligence. He made the team, but he was burried deep in the depth chart. He barely saw action in his first four seasons and was relegated to mostly special teams. He didn't become a fulltime starter until his seventh year. But by then, Newman had already planned his life after football.

Newman was football's renaissance man. From the moment he was drafted, he never planned on having a long career. He constantly challenged his body and mind. During the offseason he took classes at the University of Miami Law School. He also worked as a volunteer wrestling coach at Florida International University, back when the school had a wrestling program. He was a workout warrior in the weight room. When Bob Kuechenberg set the team record with a 485 pound bench press, Newman equaled Kuenchenberg's lift and then just kept adding weight. It was clear, Newman was not your ordinary offensive lineman.

By 1979 Newman was too good to keep on the bench. After six years of paying his dues as a backup, it was his turn to start. Aside from his strength, Newman was also known for his ability as a technician. He was a master at using leverage and beating bigger defensive lineman at the point of attack. By 1981, he was considered one of the NFL's best guards and was selected the first of his four Pro Bowls. In 1982, he helped the Dolphins return to the Super Bowl for the first time in nine years. The Dolphins lost to the Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. The 1983 season started a new era of Dolphin football--the Dan Marino years. Newman had spent his whole career protecting Bob Griese, David Woodley and Don Strock. He would now have to place more emphasis on his pass-blocking as the Dolphins became more throwing oriented. Newman played his final season in 1984, helping the Dolphins win the AFC title. His final game was the loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. It was the last time the Dolphins had reached the Super Bowl. Newman blew out his knee before the 1985 season and retired from football.

Ed Newman played all 12 seasons of his NFL career with the Dolphins, which consisted of 167 games. All of his home games were played at the Orange Bowl. As a 6th round pick, he never expected to play this long. When his football career ended, he was ready to embark on his next career in law. Throughout his football career he prepared himself for life after sports. During road trips he would often spend his time reading law books on the plane rather than his playbook. When he retired from football, he had already earned his law degree from the University of Miami. He worked for a private law firm, started his own firm and then was elected as a Dade County circuit court judge in 1995 where he remains today.

Recently Newman was interviewed by Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel about his transition from football player to judge. He replied, "The feeling I used to get running out in the Orange Bowl between the cheerleaders as the crowd cheered my introduction is the same feeling I get now when the bailiff say 'All rise,' and I walk in the courtroom."

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: 1981 Clemson Tigers

2009-08-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

(Top) Clemson quarterback Homer Jordan in action during the 1982 Orange Bowl. (Bottom) Receiver Perry Tuttle celebrates after catching a touchdown pass to give Clemson a 22-15 victory over Nebraska

The 1981 college football season was one of the craziest and most unpredictable in the history of the sport. It seemed nobody wanted to win the national championship. At several points in the season, six different teams were ranked #1 by the Associated Press. Most of them were beaten just as quickly as they earned the top spot. But when the season was over and the bowl games were finished, the Clemson Tigers stood alone undefeated following a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl and were crowned national champions.

When the 1981 season began, Clemson was nowhere on the national championship radar screen. The Tigers were coming off a mediocre 6-5 season in 1980 and were, at best, considered a contender for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Meanwhile, Michigan began the year as the nation's top ranked team. But the Woverines were quickly upset in week one by Wisconsin. Notre Dame was elevated to #1 and were then beaten by Michigan. Then USC lasted two weeks as #1 until falling to Arizona. Texas then became #1 and was swiflty thrashed by Arkansas. Then Penn State took over and was quickly upset by Miami in the Orange Bowl. Dan Marino and Pittsburgh were then elevated to the top spot and were beaten the next week by Penn State. But while one undefeated team after another kept losing every week, Clemson just kept winning.

The Tigers slow rise to #1 quickly gained momentum with an early season 13-3 upset victory over defending national champion Georgia. The Clemson defense contained Georgia's great tailback Herschel Walker and kept him out of the end zone. Week after week, Clemson was getting better. Offensively the team was led by junior quarterback Homer Jordan, who was a duel threat as a runner and passer. It was a run-oriented offense featuring a fine tandem of tailbacks in Cliff Austin and Chuck McSwain. When they needed a big play, Jordan often threw deep to receiver Perry Tuttle, who later became a first round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills. But the true strength of the Clemson team was its defense. The Tigers had three All Americans including safety Terry Kinard, linebacker Jeff Davis and defensive end Jeff Bryant. All three went on to solid pro careers. But the most famous member of the Clemson defense was a large freshman defensive tackle named William Perry. Perry would later gain fame for his nickname "The Refrigerator" and became a football folk hero with the Chicago Bears as a lovable overweight defensive lineman who sometimes scored touchdowns while lining up at fullback .

After finishing the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record, Clemson was invited to the Orange Bowl to play Big 8 champion Nebraska. The Huskers were also an interesting story in 1981. Nebraska had rebounded from an 0-2 start and turned its season around behind the play of sophomore quarterback Turner Gill and a great duo of tailbacks Roger Craig and Mike Rozier. But late in the season, Gill suffered a broken leg and was unable to play in the Orange Bowl. He was replaced by Mark Mauer who was the team's starting quarterback in the beginning of the season. Despite Clemson's perfect record, there were still some doubts about coach Danny Ford's team. The ACC was considered more of a basketball conference and some questioned if the Tigers had played a tough enough schedule. But on January 1, 1982 in the Orange Bowl, those doubts were completely erased.

Thousands of orange-clad Clemson fans made the trip from South Carolina to Miami for the game. They were joined in the Orange Bowl stadium by an equally fanatical group of Nebraska backers. To mark its first trip to the Orange Bowl in over 30 years, Clemson wore all orange uniforms for the first time. The Tigers took a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter behind a Donald Igwebuike 41-yard field goal. But Nebraska came back with some trickery when I-back Mike Rozier threw a 25-yard option pass to Anthony Steels for a touchdown to take the lead 7-3. Leading 13-7 in the third quarter, Clemson took control for good when Homer Jordan threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Perry Tuttle, giving the Tigers a commanding 19-7 lead. Clemson held on to win 22-15 bringing home the school's first and only national championship. At 34-years-old, Danny Ford became the youngest coach to lead his team to a national title.

But following the 1981 season, Clemson was penalized by the NCAA for recruiting violations and were placed on probation. Ford would coach eight more seasons at Clemson with solid success. But Clemson has yet contend for another national championship since. The 1981 Clemson Tigers were only the third team in Orange Bowl history to win the national championship with a perfect record. The Tigers may have not been the best team to play in the New Year's Orange Bowl game, but they certainly were the most unexpected champion.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Poly Turf

2009-08-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

(Top) The Orange Bowl field during Super Bowl X in 1976. (Middle) Orange Bowl field during Super Bowl V in 1971 and (Bottom)An overhead view of the Orange Bowl during the early 1970s

Former major league baseball player Dick Allen once said of his disgust with artificial turf, "If a horse won't eat it, I don't want to play on it." Hated by athletes, but used as a then cost-cutting maintainance measure, artificial turf became a staple at outdoor sports stadiums around the nation in the 1970s. The Orange Bowl was among the first in this trend. In 1970, the City of Miami decided to replace the natural grass field of the Orange Bowl with a form of artificial grass known as Poly-Turf. From the 1970 season through Super Bowl X in January of 1976, Poly Turf covered the Orange Bowl field.

Poly-Turf was manufactured by the company American Biltrite. It was one of three different types of artificial grass used in stadiums at the time, along with Tartan Turf and Astro Turf. When Poly-Turf was installed at the Orange Bowl, its impact on the game was huge. The playing surface became faster enabling running backs and receivers to make quicker cuts.

"When I first got on it, I felt superfast," said former Miami Dolphin running back Jim Kiick. "But then I started thinking, what do the fast guys feel like?"

The Miami Dolphins quickly used Poly Turf to its advantage. Players like receiver Paul Warfield and running back Mercury Morris thrived on the surface. Both players were quick on any surface. But on Poly Turf, they were almost impossible for defenses to contain. Another characteristic of Poly-Turf was its ability to absorb heat. At times playing conditions became unbearably hot.

"It was difficult. It was hard because the heat reflected off the artificial turf," Kiick said. "There were times when the temperatures were 130 degrees on the field."

While the Dolphins were used to playing and practicing in the hot climate of South Florida, visiting teams often wilted on the Poly-Turf. From 1971 through 1974, the Dolphins won 31 consecutive games at the Orange Bowl, including three consecutive AFC titles from 71-73 and back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973. It may not be a coincidence that the glory years of the Dolphin franchise corresponded with the Poly-Turf years.

On January 17,1971, the Orange Bowl hosted Super Bowl V between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Colts. It was the first Super Bowl played on artificial turf. Poly Turf continued to cover the Orange Bowl playing field until the beginning of 1976. Super Bowl X would be the last football game played on the fake grass.

As the years went by, it became apparent Poly-Turf was becoming a hinderance rather than an advantage. The hard surface led to an increased number of leg, ankle and knee injuries. The turf began to deteriorate over time and many players claimed they would trip over the seams of the field. The turf began to discolor from green to blue due to the harsh UV intensity of the Miami sun. It had run its course.

Natural grass returned the Orange Bowl for the 1976 season and remained there until the end of the stadium in 2008. But while the Dolphins enjoyed unrivaled success on the hard, plastic surface, the legacy of Poly-Turf remains mostly negative. It only proved that sometimes technology can never replace something created by Mother Nature.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Pink Floyd

2009-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to see many concerts at the Orange Bowl. As a classic rock nut, I've seen the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen perform on numerous occasions at the OB. But perhaps the most memorable show was turned in by the British psychedelic art-rock ensemble Pink Floyd. On November 1, 1987, Pink Floyd performed its first and only concert at the Orange Bowl. It was an amazing visual spectacle of laser lights and sound that drew nearly 45,000 people.

To be honest, Pink Floyd is not close to being my favorite band. At times I've found their music to be slow, dull and even boring. Their sound was often described as dour, gloomy and melancholy. I always kind of perceived them to be a band you could only listen to while stoned. But while I didn't always appreciate Pink Floyd as a great band, there was no denying it had produced some of rock's greatest masterpiece albums like "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall". I did like some of their songs. My personal favorite has always been "Wish You Were Here", which happens to be the first song I ever learned to play on guitar. The only reason I attended the concert was because my friend had an extra ticket. I was a 17-year-old high school senior at the time and it was an excuse to get out of the house, hang out with my friends and watch thousands of stoned-out people act crazy.

From the onset, this concert had a different feel than any show I've attended. Like all concerts at the Orange Bowl, the stage was setup in the east end of the stadium. The weather was perfect for Pink Floyd. The skies were gloomy and it rained the entire evening. But I was astounded by the performance itself. The band played almost letter-perfect on stage. You could tell these musicians were perfectionists. But the most impressive part was the visual presentation, complete with lasers and a huge circular video screen that hovered over the stage. The band's lineup consisted of guitarist and singer David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, keyboardist Richard Wright and an assembly of backup singers and musicians. Original band member and principal songwriter Roger Waters was no longer with the band. But if Waters' absence was felt, nobody seemed to notice. The atmosphere was electric. Unlike most outdoor and open air stadiums, the Orange Bowl has always had good acoustics for concerts. The sound completely filled the air and was clear. Pink Floyd performed all of its classic songs along with selections from its then supporting album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason".

The tour itself was a huge financial success. Pink Floyd was the second highest grossing band of 1987, bringing in $60 million from the U.S. tour. Prior to the 1987 tour, it had been seven long years since the band had peformed live. It was obvious there was still huge demand from its fans. Their following is loyal and fanatical. I never looked at Pink Floyd quite the same way since that show.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Olympic Soccer

2009-08-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Brazilian forward Bebeto in action against Ghana during the 1996 Olympic soccer tournament in the Orange Bowl

American football has always been the main attraction at the Orange Bowl. But the sport the rest of the world calls football also has a long history at the stadium. While the City of Atlanta hosted the Olympic games in 1996, the Orange Bowl was one of five stadiums from around the country to host Olympic soccer matches.

The tournament included teams from 16 countries divided into four groups. Miami and Orlando hosted first round games for Groups B and D. Fans from Brazil, Japan, Hungary, Nigeria, France, Australia, Ghana and Saudi Arabia would fill the Orange Bowl with their colorful flags, serenading the players with chants and songs that echoed across Little Havana. But the team everyone wanted to see was Brazil.

In the legendary history of the Brazilian national team, they've won just about every major tournament in the world. Brazil has won 5 World Cup titles, more than any nation on the planet. But for all its success and dominance, the Brazilians have yet to capture an Olympic gold medal. It wasn't from a lack of trying. In 1996, Brazil sent a team to the Olympics filled with some of the most talented and famous players to ever play the sport. The roster was filled with names like Ronaldo, Bebeto, Rivaldo and Juninho. These players were so world-renowned, they only needed one name to be recognized.

But it didn't take long for the Olympic curse to rear its ugly head on Brazil. In its first match, Brazil faced heavy underdog Japan. A crowd of 46,713, mostly carrying Brazilian flags, gathered at the Orange Bowl. But in the 72nd minute of the match, Japan scored the game's only goal. It was a stunning defeat. Brazil would rebound and win its next two matches against Hungary and Nigeria. The match against Nigeria drew the largest crowd of the tournament--55,650.

But attendance at the Orange Bowl was mostly disappointing. If Brazil wasn't playing, the fans weren't coming. One match between France and Saudi Arabia drew just 4,615 fans. Another match between Australia and Saudi Arabia atracted only 5,997 spectators. Of the teams that competed in Miami, Brazil and Nigeria advanced to the medal round. Despite beating Nigeria in the tournament's first round, the Nigerians got revenge when it counted and beat Brazil 4-3 in Athens, Georgia. Nigeria won the gold medal, while Argentina took the silver and Brazil had to settle with a disappointing bronze.

Beyond the 1996 Olympics, soccer has a rich history in the Orange Bowl Stadium. During the 1970s, it was the home field for the Miami Toros of the North American Soccer League. Over the years, it's been the site several FIFA tournaments including the CONCAF Gold Cup which featured the best teams in the Western Hemisphere. National teams from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and the United States have used the stadium for World Cup qualifying matches. The Haitian national team once used the Orange Bowl as its home field due to political unrest in its country. One of the most famous soccer matches played at the Orange Bowl took place May 29, 1994 when the Colombian National Team beat Italian club soccer power A.C. Milan 2-1 in front of 57,724 fans. It is still the largest crowd to watch a soccer match in Florida.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Bernard Clark

2009-08-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Linebacker Bernard Clark and head coach Jimmy Johnson celebrate after Miami's 20-14 victory over Oklahoma in the 1988 Orange Bowl

Some football players have a knack for playing their best in big games. Former University of Miami linebacker Bernard Clark was one of those clutch athletes. He wasn't an All American. He played briefly in the NFL as a backup linebacker. You won't find his name on the list of great Hurricane linebackers like Ray Lewis, Dan Morgan or Micheal Barrow. But when national championships were at stake, no linebacker in UM history took his game to a higher level than Bernard Clark.

Born and raised in Tampa, Clark was given the nickname "Tiger" by his parents when he was a baby. He would always squirm, growl and fight like a tiger when his parents would try to lift him from his crib. Despite a fine career at Tampa's Leto High School, Clark wasn't considered a big name or a blue-chip recruit. His college choices were Miami and Oklahoma State. Clark came to Miami as part of Jimmy Johnson's first recruiting class in 1985. The Hurricanes were coming off a disappointing 8-5 season and Jimmy Johnson was already under fire. The Hurricanes finished the 1984 season with three consecutive excruciating losses to Maryland, Boston College and UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl.

Many questioned if Johnson was the right coach to lead UM after inheriting a program that had won a national championship under his predecesor Howard Schnellenberger. Three UM assistant coaches, Bill Trout, Christ Vagotis and Mike Archer, all quit or left the program by the end of the 1984 season. All three were leftovers from the Schnellenberger regime. The instability in the coaching staff began to affect local recruiting. Dade County's top high school players were no longer considering the Hurricanes and went elsewhere. They included Hialeah Miami Lakes receiver Michael Timpson (Penn State), South Miami linebackers Keith Carter (FSU) and Derrick Thomas (Alabama) and American High offensive lineman Chris Pettaway (LSU). But what fans and critics didn't know was Johnson was quietly assembling a great recruiting class without much fanfare.

Bernard Clark was part of a 1985 recruiting class that included quarterback Steve Walsh, defensive linemen Greg Mark and Jimmie Jones, defensive backs Bobby Harden and Kenny Berry and offensive linemen Bobby Garcia and Rod Holder. It was a small class of players that was not rated high by the recruiting gurus. But this group would go on to become the winningest recruiting class in Hurricane football history. From 1986 to 1989, the Canes went 45-3 and won two national championships. UM finished no lower than #2 in the nation in those years and never lost a home game at the Orange Bowl.

When he signed his letter of intent with Miami, there was nothing particularly special about Clark. He was just another name in a list of anonymous freshmen. He redshirted his freshman season in 1985 and didn't play a down, while developing his skills on the scout team. In 1986, he finally got on the field, but his role was limited to special teams and coming in on "garbage time" when the Hurricanes would blow out opponents and play in the fourth quarter. By 1987, it appeared Clark was no more than a career backup player. George Mira Jr. was the team's starting middle linebacker and UM's all time leading tackler. The Hurricanes went undefeated during the 1987 regular season and Mira was a tackling machine. But just before Miami's national championship showdown with #1 ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, Mira and offensive lineman John O'Neill were suspended by the NCAA for testing positive for steroids. Bernard Clark would finally step out of the shadows and get his chance to start at middle linebacker in the biggest college game of the year.

The Sooners featured a high-powered wishbone attack that averaged 420 yards rushing per game. Without Mira, many believed the Canes would not be able to stop Oklahoma's running game---everybody except Bernard Clark. He spent his first three years of college as an unknown and now it was his time to shine. He was determined to make the most of his opportunity. To stop Oklahoma, Miami's defense had to play disciplined assignment football. Clark's responsibility to was to stop Oklahoma's fullback Lydell Carr. Clark responded by making 14 solo tackles and Carr was relegated as a non-factor. The Hurricanes beat the Sooners 20-14 to capture UM's second national championship. Clark was named the game's defensive MVP.

Clark's stunning performance in the Orange Bowl brought big expectations. How could he top that performance? He finally became the team's full time starting middle linebacker in 1988. The Canes, once again, were college football's premiere team. While Clark played well, he didn't quite play up to expectations. His play was inconsistant. There were times when he wasn't a factor in some games. He wasn't even the most productive linebacker on the team, as fellow Tampa native Maurice Crum led the Canes in tackles with 110. Clark was not the prototype Miami linebacker. At 240 pounds, he was bigger and thicker than the typical Miami linebacker of that time. Miami preferred recruiting smaller and speedier players to play the linebacker position. The Canes finished the 1988 season 11-1, their only blemish was a controversial 31-30 loss to eventual national champion Notre Dame.

The 1989 UM football season was about redemption. Jimmy Johnson had left UM to become the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Dennis Erickson was brought in from Washington State to become the new Canes head coach. The young men who made up the 1985 recruiting class were now fifth year seniors. This group was determined to leave UM on top. But to do this, they would have to beat Notre Dame. For Bernard Clark, this game was personal. Notre Dame had beaten Miami thanks to a controversial fumble call on Canes fullback Cleveland Gary in the fourth quarter in 1988. Notre Dame won the national championship and 23 consecutive games. Miami players believed the championship was stolen from them. They would not let it happen again.

On November 25, 1989, the Orange Bowl was in a frenzy. A then-record crowd of 81,634 packed the stadium. Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz would call it the loudest and most hostile atmosphere he had ever seen. But the Orange Bowl crowd was the least of Notre Dame's worries. Bernard Clark and the Hurricane defense would turn in one of its greatest performances. After Miami took a 10-0 lead, the Irish answered with ten points of their own. Late in the second quarter, Notre Dame linebacker Ned Bolcar intercepted a Craig Erickson pass and returned it for a touchdown to tie the score at 10-10. Notre Dame appeared to capture the momentum and had the Canes on their heels. Then, all of a sudden, Bernard Clark took over the game. With less than two minutes left in the half, Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice threw a pass in the right flat in the direction of tight end Derek Brown. Clark cut in front of Brown, intercepted the pass and returned it all the way to the Notre Dame 5-yard line. Three plays later, UM fullback Stephen McGuire scored and the Canes took a 17-10 lead and never looked back. The Hurricanes won 27-10 and Clark made an astounding 17 tackles. He dominated from start to finish, making the first and last tackles of the game. It is still the best game I've ever seen played by a University of Miami linebacker. Down went Notre Dame's 23-game win streak and the Canes would capture their third national title.

Bernard Clark would go on to play two seasons in the NFL with the Bengals and Seahawks which consisted just 28 games. He never recaptured the glory in the NFL he experienced at Miami. When his playing career ended, he decided to go into coaching. He eventually returned to South Florida as the defensive coordinator at Florida International University in 2004 under then head coach Don Strock. In 2006 he left FIU to become the defensive line coach at the University of South Florida. He then returned to FIU in 2007 when former UM teammate Mario Cristobal was hired as head coach. He is currently the defensive coordinator at Hampton University in Virginia.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Satchel Paige

2009-08-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

It was hyped as "The Baseball Party to End All Baseball Parties." On August 7, 1956 the Orange Bowl playing field was transformed into a baseball diamond and America's national pastime made its debut in the giant football stadium. A crowd of 51,713 watched the Miami Marlins beat the Columbus Jets 6-2 in a charity game that featured the pitching and hitting heroics of Satchel Paige. The game drew the largest crowd to watch a minor league baseball game at the time. Long before the Florida Marlins existed, the Miami Marlins were South Florida's baseball team. The Marlins were a triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in the International League and played their home games at Miami Stadium. But on one magical night, the Orange Bowl was their home field.

Team owner Bill Veeck was a longtime baseball maverick. He was often referred to as the P.T. Barnum of baseball. Veeck would resort to anything to bring fans to the ballpark. When he owned the St. Louis Browns, he once signed a 3-foot-7 inch dwarf named Eddie Gaedel in 1951, who walked on four pitches in his only Major League at bat. Many years later when he owned the Chicago White Sox, he designed an exploding scoreboard at Comiskey Park, had his players wear strange uniforms that included shorts and was infamously remembered for organizing the 1979 "Disco Demolition Night" leading to the destruction of disco records and leaving the playing field in shambles. But Veeck's greatest legacy in South Florida was bringing the legendary pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige to the Marlins.

Satchel Paige is one of baseball's most iconic and colorful players. His peak years were pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs in the negro leagues from the late 1920s through the 1930s. Many baseball historians considered him to be one of the most dominant pitchers of his time. He often played against Major League players during offseason barnstorming tours and beat them repeatedly. Former Cardinals hall of fame pitcher Dizzy Dean once called Paige the best pitcher he ever saw. But by the time Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, Paige was 41-years-old and well past his prime. In 1948, then-Indians owner Bill Veeck signed Paige to his first major league contract. Paige and Indians teammate Larry Doby were the first African-Americans to play in the American League. Together they helped the Indians win the 1948 World Series. Paige pitched in the major leagues through 1953 at the age of 47.

By 1954, the St. Louis Browns released Paige. It appeared his profesional baseball career was over. He was 48 years old and still had the desire to keep playing. He bounced around in the minor leagues until his former boss Bill Veeck decided to sign him to a $15,000 contract and a percentage of the gate with the Miami Marlins in 1956. Many thought it was another one of Veeck's crazy gimmicks to bring in the 50-year-old Paige. But on the contrary. Despite his old age, Paige could still get minor league hitters out. In his first game as a Marlin, he pitched a complete-game 4-hit shutout.

But the highlight of Paige's tenure in Miami came in an exhibition game at the Orange Bowl. The stadium was clearly not meant to host baseball. Changing the field into a baseball park was like fitting a square peg through a round hole. The field dimensions were horribly skewed. Home plate was located in the southeast corner of the field and the right field wall less than 300 feet away. To compensate for the short right field, a giant fence was constructed. But none of that mattered to the fans who were hungry to see baseball. It was a festive night at the stadium. Proceeds went to charity and the pregame entertainment included a concert by jazz and blues legend Cab Calloway. Imagine 50,000 people singing "Heidi Heidi Heidi Ho!" in unison. But the real show was put on by Satchel Paige. Paige pitched into the eighth inning and also drove in 3-runs with a double to left-center field, giving the Marlins a 6-2 win. A week later, he pitched a one-hitter against Rochester and left to a standing ovation. During his three years with the Marlins, Paige was 31-22 with a 2.73 ERA, very good numbers for any pitcher regardless of age.

Satchel Paige eventually made one more appearance in the major leagues with the Kansas City Athletics on September 25, 1965, when he was signed by another maverick owner Charlie Finley. He was 59 years old. Paige's career major league record was just 28-31. He never got the opportunity to play in the major leagues as a young man. But he was never bitter. He was known for his sense of humor and was loved by teammates and fans. He was also known for his many colorful quotes. His most famous was "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." That's exactly how Paige lived his baseball career. He was the first player from the negro leagues to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Band of the Hour

2009-08-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

The University of Miami marching band has traditionally been small in numbers. Its fight song isn't as catchy or nationally renowned like Notre Dame's or Michigan's. It's not known for its elaborate choreography like Florida A&M's Marching 100. But the Band of the Hour was an often overlooked Orange Bowl tradition. For over 70 years, they've provided much of the soundtrack and atmosphere at Hurricane games. From the playing of the Star Wars themed "Imperial March" to the spelling of MIAMI at halftime, the Band of the Hour had its own unique part in Orange Bowl history.

The band was originally organized in 1933 by Walter E. Schaefer, four years before the Orange Bowl Stadium was built. In 1948 it became known as "The Band of the Hour" while the band was performing the song "Man of the Hour" by composer Henry Fillmore. After the performance, the Orange Bowl stadium announcer at the time yelled over the PA system, "The Man of the Hour played by the Band of the Hour!" It's a name that has stuck ever since.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Edwin Pope

2009-08-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

No stadium has hosted more big football games than the Orange Bowl. And if there was a big game at the OB, chances are Edwin Pope was there. He has covered virtually every big sporting event that has happened in South Florida for the last half century. He is one of only a handful of sportswriters in history to have covered every Super Bowl. And if there's a hall of fame for sportswriting, you'll likely find his name on the honor roll.

Edwin Pope began working for the Miami Herald in 1956. His first beat was to cover the University of Florida football team and college football. Those were simple times. There were no profesional sports teams in South Florida. The University of Miami, high school sports and the New Year's Orange Bowl game were the big sporting events in town. There was no internet, sports-talk radio or cable television. Writers like Edwin Pope, Jimmy Burns and Luther Evans gave Miami sports fans all the information they needed.

Pope's history with the Orange Bowl began long before he started working for the the Miami Herald. He discovered the craft of sportswriting in his native Athens, Georgia. When he was just 11-years-old, Pope heard Ted Husing's radio broadcast of Georgia Tech's 21-7 victory over Missouri in the 1940 Orange Bowl. He took notes and kept a running account of the game. He ended up writing a story about the game which appeared the next day in the Athens Banner Herald.

"I asked if they wanted to use the running story of the Georgia Tech-Missouri game," Pope remembers. "They said no. But they asked me, 'Did you type this? Do you want a job?' They put me to work covering small sports. When I was 12 and 13, I covered high school sports. When I was 15, they made the sports editor of the paper and I was covering the University of Georgia. I was the youngest sports editor in the nation." He immediately appeared in breakfast cereal commercials in newspapers from coast to coast.

Pope graduated from the University of Georgia in 1948 while serving as the school's sports information director. He worked for United Press and the Atlanta Constitution before becoming the sports editor of the of the Atlanta Journal in 1954. That same year, Pope wrote the book "Football's Greatest Coaches". He made enough money from the book to leave Atlanta for South Florida and never looked back.

When Pope arrived in Miami, Jimmy Burns was the sports editor of the Miami Herald. Burns was the most respected local sportswriter at the time and his columns were usually the first thing every South Florida sports fan read when they picked up the morning paper. Many credit Burns for promoting the Orange Bowl game locally and helping it become a huge event. When Burns died in 1967, the torch was passed to Edwin Pope. Indeed Pope picked up where Burns left off. If you couldn't attend a football game at the Orange Bowl, Edwin Pope was your best friend. He painted pictures with his words describing the action and the personalities of the game. He relayed stories to his readers that few could experience. Many learned the game of football just by reading his articles.

Like many local writers, he could be a homer. He openly rooted for the Dolphins and the Hurricanes. But he could also be critical. Perhaps no local sports personality has been scrutinized by Pope more than former Dolphins coach Don Shula. Over the years, Pope had written hundreds of articles on Shula. The two had a love and hate relationship. But in the end there was also tremendous mutual respect. Pope's articles were not only read by sports fans--but also by many local athletes.

Over the years, Pope has been the eyewitness of the Orange Bowl's most memorable events. He was at the Miami Touchdown Club when Joe Namath guaranteed victory before Super Bowl III. He was there for all 17 of the Miami Dolphins victories in the 1972 perfect season. He was at the Orange Bowl when Doug Flutie fired football's most famous Hail Mary. He was there when University of Miami upset mighty Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Virtually every great local athlete from George Mira to Bob Griese to Rick Barry to Dan Marino to Michael Irvin have been interviewed and written about by Pope.

Pope is now 80 years old and is semi-retired. He occasionally writes articles for the Miami Herald during football season. He's in several halls of fame including: The Florida Sports Hall of Fame, the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame and football writers wing of the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. In today's age of the internet, newspapers are becoming less relevant. But some things never go out of style. If there's a big football game, you couldn't wait to read what Edwin Pope had to say.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Jackie Smith

2009-08-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Jackie Smith is one of the greatest tight ends in football history. His 480 career catches were the most ever by an NFL tight end when he retired from the sport in 1979. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But Smith is most remembered for a catch he failed to make. Fair or unfair, his defining moment came in the final game of his career--Super Bowl XIII.

On January 21, 1979 the Dallas Cowboys met the Pittsburgh Steelers for supremecy of the 1970s on Super Sunday in the Orange Bowl. The Steelers and Cowboys were the most dominant teams of the decade. Going into the game, each franchise had won two Super Bowls during the decade and this game would ultimately determine who was the decade's best. Super Bowl XIII was arguably the greatest assembly of football talent the sport has ever seen. Fourteen hall of famers played in the game as well as both head coaches Tom Landry and Chuck Noll. Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith was among those 14 hall of famers.

Late in the third quarter, the Cowboys trailed 21-14 and were driving for a potential tying touchdown. Dallas marched to the Pittsburgh 10-yard line. On third down and 3 yards to go, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach saw Jackie Smith wide open in the middle of the end zone. Staubach fired a low line drive in Smith's direction. But as Smith went to catch the ball, he tried to make a sliding catch and the ball slipped through his hands. Smith flopped in the end zone in agony and disgust. It was a catch he has made hundreds of times in practices and games. But in the biggest game of his life, his reliable hands failed him. Dallas radio comentator Verne Lundquist sympathized with the heartbroken Smith immediately after the play saying, "Bless his heart. He's got to be the sickest man in America."

Staubach defended Smith. "It really wasn't a very good pass. It was low and it surprised him and he wasn't ready for it, " Staubach said. But Smith made no excuses. "I don't think it was Roger's fault. The ball was well thrown."

Smith's drop forced Dallas to settle for a 27-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21-17. The Steelers would win the game 35-31. Super Bowl XIII was considered one of the best Super Bowls of all time. NFL Films produced a 90 minute documentary called "Battle of Champions" chronicaling nearly every play of the game and its legacy. It was a game filled with big plays by big stars. But ultimately much of the attention was given to Smith's third quarter drop. Many believe the game not only propelled the Steelers as the franchise of the 1970s but it also hurt the legacy of the 1970s Cowboys. Nine Steelers would go on to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while only five Cowboys from Super Bowl XIII were enshrined in Canton.

Jackie Smith was the best tight end of his era. He caught more passes than fellow hall of fame tight ends and peers Mike Ditka and John Mackey. He was a 5-time Pro Bowl selection and was one of the fastest players to play his position in the 1960s and 70s. In 1967 he caught 56 passes for a career high 1,205 yards and 9 touchdowns, averaging a remarkable 21.5 yards per catch. But by 1977, his body had been battered from 15 seasons in the NFL. In 1978, he was released by the Cardinals and picked up by the Cowboys. He didn't catch a single pass for the Cowboys in 1978. Had he caught that pass in the Super Bowl, it would have been his first and only catch in a Dallas uniform. Smith had to wait more than ten years after he first became eligible to finally make it into Canton. Many believe Smith's Super Bowl drop delayed his entry into the hall of fame.

"It's amazing how people have latched on to that play," Staubach said. "It's just unfair. It wasn't the end of the game. We still had a full quarter to go. We were only four points behind and Jackie Smith has taken more heat than he deserves."

Many have compared Smith's drop to Bill Buckner's error in game six of the 1986 World Series. Both were outstanding players in their respective sports who were overshadowed by one mistake. But through it all, Smith has handled his legacy with class. He's never complained or shied away from answering questions about that faitful Sunday night in the Orange Bowl. If you visit the hall of fame and find his bust, you'll know that 480 catches is always greater than one drop.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Dolfan Denny

2009-08-15T06:57:00.001-07:00

You may not know the name Dennis Sym. But if you attended Miami Dolphins games from 1966 to 2000, you saw him at every home game. Dressed in his loud orange outfits complete with rhinestones, Sym was more famously known as Dolfan Denny, the team's unofficial mascot. For 34 years, he led the cheers at Dolphins games.

In the beginning, he was just another exuberant spectator in the Orange Bowl stands. But week after week he became instantly recognized for his strange and flashy outfits. Even Dolphins owner Joe Robbie began to notice. During the first ten years of the Dolphins franchise, Sym became more popular every year. He was impossible to ignore. Robbie was impressed with Sym's passion and spirt for the Dolphins. In the 1970s he allowed Sym to cheer on the field from the sidelines. He was paid $50 a game and was forever known as Dolfan Denny. His favorite year was the Dolphins 1972 perfect season.

"I think that was the most exciting year he ever had, " said his wife Ingrid. "The fans were all very active and all that changed after they moved into the new stadium. That was his very best year."

In March 2007, Dennis Sym passed away from heart failure after battling kidney disease and cancer. He was 72 years old. Over the years Syms wore 10 sets of outfits to Dolphins games. His wacky gear included a puffy cowboy hat and a matador cape. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Tennessee and was a longtime Broward resident. Chronic health problems began to effect him in his later years as Dofan Denny. But even illness couldn't stop from him from cheering for his Dolphins. At one point his knees were so bad, he could be seen cheering from a chair. He retired in Sarasota, but his love for the Dolphins never went away.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Lee Corso

2009-08-14T11:06:00.001-07:00

Most football fans know Lee Corso as the colorful wisecracking college football analyst for ESPN. But local football fans may not know he was once one of the best schoolboy athletes to ever come out of Miami. In the early 1950s, Corso was a 3-sport athlete at Miami's Jackson High School and was All-City in football, baseball and basketball. He was all-state on the gridiron and on the diamond and played both sports at Florida State University earning the nickname "The Sunshine Scooter". But long before he became famous as a TV comentator or coach, the Orange Bowl was his stage as a teenager.

Corso moved to Miami from Chicago when he was 12 years-old. His family settled in the Allapatah section of the city near Jackson High School. It was at Jackson, Corso became a local star. He played quarterback and defensive back in an era when football players played both offense and defense. While Corso has a goofball persona on television, he was anything but a clown as an athlete. He was tough and fiery. At just 5'9 and 155 pounds, he was smaller than most of his peers and wasn't the quickest of foot. But what he lacked in physical gifts, he made up for in hustle and competitive fire. He played without a facemask and he took and delivered the best shots opponents had to offer. He was pound for pound one of the toughest and most respected high school athletes of his era.

In Corso's day, high school football was huge in Miami. Jackson High, Edison High and Miami High all played their home games at the Orange Bowl and each of these schools were powerhouses. But none was more dominant at the time than the Miami High Stingarees. Going into the 1951 season, Miami High had never lost a game to a city rival. It was an amazing unbeaten streak that stretched for 26 years. But on November 10, 1951, Miami High's invincibility came to an end. Jackson head coach Roy French had finally assembled a team talented enough to dethrone Miami High. A crowd of 23,243 witnessed history as the Jackson Generals defeated the Stingarees 14-7. Corso was a junior reserve quarterback and defensive back in that game backing up senior Don Orr. Orr later went on to star at Vanderbilt and became a longtime official in the NFL. Although Corso didn't play a starring role in the game, it was his first defining moment in the Orange Bowl.

Jackson's victory was no fluke. In the early 1950s, the Generals roster included such Dade County greats such as fullback Joe Brodsky and halfback Jim Rountree who both were All State and went on to play at the University of Florida. Corso emerged as the team's starting quarterback as a senior in 1952. He established himself as the best signal caller in the city. The Miami Herald selected Corso to its All-City team and he was named All State. Jackson played in the Big 10 Conference, which consisted of many of the best teams throughout the state. Corso led the Generals to the conference championship. His most memorable game came in a 21-19 loss to Miami High in the Orange Bowl, when he accounted for all 3 of Jackson's touchdowns. Another highlight came when he outdueled Edison's prep All American halfback Jackie Simpson for the conference championship.

Despite a great high school career, Corso was not heavily recruited. Due to his lack of size, some considered him a better baseball player. The hometown school, the University of Miami, didn't show interest. Corso took his talents to Florida State University in Tallahassee, which had a new football program at the time. FSU gave Corso the opportunity to play both football and baseball. In 1953, an 18-year-old Corso played in his first college football game as a true freshman. It just happened to be against the University of Miami in the Orange Bowl. It would be a very painful and humbling homecoming for Corso. He was knocked out of the game before halftime and the Seminoles would lose 27-0.

But Corso would recover well for an outstanding college career. He played both offense and defense leading FSU in interceptions in 1954, rushing in 1955 and passing in 1956. His 14 career interceptions was an FSU record until it was tied by Deion Sanders in the late 1980s. He was named honorable mention All American by the Associated Press and was selected to the Blue Gray All Star Game. His roomate at Florida State was a fast-talking, muscular running back from West Palm Beach who went by the name of Buddy Reynolds. He later became more well known as the actor Burt Reynolds.

When his college playing career ended, Corso went immediately into coaching. He was a natural. Corso was always known as a fiery leader as a player and he loved the strategy of the game. His first job was as a graduate assistant at FSU, working under head coach Tom Nugent. One of his favorite memories was being a part of the first FSU coaching staff to beat the University of Miami in 1958 at the Orange Bowl. When Nugent became the head coach at the University of Maryland, Corso followed him. Corso landed his first head coaching job at the University of Louisville in 1969 and led the Cardinals to the school's second-ever bowl game in 1972. Among his players was linebacker Tom Jackson, now an NFL anaylst for ESPN. In 1973 he left Louisville and became head coach at another basketball power--Indiana University. Corso was 41-68-2 at IU. He had short stints of success including a Holiday Bowl victory over BYU in 1979. He finished his college coaching career at Northern Illinois in 1984.

Corso later tried his luck in professional football. He made his broadcasting debut as analyst for USFL games in 1983. The following year, he went back into coaching and became head coach of the Orlando Renegades of the USFL. When the league folded in 1985, Corso needed work. His broadcast experience would come in handy. He was hired by ESPN in 1987 as an analyst for College GameDay and hasn't looked back. Always a showman, Corso is known for his catch phrase "Not so fast my friend!". He is also known for wearing the mascot head of the team he predicts will win the game of the week.

In May 2009, Corso suffered a minor stroke. Always gifted with a great sense of humor, Corso called the scary incident a "not so fast my friend" moment. He is expected to recover in time for the college football season, which is great news for all those who love the game.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: David Overstreet

2009-08-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

Sometimes having great potential in a demanding skill can be a curse. Former Miami Dolphins running back David Overstreet had plenty of it. In his brief life, Overstreet possessed everything scouts wanted in a runner. He had speed, slick moves, power and grace. He had been a legendary high school player in a state where high school football heroes are revered. He played at one of college football's great powerhouses. He was a first round draft choice in the National Football League. Overstreet had everything a 25-year-old man could want and then it was all taken away.

On the early morning of June 25, 1984, Overstreet was making the long journey from South Florida back to his hometown of Big Sandy, Texas. He was driving his Mercedes when he fell asleep at the wheel. The car spun out of control and crashed into a row of gas pumps at a service station near his hometown. The impact created a huge explosion and Overstreet was killed instantly. He left behind a wife and a 13-month old son--David Jr.

David Overstreet was legend on the football field before he ever went to college. He was not only a hero in his hometown of Big Sandy, he was a state hero. Deep in the Lone Star State, Overstreet was the centerpiece of one of the most powerful small high schools in Texas high school football history. He led Big Sandy High School to 3 consecutive Class B state championships. Big Sandy's teams were so dominant, they outscored the opposition 824-15 in his senior year. One of Overstreet's high school teammates was quarterback Lovie Smith, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Smith and Overstreet was part of a tiny graduation class that included just 34 students.

"Everytime David touched the ball, the odds were that he would score, " Smith said. "Not that he might score. You were surprised if he didn't". Indeed truer words couldn't have been spoken. Overstreet rushed for nearly 3,000 yards and scored an amazing 52 touchdowns in his senior year. His name is all over the Texas high school record books and his exploits became a thing of legend. College coaches from all over the nation soon decended upon the tiny Texas town to see this prodigy carry the football. After an intense rush of recruiting, Overstreet chose to play his college football for the University of Oklahoma and its head coach Barry Switzer.

When Overstreet arrived at OU in 1976, he quickly became burried in a deep pool of talented running backs that included future NFL players Elvis Peacock, Kenny King and Heisman winner Billy Sims. Playing in Oklahoma's wishbone offense, Overstreet had to share running duties with other great backs. His statistics in college would never approach what he did in high school. But he was still very dangerous carrying the football. He rushed for 1,702 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and scored 16 touchdowns in his college career. In one game he gained 258 yards on 18 carries against Colorado. During the Overstreet years, Oklahoma played in four consecutive Orange Bowls on New Years Night. In his final college game, Overstreet scored a touchdown and helped the Sooners beat Florida State 18-17 in the 1981 Orange Bowl.

When his college career was over, pro scouts tabbed Overstreet was one of the best running back prospects in the country. The Miami Dolphins chose Overstreet in the first first round of the 1981 NFL Draft with the 13th overall pick. He was expected to be Miami's best breakaway speed back since the days of Mercury Morris. But negotiations stalled and the Dolphins were not able to come to a contract agreement with Overstreet. He decided to instead take his talents to the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He led the CFL with 962 yards as a rookie, but he also had trouble hanging on to the ball, fumbling 16 times. In 1982, injuries limited Overstreet to just 190 yards rushing for the season.

After two years of exile in Canada, Overstreet finally signed with the Dolphins in 1983. By then, Miami already had a rookie sensation named Dan Marino and the offense would revolve around Marino's right arm. Overstreet found himself struggling to make the adjustment to the NFL. He spent most of the season watching from the sidelines as Tony Nathan got the majority of the carries. He finally showed signs of potential when he gained 179 yards in the final two games of the season.

On December 31, 1983, David Overstreet played his final football game. The Dolphins lost to the Seattle Seahawks 27-20 in an AFC divisional playoff game at the Orange Bowl. Late in the game, Overstreet fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Seattle's John Harris. The fumble led to the eventual winning touchdown scored by Seattle's Curt Warner. Less than six months later, Overstreet died.

David Overstreet played only one season with the Miami Dolphins. He rushed for 392 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. His death not only stunned the Dolphin organization, it stunned the entire league. In 1984 Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton broke Jim Brown's then NFL career rushing record. After the game, Payton dedicated the record to the running backs who died young. "The motivating drive for me has been the athletes who have tried for the record and failed and for those who didn't have an opportunity such as the Overstreets (David), the Delaneys (Joe) and the Piccolos (Brian)." Overstreet is gone, but not forgotten.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Miami vs. USF 2005

2009-08-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Miami linebacker Leon Williams delivers a crushing hit to South Florida quarterback Courtney Denson

Football is not a contact sport. It's a collision sport. No matter how many times the NFL and the NCAA implement new rules to protect the quarterback, it will always be a violent game. On October 1, 2005, the University of South Florida football team visited the Orange Bowl to play the Miami Hurricanes. The Canes won 27-7 in what was mostly a boring and forgetful game. Neither team was a national championship contender. No records were set. It was just another ordinary college football game played on a Saturday night.

But from that game produced one of my favorite photographs ever taken from a football game. During the third quarter, Miami's Leon Williams came blitzing from his middle linebacker position. The target of Williams' s furious charge was USF quarterback Courtney Denson. Denson dropped back in the pocket and as he scanned the field to find an open receiver, he suddenly saw a blur of orange and white coming at him. With barely any time to react, Denson instinctively released the football. As soon as the ball left his hand, Williams crashed violently into Denson. If Denson were a brick wall, Williams would have run right through him. The impact of the hit was so ferocious, it sent Denson's body flying backwards like a cartoon character. It was one of the hardest hits I'd ever seen.

Photographer Bill Frakes captured the hit with his camera. The physicality of the collision was stunning. You could see the see the persperation of both players splashing into the air as Williams delivered the blow. Denson, who was a graduate of Miami Central High School, was making his long awaited homecoming. But it's debatable if he remembers anything from that game.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Bubba Franks

2009-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

They say everything is bigger in Texas and former University of Miami tight end Daniel "Bubba" Franks was no exception to the rule. The 6-foot-6, 260 pound Franks was not only big on size, he was huge on talent. Franks was the first of four University of Miami tight ends to become NFL first round draft picks from 2000 to 2006. Not only was he an outstanding receiver, he blocked like an extra tackle on the offensive line.

Growing up Big Spring, TX, Franks was not heavily recruited. In fact University of Miami head coach Butch Davis found him by accident. During a trip to Texas, Davis was trying to recruit defensive lineman Damione Lewis of Sulphur Springs. One of the coaches told him about a raw prospect down the road who was an excellent high school basketball player and had potential to be a fine college football player. Intrigued by the coach's recomendation, Davis decided to take a trip down to the small West Texas town of Big Spring. He was amazed by what he discovered.

Davis couldn't believe Franks had no scholarship offers from major schools. His blend of size and athleticism was startling. The first thing that stood out about Franks was his handshake. He had hands the size of small dogs. Franks also had a quiet and humble demeanor. He never showed signs of having a prima donna attitude of many highly recruited high school prospects. After meeting Franks, Davis knew immediately he had found a hidden gem and offered him a scholarship.

Franks came to Miami at a very crucial time. The Hurricanes had been penalized by the NCAA with scholarship restrictions. UM had lost close to 40 football scholarships and were limited in how many recruits it could sign. Due to probation stemming from the Dennis Erickson years, Davis was forced to carefully choose the right players to rebuild Miami into a national power again. The 1996 recruiting class was Davis's first at UM and he knew he couldn't afford to miss or make a mistake with any of his new players. Franks was considered a bit of a gamble, only because he was relatively unknown by the recruiting gurus. The big names of the class were Edgerrin James and Damione Lewis, who were both prep All Americans.

When Franks arrived at the Coral Gables campus, he was in culture shock. Not only did he have to make the adjustment playing a higher level of football, he had to socially adjust to living in a city. Growing up in a small town that had maybe one or two traffic lights was much different than living in Miami. He sat out his first year and redshirted while playing on the scout team. Franks was big and athletic, but he was still considered too raw and wasn't ready to contribute.

In 1997, Franks finally saw his first action as a college player. The Hurricanes roster was small and was in the worst shape of its probation period. The undermanned Canes finished 5-6 including a 47-0 crushing loss to Florida State. Home games at the Orange Bowl no longer had any home field advantage. The crowds were smaller and those who did show up were more hostile to the home team. At one point, a crazy Miami fan paid a pilot to fly a banner over the Orange Bowl that read "From National Champs to National Chumps. Thanks Butch".

But in the middle of the turmoil, Franks was quietly establishing himself as one of the brighter stars on the team. During the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Franks caught 37 passes for 7 touchdowns. His run blocking was just as good, while plowing holes for running backs Edgerrin James and James Jackson. By late in the 1998 season, there finally appeared to be a light at the end of what was once a bleak tunnel. He was named All Big East both years. The Canes finally had a breakthrough victory beating undefeated UCLA 49-45 and snapping the Bruins 20 game win streak in front of ESPN cameras. Franks caught only one pass in that game. But it was his blocking that really made a difference. Edgerrin James set a UM record 298 yards rushing and many of those yards came while running behind Franks.

By 1999 Franks was no longer a secret. NFL scouts and draft experts were already pegging him as a sure first round prospect. He was only a junior and it was clear the 1999 season would be his last at Miami. He didn't disappoint. Franks caught 45 passes for 565 yards and 5 touchdowns. He finished second on the team in all three receiving categories behind only Santana Moss. He was named first team All Big East and All American. During a game against Syracuse, Franks made an acrobatic diving one-handed catch. To this day, it's the best catch I've ever seen by a UM tight end. The Hurricanes finished 9-4 and were finally on their way back to prosperity. As expected, Franks chose to forgoe his senior year and enter the NFL draft.

He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round as the 14th overall pick. Franks played eight seasons with the Packers and was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He has caught 232 passes for 2,347 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. He signed with the New York Jets in 2008 and was then released after the season.

Franks left a great legacy at the University of Miami. Hurricane fans had seen good tight ends in the 1980s and early 1990s with players like Glenn Dennison, Willie Smith, Rob Chudzinski and Coleman Bell. But none of those players had the size and athletic talent of Bubba Franks. The success of Franks led to Miami becoming a popular destination for young aspiring tight ends. Jeremy Shockey, a junior college player from Ada, Oklahoma, picked Miami because of Franks's career. Later came Kellen Winslow and then Greg Olsen. Another player, Eric Winston, originally was recruited out of Midland, Texas as a tight end. Winston was highly recruited and chose the Canes because he was a fan of Bubba Franks. Winston ended up outgrowing the tight end position and became an offensive tackle. He too is now an NFL player with the Houston Texans.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Melvin Bratton

2009-08-10T10:49:00.001-07:00

(Top) Melvin Bratton in action against Oklahoma in the 1988 Orange Bowl Classic. (Bottom) Bratton leaps over a pile linemen against Florida State in 1987

It's been said you only get one chance to make a good first impression. On November 23, 1984, University of Miami freshman running back Melvin Bratton made a spectacular debut in his first college start. Playing in place of the injured Alonzo Highsmith, Bratton gained 134 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. Unfortunately nobody remembers what Bratton accomplished that rainy afternoon in the Orange Bowl. That's because in the very same game Boston College's Doug Flutie completed a hail mary pass that would become the most replayed moment in college football history. Boston College won the game 47-45 and Bratton's heroics would be just a small footnote.

Bratton's debut was just the beginning of what would become an outstanding college career. From 1984 through 1987 Bratton rushed for 1,371 yards, gained 1084 yards receiving and scored a then school record 32 touchdowns in his career with the Canes. He is the only running back in University of Miami history to gain over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in his career. He played a major role in the emergence of one of college football's great dynasties. The Hurricanes were 41-8 and won the 1987 national championship in Bratton's UM playing career. In his final college game, he tied a then Orange Bowl Classic record with 9 catches against Oklahoma and was named offensive MVP of the game.

Growing up in Miami's tough Liberty City neighborhood, the Orange Bowl had always been a big part of Bratton's life and football development. He attended many Dolphin and Hurricane games as a kid. He also played in the Orange Bowl for Northwestern High School in its annual "Soul Bowl" game against rival Jackson High School. Greatness was always expected of Bratton from the time he graduated from Northwestern High in 1983. He was the most highly recruited running back in Florida, earning All American honors by Parade and Scholastic Coach magazines. The Miami Herald rated Bratton as the second best high school player in Florida behind his future teammate and fellow Miamian Alonzo Highsmith of Columbus High School. As good as he was on the football field, he was just as spectacular in track and field. Bratton was a two-time state champion in the long jump and one of the state's fastest sprinters.

Virtually every major college football program wanted his services. He once took a recruiting trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan, but forgot to bring any winter clothing. It snowed during the entire visit and the chilling temperatures were enough for Bratton to realize Michigan wasn't the place for him. During his senior year at Northwestern High, he became close friends with Highsmith. The two high school phenoms decided they would attend the same college together. In February 1983, Bratton, Highsmith and Northwestern High defensive back Tommy Streeter held a signing day ceremony at a McDonald's restaurant located across the street from Tropical Park. The three players chose the McDonald's because it was where they originally met as friends. Bratton and Highsmith signed their letters of intent to attend the University of Miami. Streeter was expected to join them. But instead, Streeter decided to sign with Colorado. (Streeter's son, Tommy Jr., is currently a freshman receiver at Miami) With Streeter choosing Colorado, Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger had one leftover scholarship to give. He decided to give it to Bratton's Northwestern teammate Tolbert Bain.

Bratton and Highsmith were the jewels of the 1983 Hurricane recruiting class that would forever change the attitude of the program. This recruiting class included names like Jerome Brown, Winston Moss, Brian Blades, Daniel Stubbs, George Mira Jr, Darrell Fullington, Warren Williams and Gregg Rakoczy. Many of these players came from South Florida's inner city community and brought a new style of football to UM. It was called "swagger". They were not only athletic. But they played the game with and extreme blend of emotion, cockiness, brashness and loved to talk a lot of trash and dance in the end zone. Good, bad or indifferent, they changed the face of Hurricane football.

Due to an abundance of experienced running backs which included Albert Bentley and Keith Griffin, Bratton sat out the 1983 season and redshirted. The Hurricanes went on to win their first national championship with a shocking upset of top ranked Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Bratton's buddy Alonzo Highsmith made the switch from linebacker to running back and scored a touchdown in the game. When Howard Schnellenberger left UM in 1984, Bratton had to prove himself again to new head coach Jimmy Johnson.

Jimmy Johnson was the right coach at the right time. He was a pyschology major at the University of Arkansas and he embraced the attitude of the new breed of Miami players. The Hurricanes became known for their bad boy image and Johnson embraced it. Johnson adopted an "us against the world" mentality and the players loved him, particularly the inner city players like Bratton.

His debut against Boston College established Bratton as one of Miami's most explosive players. On one play, he took a pitchout from quarterback Bernie Kosar and darted to his right, made two tacklers miss and then cut completely across the field, outrunning three Boston College defensive backs, who had an angle, all the way to the end zone. It was one of the most spectacular runs in UM history. The play was credited as a 52 yard run. But in actuality, Bratton ran close to 100 yards to get to the end zone. And when he wasn't running by BC defenders, he was jumping over them. Bratton scored two of his touchdowns in the Boston College game on goal line dives. He would launch his body high in the air, flying over a pile of linemen. It was a move he learned from watching Walter Payton and Herschel Walker. Bratton's leaps were almost unstoppable and made him nearly automatic on short yardage and goal line situations.

In 1985, he rotated with Highsmith and Warren Williams to form a formidable trio of running backs. The Hurricanes had a pro-style passing game. Perhaps Bratton's best skill was his ability to catch the football out of the backfield. Offensive coordinator Gary Stevens would design plays to utilize Bratton's receiving prowess. Stevens would often have Bratton run wheel routes out of the backfield or even split him out as a receiver and run take-off patterns. Bratton presented huge mismatch problems for defenses. Linebackers could not keep up with his speed and defensive backs were not strong enough to bring him down in the open field.

One example was the 1987 game against Florida State. Trailing 19-3 in Tallahassee, the Canes offense was struggling badly. Quarterback Steve Walsh was on the verge of getting benched and Jimmy Johnson was ready to ask true freshman Craig Erickson to warm up. Late in the third quarter, Walsh threw a short pass over the middle to Bratton, who then made a linebacker miss and then raced 40 yards past the entire FSU secondary to the end zone. This play changed the entire momentum of the game. Walsh quickly gained confidence and threw a pair of touchdown passes to Michael Irvin in the fourth quarter and the Canes came from behind to beat FSU 26-25.

But Bratton's shining moment was his final college game in the 1988 Orange Bowl Classic against Oklahoma. Both teams were undefeated and the national championship was on the line. During Miami's opening possession, Walsh fired a deep pass down the sidelines to a streaking Bratton, who made an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone for the first score of the game. Oklahoma's defense was so concerned with trying to cover Michael Irvin and Brian Blades, they had no answer for Bratton out of the backfield. He caught 9 passes and the Hurricanes won the national championship 20-14.

Unfortunatley the 1988 Orange Bowl Classic was also Bratton's darkest moment. Early in the fourth quarter, Bratton caught a short pass near the Oklahoma sidelines. When he was tackled, his left knee buckled and was completed shreaded, tearing all the major ligaments. Prior to the injury, Bratton was considered a sure future NFL first round draft choice. But those dreams looked over.

The Miami Dolphins drafted Bratton in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. But Bratton and his agent wanted first round money. With a damaged knee that still needed rehabilitation, the Dolphins were not going to give Bratton the money he requested. Bratton sat out the entire 1988 season and re-entered the draft in 1989. This time he was taken by the Denver Broncos in the 7th round. With his knee finally repaired, Bratton signed with the Broncos and played two seasons in Denver. But he never regained the same quickness and explosion he possessed before the injury. He carried the ball only 57 times for 190 yards scoring 8 career touchdowns. He started for the Broncos as a fullback in Super Bowl XXIV. By 1991, he released by the Denver and then cut in training camp by the Falcons. His football career was over.

Since his playing days, Bratton has continued to stay in touch with the game. He and former high school and college teammate Tolbert Bain started a company together making throwback college football jerseys. He is currently pursuing a career as a sports agent.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Joe Auer

2009-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

In the 43-year history of the Miami Dolphins, Joe Auer holds a special distinction that can never be erased from the record books. He scored the first touchdown in franchise history. But if you thought it was his only heroics at the Orange Bowl, you don't know Joe Auer.

On September 2, 1966 the Dolphins played their first game as an expansion team in the American Football League. The opponent was the Oakland Raiders and only 26,276 fans showed up on a humid evening at the Orange Bowl. Miami's Joe Auer fielded the opening kickoff and raced 95 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins lost the game 23-14. But the only thing people will remember is Auer's touchdown.

As the years have gone by, Auer's legend has grown. If you saw him walking down the street, you may not recognize the 67-year-old Auer. But once people find out who he is, he hears the stories of his touchdown all the time. Auer once joked how hundreds of times people have approached him who claimed they were at the Orange Bowl that night. He said he must have heard from more people about that game than who actually attended. You would have thought the Orange Bowl was packed with 70,000 people.

The 1966 Dolphins were a ragtag bunch made of journeymen, rejects, misfits and unqualified rookies. Auer was the Dolphins best player, leading the team in rushing with 414 yards and scoring with 9 touchdowns. He was named team MVP on a squad that finished in last place with a 3-11 record. The roster was filled with colorful characters including linebacker Wahoo McDaniel, a full-blooded native American who later became more well known as a profesional wrestler. Fullback Cookie Gilchrist had been an All-AFL player with the Buffalo Bills, but was well past his prime by the time he played for Miami. The team was coached by George Wilson whose son, George Jr., was also the Dolphins starting quarterback. The Dolphins were so low on the pro football totem pole, they couldn't even sign their first round draft pick Jim Grabowski, a fullback from the University of Illinois. Only two members of the entire 1966 team would survive long enough to see the Dolphins reach Super Bowl glory in the early 1970s--offensive lineman Norm Evans and receiver Howard Twilley.

Eight years before Auer ever suited up for the Dolphins, he was a schoolboy hero at Coral Gables High School. During his senior year in 1958, he was member of a state championship team at Coral Gables coached by Nick Kotys. The Miami Herald named Auer to its All City Team as a defensive back. His most memorable high school moment came in the big rivalry game against Miami High in the Orange Bowl. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and Coral Gables beat the Stingarees 13-12. Auer played in an era when high school football was the biggest event in town. He sometimes played in front of larger crowds at the Orange Bowl in high school than he did with the Dolphins.

After graduating from high school, Auer went on to a fine college career at Georgia Tech while playing for another legendary coach Bobby Dodd. He played two seasons with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL before joining the Dolphins in 1966. He finished his pro career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1968. During his two seasons with the Dolphins, Auer achieved another interesting trivial distinction. He caught the first touchdown pass thrown by rookie Bob Griese in 1967 in a victory of the Denver Broncos at the Orange Bowl.

When his football career ended, Auer felt he needed something to keep his competitive juices flowing. Auer had earned his degree at Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering and he was ready to put it to use. He had always been a fan of auto racing and cars in general. He founded his own company called Racecar Engineering which built racecars that would set many track records in NASCAR and other forms of racing. Auer later founded another company called Competitive Edge Motorsports which produced cars that competed in the Busch and Nextel series in NASCAR. Today he is the president of International Computer Negotiations.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Nick Kotys

2009-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Coral Gables High School coach Nick Kotys gets a victory ride from this players after winning the state title in 1967

During the 1930s through the mid 1960s, high school football was king in Miami. The University of Miami had yet to become a national power and the Miami Dolphins didn't exist. It wasn't unusual to see crowds of 30,000 to over 40,000 pack the Orange Bowl for big high school games. Schools like Miami High, Edison and Jackson were among the best in the state and in the nation. But no coach casted a bigger shadow over the local high school scene than Nick Kotys of Coral Gables. From 1952 through 1971, Kotys' Coral Gables Cavaliers were the gold standard of high school football, winning 6 state titles including 4 mythical national championships. He was Dade County's winningest coach with a record of 160-33-9.

A native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Villanova University, Kotys had already been a successful high school coach in Eastern Pennsylvania. He coached 13 years in the Keystone State at three different high schools, sporting a record of 98 wins, 24 losses and 7 ties. But like any successful and ambitious coach, Kotys wanted to take his talents to the next level. He became the offensive coordinator and offensive backfield coach at Yale University under head coach Herman Hickman. But something was missing. College coaching didn't satisfy his love for the game. Kotys missed high school football. He loved molding young men and missed the teaching aspect of the profession.

In 1952, he decided to move to South Florida and became the head football coach and athletic director at Coral Gables High School. At the time, Coral Gables never had a winning season. The school's football program was considered a doormat for bigger bullies like Miami High and Edison. When Kotys took the job, many told him he was crazy and should have stayed at Yale. The first thing Kotys noticed was the dominance of Miami High. The Stingarees were the best program in Florida at the time and at one point went 26 years without losing a game to a Dade County school. Kotys was determined to change the face of Dade County football and it didn't take him very long. By his third season in 1954, Coral Gables played Miami High to a 14-14 tie in the Orange Bowl. The program was getting better every year and in 1956 it finally reached superpower status. Gables would go undefeated during the 1956 season which included resounding wins over Edison and Miami High. The Cavaliers were voted state champions by all the sportswriter polls. Two years later in 1958, Gables once again was voted state champion. (Prior to 1963, state champions were determined by polls. The FHSAA adopted the playoff system in 1963)

So how did Kotys turn Coral Gables into a juggernaut so quickly? One of the first things Kotys did was to make full use of the student body. Every boy at Coral Gables High School was invited and encouraged to play football. Kotys believed in strength in numbers and creating a culture where football mattered and school pride was important. He never cut a player unless the young man was unable to maintain decent grades or broke team rules. Coral Gables often fielded teams with over 100 players on its roster. While not every player was athletic enough to play, Kotys made sure each kid had a role in practice. He believed in developing self esteem and a family atmosphere. It became an honor to wear the blood-red jersey and silver helmet of Coral Gables.

By the 1960s, Coral Gables had overtaken Miami High to become the best high school football program in Florida and earned national respect. When the FHSAA adopted a playoff system 1963 to dertermine state champions, Kotys' Gables teams won the first two state titles. His 1963 and 1964 teams were led by a skinny quarterback named Larry Rentz. When Rentz wasn't scoring or throwing touchdown passes, he was intercepting passes as a defensive back. At 6'1 and just 145 pounds, Rentz was built like a rubber band and was the most unlikely looking football player ever seen. But when Coral Gables defeated Jacksonville's Robert E. Lee 14-7 in the 1964 state championship game played at the Orange Bowl, Miami Herald writer Neil Amdur coined the headline "No Defense for Larry Rentz" . Rentz was named Prep All American by Scholastic Coach Magazine and Coral Gables was voted national champion by the Minneapolis-based National Sports News Service.

Gables once again won back-to-back state titles in 1967 and 1968. Those teams were among the first to include black athletes, including the entire starting backfield consisting of quarterback Craig Curry along with running backs Bertram Taylor and Gerald Tinker. The 1967 team featured a savage defense that shut out 9 of its 13 opponents. Kotys would later say the 1967 squad was the best team he ever coached. In 2007 the FHSAA voted the 1967 Cavaliers as the best high school team in Florida history.

The Orange Bowl was the scene of many of Kotys biggest triumphs and losses. The rivalry with Miami High routinely drew over 30,000 fans every year from the late 1950s through 1967. The 1965 game between Coral Gables and Miami High drew more than 47,000 people--the largest crowd to ever watch a high school football in Florida history. The 1966 and 1967 games against Miami High actually outdrew many University of Miami and Dolphins games at the Orange Bowl.

The 1960s also brought many changes to Dade County. The Castro Revolution led to a huge influx of Cubans to South Florida and the civil rights movement helped bring integration. Kotys adjusted well to the times. In 1966 all-black Carver High School in Coconut Grove became a middle school and its high school students integrated with Coral Gables High. Kotys once set up a table and a loudspeaker outside Carver High to welcome kids to Coral Gables High. Kotys never played favorites when it came to his players. The best player would start no matter what skin color. In 1967 he made the decision to promote Carver transfer Craig Curry as his starting quarterback. Curry went on to become All-State and later was an All Big 10 quarterback at the University of Minnesota. In 1972, Curry was a late round draft choice by the Miami Dolphins. He is today the athletic director at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

But there were also changes in the 1960s that Kotys did not embrace. The 60s were a turbulant time with the Vietnam War raging on and the growing counterculture of young people experimenting with drugs. Kotys made it clear he was troubled with the trend. He ruled his football team as a dictatorship and he didn't like the new generation's desire to question authority. He made it clear that none of his players were allowed to grow their hair long or have any facial hair. All players were required to wear dress shirts and ties to school on gameday. His philosophy was when you played for Coral Gables High, you represent yourself with class.

Kotys didn't win games on coaching alone. He had some of the finest talent to ever play the sport in Dade County. His 1970 team had 4 future NFL players: Glenn Cameron, Neal Colzie, Ralph Ortega and Gary Dunn. His 1958 state championship team included running back Joe Auer, who would later score the first touchdown in Miami Dolphins history. His 1967 state championship team had two prep All Americans on defense. That same team also had running back Gerald Tinker, who later became an Olympic gold medalist as a member of the United States 4x100 relay team in 1972. College coaches were frequent visitors to the Coral Gables campus trying to recruit many of Kotys players. Kotys was particularly fond of Ohio State's Woody Hayes, whom he struck up a long friendship.

Nick Kotys retired from coaching in 1972. But he is still synonomous with Coral Gables High School. Perhaps no football coach in Dade County history ever meant more to his school. Even if you didn't play football at Coral Gables, you felt his pressence. He was known for his fiery and passionate speeches during school pep rallies. He was so loud, he didn't need a microphone to be heard. In 1988 the Kiwanis Club of Coral Gables established the Nick Kotys Award, given annually to best high school football player in Dade County. Coincidently, the only player to win the Kotys Award twice was current 49ers running back Frank Gore. It's only fitting Gore graduated from Coral Gables High. Kotys was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and was named by the FHSAA as one of the greatest coaches in state history.

Kotys passed away in 2005 at the age of 92. He had been living in a retirement home in Columbus, Ohio. Shortly after his passing, a memorial was held at Coral Gables High School that drew a large crowd. It had been almost 40 years since Kotys roamed the sidelines. But he has never been forgotten in Coral Gables.

Notable Coral Gables players coached by Nick Kotys

Mike Harrison - Class of 1957
Billy Williamson - Class of 1958
Ted Saussele - Class of 1959
Frank Lasky - Class of 1959
Joe Auer - Class of 1959
Bruce Fischer - Class of 1961
Jack Card - Class of 1964
Larry Rentz - Class of 1965
Tommy Warren - Class of 1966
Craig Curry - Class of 1968
Paul Johnstone - Class of 1968
Gerald Tinker - Class of 1969
John Clifford - Class of 1969
Roger Peace - Class of 1969
Mitch Berger - Class of 1970
Glenn Cameron - Class of 1971
Ralph Ortega - Class of 1971
Neal Colzie - Class of 1971
Gary Dunn - Class of 1972

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Jake Scott

2009-08-07T10:36:00.001-07:00

There have been 40 MVPs in the history of the Super Bowl. But Jake Scott is the only one to win the award to complete an undefeated season. He may be the most underappreciated Miami Dolphin player of all time. Long before Dan Marino wore the #13 jersey, that number belonged to Scott. But that's where the similarties to Marino end. You won't find him in the hall of fame. You don't see his name in the team's Ring of Honor. But that's the way Jake Scott would prefer it-- a true anti football superstar who rarely did interviews and shunned the spotlight. He could care less what anybody thinks of him and he's at peace with it. What can't be ignored are his accomplishments and they are impressive.

From 1970 through 1975, Jake Scott played strong safety for the Dolphins and was one of the most feared, talented and mysterious players to wear the aqua and orange. He was a master thief in the Dolphins secondary, intercepting 35 passes in just 6 seasons. His interception totals are still a Miami Dolphins team record. Scott along with Dick Anderson were considered the NFL's best pair of safeties in the early 1970s. Quarterbacks knew completing a pass against the Dolphins was a tough task and Scott had the ultimate respect from his peers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 5 times and was twice named first team All Pro. But his most memorable moment was intercepting two passes against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, earning MVP honors.

Individual statistics only tell part of Jake Scott's story with the Dolphins. During the Scott years, the Dolphins were the winningest franchise in profesional sports. Miami won 3 consecutive AFC championships in 1971, 72 and 73 and back-to-back Super Bowl titles in '72 and 73. From 1971 through 1974, the Dolphins were unbeatable at the Orange Bowl, winning an NFL record 31 consecutive home games.

But Scott's body paid a heavy price. He had five stainless-steel screws holding together the bones on his right hand and least one other metal screw in an elbow. He entered Super Bowl VII nursing a separated shoulder. He once played in a Pro Bowl with two broken hands in casts. He refused to take painkillers which later led to a fallout with head coach Don Shula.

Following the 1975 season, Scott refused to attend a mandatory Dolphins award banquet. He was later traded to the Washington Redskins, where he finished the final three seasons of his career. Scott was extremely upset and never forgave Shula for the trade. To this day, he has not spoken to his former head coach and has no regrets.

During his years in Miami, Scott developed a legendary reputation with his teammates as a tough guy and a party animal who loved to raise hell. He once consumed 43 beers in one sitting. He was said to be a bigger womanizer than Joe Namath. And if there was ever a bar fight, you wanted Jake Scott on your side. He intimidated his own teammates. During his first season with Dolphins in 1970, rookie players were required to sing their college fight song as a hazing ritual. Scott was the only rookie who refused to participate. Nobody wanted to mess with him.

When his career ended, he withdrew completely from the football world. For many years only a few close friends knew his whereabouts. Even family members couldn't find him. In 2006 Sun Sentinel sportswriter Dave Hyde finally tracked Scott down and found him living in a remote region in Hawaii. Scott claims he makes his living as an "investor" while living the good life in his little corner of the world. He doesn't follow football and it's a part of his life he has put behind him.

Three years ago during Super Bowll XL, the NFL honored all the of the previous Super Bowl MVP's in a pregame ceremony. Scott was the only one who didn't attend. Last year, the Miami Dolphins honored Dick Anderson and former offensive lineman Richmond Webb for induction into the team's Ring of Honor. With all due respect to Richmond Webb, it's hard to comprehend Anderson not being inducted with his former partner in crime Jake Scott. But the truth is the Dolphin organization knew Scott would not show up. The 1972 Dolphins reunite every year when the last undefeated team loses. But one player you'll never find at those parties is Jake Scott. Chances are you'll find him relaxing at his familiar bar stool sipping a beer in Hawaii.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Andy Gustafson

2009-08-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick trivia question. What former University of Miami head football coach has won the most games? It's got to be Howard Schnellenberger right? Nope. Oh, then it has to be Jimmy Johnson. Wrong. Hmmm, maybe Dennis Erickson? Wrong again. Is it Butch Davis or Larry Coker? No and no. But if your answer was Andy Gustafson, then you know your Hurricane football history.

For 16 seasons from 1948 through 1963, Gustafson stood on the UM sidelines leading the Hurricanes to a 93-65-3 record. Virtually all of the great college and pro coaches have paced the sidelines of the Orange Bowl field at one time or another. But only Don Shula coached more games at the Orange Bowl than Gustafson. Prior to coaching at UM, Gustafson had been a head coach at Virginia Tech from 1926 to 1929 and served as an assistant at Army under head coach Red Blaik.

Under Gustafson, the University of Miami football program made the transition to playing a big time schedule. National powers like Alabama and Notre Dame became regular opponents on the Canes schedule. In 1955 Notre Dame visited the Orange Bowl for the first time and drew a crowd of 75,685--the first sellout in UM football history. The Irish beat Miami 14-0 behind two touchdowns by junior quarterback Paul Hornung. But it would start a long rivalry that would continue until 1990 when the series was cancelled due to bad blood between the two programs.

Gustafson's influence on Miami football is huge. By playing a national schedule, the Hurricanes soon were able to attract top athletes from out of state. Players like Don Bosseler, Jack Losch, Jim Otto and Bill Miller all came to Miami from the Northeast and Midwest. But Gustafson's strategy of recruiting northern players was no accident. He had developed many relationships with high school coaches in the Northeast from his days as an assistant at Army. He also believed the high school football talent in Miami and the state of Florida lacked the depth needed to build the Miami program. At the time, Miami had trouble attracting the best local players. Most of the best players in South Florida ended up at Florida and even Georgia Tech.

But Gustafson's snowbird recruits were plenty good enough to stand toe to toe with his instate rivals. During the Gustafson years, the Canes were 9-7 against Florida and 8-2 against Florida State. The Canes won 8 games or more four times and finished the 1956 season ranked 6th in the AP poll--the first top 10 finish in school history. However not all of Gustafson's best players were from the North. There were local stars like halfback Jim Dooley and lineman Charlie George from Miami High. All American quarterback Fran Curci was a graduate of Archbishop Curley. But the biggest star of them all was a kid from Key West named George Mira.

Gustafson wasn't without his faults. Throughout his 16 seasons at UM, all of his players had one thing in common. They were all white. In a time of segregation just before the massive Cuban migration and the Castro Revolution, Miami was a small southern city known more as a tourist destination for Northerners. It wasn't uncommon for the marching band to play "Dixie" during halftime. During his final years as Canes head coach, new UM President Dr. Henry King Stanford approached Gustafson and suggested Miami should begin recruiting black athletes. Gustafson resisted. It wasn't until his final year as head coach in 1963 when Gustafson decided to finally recruit a local black athlete named Cyril Pinder from Crispus Attucks High School in Hollywood. Pinder ended up attending Illinois and it would be another four years until Miami signed its first black football player Ray Bellamy in 1967.

Gustafson also had his own personal demons with alcholism. Longtime Miami Herald writer Edwin Pope once said of Gustafson, " I just loved Gus. He was a wonderful guy. I got to know Gus after 1956. He was in Alcoholics Anonymous and loved to tell me the about his brother who said, 'When you feel your worst, always look your best.' Gus told me he had this horrible hangover and came in the office at six in the morning dressed in a suit."

Overall, Gustafson left a great legacy. Among his assistant coaches was Hank Stram, who went on to become a hall of fame head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. Former UM quarterback Don James later became a hall of fame coach at the University of Washington and credits Gustafson as a big influence. Gustafson was also the head of the selection committee of the North vs. South college all star game played annually at the Orange Bowl from 1948 through 1973. He served as athletic director at UM following his coaching career. He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Tommie Frazier

2009-08-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier breaks a tackle by Miami's C.J. Richardson during the 1995 Fed Ex Orange Bowl

As a young kid growing up in Bradenton, Tommie Frazier dreamed of someday playing quarterback in big games at the Orange Bowl. But he figured he would be playing for the Gators, Seminoles or Hurricanes. Everything was going as planned. As a 10th grader at Bradenton's Manatee High School, he led his team to the state championship. By his junior year, he was already considered one of the best high school quarterbacks in the state. As a senior he was named high school All American by Parade Magazine and USA Today. Florida, Florida State and Miami all offered football scholarships. But there was just one problem. None of the Florida schools wanted Frazier to play quarterback. They all recruited Frazier as an "athlete" with the option of playing receiver, defensive back or running back.

Frazier had always been an option quarterback from the time he was in Pop Warner through high school. He was determined to play quarterback in college. As an option quarterback, his strengths were more geared to run the football and pitch to his tailback rather throw the ball downfield from the pocket. Enter Tom Osborne and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska made Frazier an offer he couldn't refuse-- a chance to play quarterback for a big time program. It turned out to be a perfect marriage.

Less than a month after enrolling at Nebraska in the Fall of 1992, it didn't take long for Frazier to break into the starting lineup. He replaced senior Mike Grant and never looked back. He led the Huskers to the Big 8 title and a trip to the Fed Ex Orange Bowl. It was Frazier's chance to finally play in the game and stadium he had grown up watching on TV. The opponent was Florida State and it was also an opportunity to play against one of the Florida schools who didn't believe in his quarterback abilities. The Seminoles won the game as a nervous Frazier struggled against the speedy FSU defense. But Frazier was just beginning to realize his potential.

The following season in 1993, Frazier led Nebraska to an undefeated regular season and another trip to Miami for the Fed Ex Orange Bowl. Once again the opponent would be Florida State. But this time the national championship was on the line. The heavily favored Noles soon realized the sophomore version of Frazier was much different from the nervous freshman they faced the previous year. Frazier didn't make the same mistakes of turning the ball over. He kept the FSU defense off balance the entire evening, combining clutch passing to go along with his running ability with the option. Late in the fourth quarter, Frazier drove Nebraska to a go-ahead touchdown to take a 16-15 lead. But FSU's Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward answered back and led the Noles to a drive that led to the eventual game winning field goal by Scott Bentley to take an 18-16 lead. With less than a minute left in the game, Frazier miraculously drove Nebraska deep into into FSU territory, completing a 29-yard pass to Tremaine Bell as time almost expired. Bell was ruled down with one second left in the game. But kicker Byron Bennett missed a 45-yard field on the final play and Nebraska lost again. Despite the loss, Frazier was named Nebraska's MVP for the game.

Frazier was now 0-2 in bowl games and Nebraska had a 7-year bowl losing streak. That all changed in 1994. For the second consecutive year, Frazier lead Nebraska to an undefeated regular season and a third straight trip to the Fed Ex Orange Bowl. This time the opponent was the hometown Miami Hurricanes. While Nebraska was considered the favorite, the Huskers had were 0-3 against the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, including the famous 31-30 loss in 1984. Frazier started the game, but struggled early against Miami's defense led by Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis. He was sent to the bench and replaced by backup quarterback Brook Berringer, who had started several games that season when Frazier was sidelined with blood clots in his leg. Berringer also struggled. Miami led most of the game and had a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter. It looked like another frustrating loss for Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Sensing a shift in momentum, Tom Osborne summoned Frazier from the bench and put him back into the game. Frazier energized Nebraska and led the Huskers to a pair of 4th quarter touchdown drives to win the game 24-17 and the national championship. Frazier was once again named the MVP of the game. He became only the third player in Fed Ex Orange Bowl history to be named MVP twice, joining former Nebraska quarterback Jerry Tagge and Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts.

Frazier would finish his college career with another national championship--this time demolishing Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl. His 75-yard touchdown run late in the game is one of the most memorable runs in college football history. Once again, he was named MVP. Frazier is the only quarterback in college football history to be named MVP in three national championship games.

Undrafted by the NFL, Frazier went on to play briefly in the Canadian Football League. But continous blood clot problems shortened his playing career. He went to coach and served as a graduate assistant at Baylor University and was head coach at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska for two seasons. Married with two children, Frazier is now an account executive for an energy company in Nebraska.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Don Bosseler

2009-08-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

If you grew up in the mid to late 1950s, you probably remember the music of Elvis Presley blaring out of the jukebox at the local soda shop or James Dean lighting up the silver screen and Dwight Eisenhower in the White House. But if you were a University of Miami football fan, chances are Don Bosseler was your hero. If Norman Rockwell had to paint a picture of a football player, it would be Bosseler. At 6'1 and 212 pounds, he was big, muscular and sported a blond crewcut. His nickname was "Bull" and as a fullback, he preferred to run over tacklers rather than go around them.

Like many Hurricane football players at the time, Bosseler was from the Northeast part of the country (Batavia, NY). While there was good high school football played in South Florida, UM head coach Andy Gustafson preferred recruiting players from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey because the depth of football talent in the Sunshine State wasn't as deep as it is today. From 1953 to 1956, Bosseler was the face of Miami Hurricane football. Before he arrived in Coral Gables, UM had never been ranked in the Associated Press top 10. Bosseler often played his best games against instate rivals Florida and Florida State. When his college career was finished, the Canes were a perfect 7-0 against the Gators and Noles.

During his senior year in 1956, Bosseler set a then UM record with 723 yards rushing on 161 carries and 4 touchdowns. On defense he was also Miami's leading tackler from his linebacker position. The Canes finished the 1956 season ranked 6th in the nation by the Associated Press, marking the first time UM had ever finished in the top 10. Bosseler was chosen first-team All American by the Associated Press and was selected to play in the Senior Bowl where he was named the game's MVP.

Bosseler's football career continued when he was drafted in the first round by the Washington Redskins in 1957. He was the 9th overall pick and the third running back taken in a star-studded draft behind future hall of famers Jim Brown and Paul Hornung. He played all 8 of his NFL seasons with the Redskins and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1959. He finished his career in 1964 with 3,112 career yards rushing and 23 touchdowns.

In 1990 Bosseler was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the University of Miami's Sports Hall of Fame and his name is included in the school's Ring of Honor.

Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Willlie Galimore

2009-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Orange Bowl field has been the stage for many great running backs. But none may have been better than former Florida A&M great Willie Galimore. In a time of segregation when African-Americans couldn't attend the Universities of Miami, Florida and Florida State, Florida A&M had its pick of the litter of the best black athletes in the state. From 1953 through 1956, Galimore dazzled fans and opponents with amazing perfomances in the annual Orange Blossom Classic game played annually in December at the Orange Bowl. The Orange Blossom Classic was considered the mythical national championship for black college football and no player dominated the 1950s like Galimore.

Galimore was a 3-time Black College All American for the FAMU Rattlers and often saved his best games for his trips to Miami. In the 1954 Orange Blossom Classic, Galimore rushed for 295 yards against Maryland State. It was an Orange Bowl stadium record that stood for 44 years until Miami's Edgerrin James gained 298 yards against UCLA in 1998. Two years later in his final college game, Galimore scored 4 touchdowns in a heartbreaking 41-39 loss to Tennessee State in the 1956 Orange Blossom Classic. During his 4 years at FAMU, the Rattlers sported a 33-4-1 record winning the black college national championship in 1954 and were runners up in 1953,1955 and 1956. Legendary Florida A&M coach Jake Gaither called Galimore the finest player he ever coached.

Before there was a Barry Sanders or Gale Sayers, Galimore was the most electrifying runner of his time. At 6'1 and 187 pounds, he was built like a wide receiver and was often the fastest athlete on the field. Like Sayers, he went on to play for the Chicago Bears, where he was an All Pro and helped the Bears win the 1963 NFL championship. Galimore and Bears teammate Bo Farrington died tragically in a car accident on July 26, 1964. He was 29 years old. Galimore is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Happy Birthday Mark Clayton

2009-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 48th birthday to former Dolphins receiver Mark Clayton. From 1983 to 1993, few NFL receivers put up better numbers than Clayton. Although he's not in the Pro Football Hall of fame, his career numbers are better than many receivers currently enshrined in Canton. He caught 582 passes for 8,974 yards and 84 touchdowns. At one time, he held the NFL record for touchdown catches in a season with 18 in 1984. Together with fellow receiver Mark Duper and quarterback Dan Marino, this trio formed arguably the most dangerous passing combination in NFL history. The Marino to Clayton connection combined for 81 touchdowns, forming the second most prolific quarterback to receiver touchdown combination in NFL history behind Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Clayton played 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with the Dolphins and was a 5 time Pro Bowl selection. He finished his career in 1993 with Green Bay and is one of only three players to catch passes from Dan Marino and Brett Favre.

Born Mark Gregory Clayton in Indianapolis, he grew up like many Indiana kids playing basketball. But his short stature and quick feet made him an outstanding football player at every level he played. During his career at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Clayton weighed only 155 pounds and played quarterback and tailback. His lack of size didn't attract a lot of colleges. His only scholarship offers came from Louisville and Indiana State. He chose Louisville and went on to a fine--yet unoticeable college career. Louisville's football program was always in the shadow of the basketball program and Clayton was never showcased on national television. He finished his college career with 1,100 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior.

Despite a productive college career, Clayton was not considered a top prospect entering the 1983 NFL Draft. At 5'9 and 163 pounds and 4.63 speed in the 40 yard dash, Clayton's physical numbers weren't impressive. He was drafted in the 8th round by the Dolphins--the 223rd overall pick of the entire draft. (The NFL Draft no longer has an 8th round) While Dan Marino was the biggest name of the Dolphins 1983 draft class, Clayton was drafted behind forgetable players like Baylor defensive end Charles Benson and Rutgers linebacker Keith Woetzel. But it didn't take long for Clayton to prove he was a special talent. In Dan Marino's first NFL start, Clayton caught his first touchdown pass in an overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. But it was his second season in 1984 when Clayton exploded as one of the leagues best receivers. He caught 73 passes for 1,389 yards and a then NFL record 18 touchdowns. Clayton and Mark Duper became the most prolific receiving duo in the NFL and earned the nicknamed "The Marks Brothers". That year Marino threw a then NFL record 48 touchdown passes, 26 of them were caught by the Marks Brothers. That season the Dolphins beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship game and reached Super Bowl XIX, losing to the 49ers. It would be the only Super Bowl appearance in Clayton's career.

While Clayton had his best season in 1984, he wasn't a one-year wonder. Five times had accumlated over 1,000 yards receiving in a season, reaching the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons. He led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches in 1986. Despite not having great speed in the 40 yard dash, Clayton possessed great football speed. Many of his big plays came after catching short passes and running for additional yardage. He also had tremendous leaping ability, which made up for his lack of height. Clayton had a 40 inch verticle leap and was known for his ability to jump over ping pong tables. He was a cocky player who often backed up what he said.

When Dan Marino gave his hall of fame induction speech in 2005, he quickly singled-out Clayton and Duper as two huge reasons for his great career. Marino finished his speech by throwing a football deep to Clayton, who was sitting in the audience. As usual, Clayton caught Marino's perfect pass with ease. It's debatable whether Clayton was the greatest receiver in Dolphins history. Unlike Paul Warfield, he's not in the hall fame. Nat Moore and Mark Duper also had great careers. But when it comes to stats, nobody was better than Clayton. No Miami Dolphin has caught more passes and scored more touchdowns. It's not likely Clayton will ever be inducted in Canton. But it may be just as difficult for any present or future Dolphin receivers to ever surpass Clayton.

Brandon Knight: South Florida's Greatest Basketball Player

2009-04-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

The best high school basketball player in the United States was not invited to play in last night's McDonald's All American game at the University of Miami. It's not because he wasn't good enough. It certainly wasn't because of location. He lives only 30 minutes from the arena. It's because he's only a junior. This week Brandon Knight, a 6'4 guard from Fort Lauderdale's Pine Crest School, was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He's only the third junior to receive this honor, joining LeBron James and Greg Oden.

How good is Knight? Prior to Knight's arrival at Pine Crest, the school's athletic history was more known for its swimming and diving program. The basketball team had not reached the state finals since the early 1960s. Knight has led Pine Crest to back-to-back Class 3A state titles in the last two seasons. He scored 27 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and had 4 assists in last month's state title game against Orlando's Jones High School. During the state championship game, Sun Sports comentator Whit Watson said, "It's easier to list the schools who are not recruiting Brandon rather than those who are." He has yet to choose a college. But whoever gets him will be very happy. In one playoff game against Miami LaSalle, he scored 52 points, including 27 in the fourth quarter. If that's not enough, he's also a tremendous student in the classroom, sporting a 4.28 grade point average at a private school known for its sterling academic reputation.

Knight's reputation goes beyond South Florida high school basketball. He's a superstar on the AAU national circuit. Together with prep rival, good friend and McDonald's All American Kenny Boynton Jr. of American Heritage, the dynamic duo led Team Breakdown to AAU national titles each of the last two years. If Knight's not the greatest player in Broward history, Boynton is very close. Knight and Boynton are the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson of Broward basketball. Never have two players of their caliber ever been seen in Broward County--let alone at the same time period. Look for both of them to be on NBA rosters in the near future.

While South Florida is more known for producing football talent, there have been some very good basketball players who have come through this area. Yesterday, the Sun Sentinel had a list of the best players to come out of Broward and Palm Beach. Today I decided to make my own list of the 40 greatest players to come out of Dade and Broward. Players are listed in alphabetical order with the schools they attended. They range from current and former NBA players like Mitch Richmond, Mychal Thompson , Udonis Haslem and Raja Bell to former prep All Americans like Douglas Edwards, Chris Corchiani and this year's Broward superstars Knight and Boynton. Included in the list is one female player Sylvia Fowles, who is arguably the most accomplished player--male or female--to come out of South Florida. She led Edison and Gulliver Prep to state titles, was an All American at LSU and Olympic gold medalist and now a star in the WNBA. But since I'm a male chauvenist pig, I can't put a female player as the greatest to ever come out of South Florida. Despite having still one more year of high school to finish, Brandon Knight is my choice as the greatest ever South Florida basketball player. His body of work is already awesome. Everything he does will only add to the legend.

40 Greatest South Florida (Dade/Broward) High School Basketball Players of All time

J.J. Barea - Miami Christian
Lucas Barnes - South Miami
Raja Bell - Killian
Steve Blake - Killian / Miami High
Ricky Blanton - Killian
Kenny Boynton - Ely / American Heritage
Trevor Burton - South Miami
Denis Clemente - Calusa Prep
Chris Corchiani - Kendall Acres / Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Guillermo Diaz - Miami Christian
Keyon Dooling - Cardinal Gibbons / Dillard
Vernon Delancy - Miami High
Douglas Edwards - Miami High
Stevie Edwards - Miami High
Sylvia Fowles - Edison / Gulliver Prep
Clarence Gilbert - Dillard
Taurean Green - Cardinal Gibbons
Udonis Haslem - Miami High
Tim James - Northwestern
Eddie Jones - Ely
James Jones - American
Brandon Knight - Pine Crest
Corey Louis - Northwestern
Gimel Martinez - Miami High
Robert McKie - Carol City
Charlie Miller - South Miami
Zach Peacock - Norland
Cesar Portillo - Miami High
Jose Ramos - Miami High
Mitch Richmond - Boyd Anderson
Cecil Rose - Jackson
Ray Shipman - Pace
Ochiel Swaby - North Miami
Jim Thomas - Nova
Irving Thomas - Carol City
Mychal Thompson - Jackson
Jesus Verdejo - Miami Christian
Neal Walk - Miami Beach
Jermaine Walker - Ely
Brent Wright - Miami High

RIP Lou Saban 1921-2009

2009-03-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

Former University of Miami head coach Lou Saban passed away yesterday at the age of 87. All Hurricane football fans owe Saban a huge debt of gratitude. He coached only two seasons at UM. (1977 and 1978) His combined record in those seasons was only 9-13. So why was Saban special? He may have been the most important coach hired by UM at a very dark time in the program's history.

In the late 1970s, UM was dangerously close to dropping its football program. The Canes were a perennial loser and drew few fans. Prior to Saban's arrival in Coral Gables, UM had only one winning season in the previous ten years and zero bowl appearances. While many credit Howard Schnellenberger for rescuing the program, he couldn't have done it without Saban. It was Saban who recruited key players including Jim Kelly, Jim Burt, Fred Marion and Lester Williams. These players helped build the foundation of Schnellenberger's early teams which eventually blossomed into a national championship in 1983.

Saban was a football nomad. He had 18 different coaching jobs, ranging from from the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos of the NFL, to coaching UM, Army and Central Florida were among his stops. He even coached high school football and once had a job in the New York Yankees front office. His average stint at those jobs was only 1.3 years. But he seemed to leave a mark everywhere he went. In Buffalo, he made O.J. Simpson a record setting running back. At UM, he was somehow able to convince Jim Kelly of East Brady, PA, to pass up a scholarship offer from Penn State to play for the Canes. Of course, it also helped Joe Paterno made the mistake of recruiting Kelly as a linebacker. He was known for his fiery pregame and halftime speeches. One of his famous rants was permanently captured by NFL Films when he famously yelled "They're killing me Whitey!" from the sidelines.

The passing of Saban will make the sidelines a little more quiet. But without him, there may not be any football at the University of Miami.

Get Well Dontrelle!

2009-03-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

I want to send my best wishes to former Marlins pitcher and current Detroit Tiger Dontrelle Willis. The Tigers placed Willis on the team's 15-day disabled list for an anxiety disorder. His career hasn't been the same since winning 20 games for the Marlins in 2005. It seemed like just yesterday the Marlins called up a fresh-faced lefty from Double-A with a high-leg kick and huge smile. Willis along with Miguel Cabrera were a pair of rookies who energized the Marlins in 2003 and played huge roles in the team's World Series championship.

Willis has always been one of my personal favorite players to wear the Marlins uniform. He's a class act and type of player everyone should root for. But since 2005, there's been very little success for Willis. I can't think of too many athletes who burst upon the scene so quickly and disappeared just as quickly. Injuries and health problems have plagued Willis since his departure from South Florida. After giving up 8 runs and 5 walks in his Tigers debut in 2008, Willis was demoted to Single-A Lakeland where he spent most of the season. He was called back up by the Tigers last September, but went winless in three starts.

At only 27 year-old, Willis should be entering the prime years of his career. But it's becoming more apparent his best days may be behind him. Hopefully it isn't too late to turn it around. Keep your chin up D-Train. Get well soon.

Taylor Cook and Damien Berry emerge as UM's Spring Heroes

2009-03-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Damien Berry

It is often said the most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback. When the starter plays poorly, the backup becomes more popular--even if he hasn't done anything to warrant praise. But University of Miami football fans take this theory to another level. It doesn't end with the quarterback. Whenever any backup player, who has yet to see significant playing time and shows some semblence of promise in spring practice, that player is already hailed a savior on various fan message boards. This year's heroes of the spring are quarterback Taylor Cook and running back Damien Berry.

This past Saturday, Cook and Berry turned in impressive performances at UM's final spring scrimmage at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium. Cook completed 11 of his 14 passes for 103 yards. At one point he completed 9 consecutive passes and led the team to one scoring drive. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Jacory Harris completed 9 of 16 passes for 141 yards. But none of his drives ended in a score. So naturally, if you look at various UM fan message boards, you will inevitably find posts touting Cook as the better quarterback. Don't get me wrong. I don't think most Cane fans think this way. But there is a noisy minority that subscribes to this absurd theory.

As good as Cook was, Berry was even more impressive. The sophomore from Belle Glade rushed for 114 yards on 14 carries, including a 54 yard touchdown run in which he showed great breakaway speed. And yes, there are those same crazy Cane fans who believe Berry should start the opening game against FSU.

Look, I'm not trying to put down Cook and Berry. It's encouraging to see them play well and they should both add much needed depth to the offense. But don't get carried away. I wouldn't be suprised if Berry gains fewer yards for the upcoming season than he did in the spring scrimmage. Berry, who was originally recruited as a safety out of Glades Central High School, redshirted last season and played the entire year on the scout team. He's a talented athlete whose father, Kenny Berry, was a former cornerback for UM in the late 1980s. But don't look for Berry to surplant Graig Cooper and Javarris James from the starting lineup just yet. Keep in mind UM also has talented freshmen Mike James and Killian High's Lamar Miller vying for playing time. Miller will arrive in the fall.

As someone who has watched spring scrimmages for several years, don't take too much from these performances. In the past, I can remember Derrick Crudup outperforming Brock Berlin in the 2003 spring scrimmage. In that same scrimmage Darnell Jenkins looked like a future All American. Well, we all know how that turned out. Spring scrimmages are supposed to simulate game situations. But in reality it's nothing like a real game. They are what they are--practices. The offensive and defensive schemes are simplified to a vanilla flavor. Defensive players are not allowed to hit the quarterback. I don't care how many passes you complete in a scrimmage. You really don't know how good a quarterback is until he gets hit.

I will say this, Cook is a better player than I originally thought. At 6-foot-7, he towers over the line of scrimmage and has the strongest arm of all the quarterbacks. But he is very raw and his technique still needs to be tweeked. To be honest, I didn't expect much from him. When he was recruited out of a small Texas high school (Rice Consolidated High), he wasn't highly rated and many thought he would be converted to tight end. Cook has shown some serious potential. But he's not ready to be the starter. The Canes will go as far as Jacory Harris can take them. He is the unquestioned leader of this team and he's only a true sophomore. Harris already has significant game experience and the trust of his teammates. Let's just hope he can stay healthy. At least Cane fans don't have to be as terrified if something were to happen to Harris.

Orange Bowl Memories: 1964 Nebraska vs. Auburn

2009-01-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here's an end zone shot from the 1964 Orange Bowl Classic. Nebraska beat Auburn 13-7. It was the last Orange Bowl Classic to be played during the daytime. It was also Nebraska's first victory in the OBC and began a long dynasty under head coach Bob Devaney and later his successor Tom Osborne. Auburn was led by All American halfback Tucker Frederickson, who was a graduate of South Broward High School.

Dade County's 100 Greatest High School Baseball Players

2008-06-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Pictured: Pace's Alex Fernandez (top) and Westminster Christian's Alex Rodriguez

Baseball has long been called the nation's "national pastime". In South Florida, football is considered king. Afterall, some of the best football talent comes from our back yard. But when you look at the baseball talent that has been developed and nurished from our backyard, South Florida takes a backseat to nobody.

Here's my list of the 100 greatest high school baseball players to come out of Miami-Dade County. You'll find a hall of famer (Steve Carlton), a bunch of soon-to-be hall of famers (Alex Rodriguez, Andre Dawson) and a who's who of great high school baseball players who excelled at various levels of the sport. Players are listed in alphabetical order with the high schools each attended.

Dade County's 100 Greatest High School Baseball Players

Yonder Alonso - Coral Gables
Alfredo Amezaga - Miami High
Robert Andino - Southridge
J.P Arencibia - Westminster Christian
J.D. Arteaga - Westminster Christian
Ronnie Belliard - Central
Nick Belmonte - North Miami
Tom Bernhardt - Columbus
Skip Bertman - Miami Beach
Kurt Bevacqua - North Miami
Randy Bush - Carol City
Juan Bustabad - Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Steve Butler - Westminster Christian
Marty Bystrom - Killian
John Cangelosi - Miami Springs
Jose Canseco - Coral Park
Ozzie Canseco - Coral Park
Adrian Cardenas - Pace
Ronald Caridad - Westminster Christian
Steve Carlton - North Miami
Tony Casas - Jackson
Frank Castro - Miami Springs
Lee Corso - Jackson
Leroy Cromartie - Booker T. Washington
Warren Cromartie - Jackson
Midre Cummings - Edison
Andre Dawson - Southwest
Bucky Dent - Hialeah
Orestes Destrade - Columbus
Nick Esasky - Carol City
David Espinosa - Gulliver
Eddy Martinez-Esteve - Westminster Christian
Jorge Fabregas - Columbus
Alex Fernandez - Pace
Mike Fiore - Coral Gables
Tom Foley - Palmetto
Fred Frink - Miami High
Mike Fuentes - Coral Gables
Alex Gonzalez - Killian
Gio Gonzalez - Pace
Orlando Gonzalez - Miami High
Yasmani Grandal - Miami Springs
Otis Green - Carol City
Rick Greene - Coral Gables
Pedro Grifol - Columbus
Ricky Gutierrez - American
Ben Grzybek - Hialeah
Garry Harper - Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Lenny Harris - Jackson
Bill Henderson - Westminster Christian
Chris Hernandez - Pace
Gaby Hernandez - Belen
Nick Hernandez - Hialeah
Steve Hertz - Miami High
Jackie Holmes - Norland
Charlie Hough - Hialeah
Raul Ibanez - Sunset
Ryan Jackson - Florida Christian
Calvin James - American
Jon Jay - Columbus
Ross Jones - Hialeah
Mickey Lopez - Westminster Christian
Mike Lowell - Coral Gables
Ed Lynch - Columbus
Jim Maler- Coral Gables
Chris Marrero - Pace
Eli Marrero - Coral Gables
Danny Matienzo - Columbus
Tony Menendez - American
Doug Mientkiewicz - Westminster Christian
Luis Montanez - Coral Park
Rob Murphy - Columbus
Steve Nicosia - North Miami Beach
Fred Norman - Jackson
Alex Ochoa - Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Orlando Palmeiro - Southridge
Rafael Palmeiro - Jackson
Jose Prado - Coral Gables
Danny Rams - Gulliver
Mickey Rivers - Northwestern
Alex Rodriguez - Westminster Christian
Javy Rodriguez - Gulliver
Sean Rodriguez - Braddock
Ricky Rojas - Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Al Rosen - Miami High
Wade Rowdon - Palmetto
Gaby Sanchez - Brito Private
Nelson Santovenia - Southridge
Howie Shapiro - Miami Beach
Dennis Sherrill - South Miami
Dale Soderholm - Coral Park
Eric Soderholm - Coral Park
David Sorokowski - Southridge
Shannon Stewart - Southridge
Bob Stinson - Miami High
Danny Tartabull - Carol City
David Yocum - Columbus
Eddie Williams - Edison
Woody Woodward - Coral Gables
Jason Woolf - American

All Time Canes Baseball Team

2008-05-26T17:10:00.001-07:00

Ryan Braun

When I moved to South Florida in 1986 from suburban Chicago, I had no profesional baseball team to adopt. At the time, the Dolphins were the only pro sports team in town. This was before the Heat, Marlins or Panthers existed. So I continued to root for the Cubs, even though I no longer considered myself a Chicagoan. But it didn't take me long to find a local baseball team to embrace. That team was the University of Miami Hurricanes, coached by the great Ron Fraser.

Back then I had never seen a college baseball game before. The "ping" of the aluminum bat still sounds funny to me. But I've always loved baseball and decided to check out a game at Mark Light Stadium and quickly fell in love with the Canes program. It was baseball the way I liked it--good pitching, lots of aggresiveness on the basepaths and good fundamentals. Mike Fiore was the Canes best player at the time. And from that time, I've been a diehard Canes baseball fan.

So I've decided to make a list of who I believe are the best UM baseball players to play their respective positions. The list wasn't easy. There have been a lot of great players who've contributed to a program that's won 4 College World Series titles. Most of the players listed are guys I've seen play in person. But there are a couple who were stars at UM before I followed the program. So here we go, here' my all time Canes baseball team.

All Time Miami Hurricanes Baseball Team

1B Yonder Alonso
2B Jemile Weeks
SS Alex Cora
3B Pat Burrell
LF Mike Fiore
CF Doug Shields
RF Jason Michaels
DH Phil Lane
UTL Ryan Braun
C Charles Johnson
SP Neal Heaton
SP Alex Fernandez
SP J.D. Arteaga
SP Cesar Carrillo
RP Rick Raether
RP Danny Graves

Canes Baseball: South Florida's Ultimate Sports Dynasty

2008-05-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

UM catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Kyle Bellamy celebrate the Canes first ACC championship.

In the amazing history of the University of Miami baseball program, the Hurricanes have won just about every kind of trophy and championship you can imagine. But there was one piece of hardware still missing in the trophy case--an ACC championship. Sunday afternoon, the Canes filled that void by beating Virginia 8-4 in the ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville.

When you think about it, UM baseball is by far the greatest sports dynasty South Florida has ever seen. It's a dynasty better than Don Shula's Dolphins. It's better than Canes football. It's better than Miami High, Coral Gables or Northwestern High football. Canes baseball stands alone and here's why.

* No losing seasons since 1957. Think about it. That's more than a half century of winning baseball. It's a string of unparalelled consistancy that's unmatched.

* 36 consecutive NCAA postseason appearances. Every season since 1974, the Canes have reached postseason play. That's an NCAA record. Even super powers like Nebraska football or UCLA basketball have had an occasional bad season here or there. Not Canes baseball. A bad year for UM baseball is losing in the regionals.

* 22 College World Series appearances. Only USC and Texas have made more appearances.

* 4 National championships. Although UM football has won one more championship. Canes baseball is more impressive because you have to win the championship on the field. Football national championships are often awarded by sportswriter polls with no playoff system. Consider this, FSU has made a bunch of CWS appearances and never won a national championship. It's much tougher to win a baseball national title.

UM baseball is even more remarkable when you consider its recruiting disadvantages. College baseball is the toughest sport to recruit. You not only have to recruit against the top schools, you also have to recruit against Major League Baseball. Most of the very best high school baseball players sign with professional teams when they graduate. Also, there are far fewer scholarships available for college baseball. Many college baseball players are on partial scholarship. When you consider the huge tuition at UM, it's even more amazing what the baseball program has accomplished.

In his previous 14 seasons as UM head coach, Jim Morris has guided the Canes to 10 College World Series appearances-winning two national championships. But this year's team may be his best. The Canes are currently 47-8 and were ranked #1 in the nation for most of the season. Three junior stars: Yonder Alonso, Jemile Weeks and Dennis Raben are ranked among the top prospects for the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft. Freshman pitcher Chris Hernandez is a perfect 11-0. Shortstop Ryan Jackson may be the best defensive player at his position in the country. In other words, there aren't many weaknesses in this group.

Whenever I hear of a dynasty, I think of an organization that has sustained a standard of excellence for a long period of time. The Canes baseball machine is the epitomy of that definition. Don't look for that to change anytime soon.

Jacory Harris Named Florida's Mr. Football

2008-01-10T19:23:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Miami Northwestern High School quarterback Jacory Harris for being named Florida's Mr. Football award. Harris is the first player from Miami-Dade or Broward counties to receive this honor, which goes to the state's player of the year.

The 6'4, 170 pound Harris led the Bulls to a perfect 15-0 record, while passing for 3,445 yards, 49 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. During his high school career, Harris started 30 games and never lost. An honors student, Harris graduated early from Northwestern and will begin classes at the University of Miami on Monday. He is expected to compete with Robert Marve for UM's starting quarterback job this spring. Coincidently, Marve was last year's Mr. Football after starring at Tampa's Plant High School.

Past Mr. Football Winners

1992 Jammi German Fort Myers
1993 Shevin Wiggins Bradenton Manatee
1994 Daunte Culpepper Ocala Vanguard
1995 Frankie Franklin Jacksonville Sandalwood
1996 Travis Henry Frostproof
1997 Zain Gilmore Tampa Robinson
1998 Anquan Boldin Pahokee
1999 Willie Green Kissimmee Osceola
2000 Adrian McPherson Bradenton Southeast
2001 Leon Washington Jacksonville Jackson
2002 Andre Reese Pierson Taylor County
2003 Xavier Lee Daytona Beach Seabreeze
2004 Antone Smith Pahokee
2005 Tim Tebow Ponte Vedra Nease
2006 Robert Marve Tampa Plant
2007 Jacory Harris Miami Northwestern

RIP Jim Dooley (1930-2008)

2008-01-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

Jim Dooley, one of Miami's greatest football legends and sports pioneers , passed away yesterday after battling Lou Gehrig's disease for the last few years. Dooley was the first consensus All American in University of Miami football history in 1951. He also became the first UM player to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and the first UM player to have his jersey number retired. In 1997, Dooley was inducted into UM's Ring of Honor at the Orange Bowl.

Born James William Dooley in Stoutsville, Missouri, he moved to Miami as a boy and later became one of the city's great schoolboy athletes while attending Miami Senior High School. As a senior at Miami High in 1947, Dooley led the Stingarees to a 9-1 record and the state championship while playing halfback on both offense and defense. He was named All City and All State, while playing for head coach George Trogdon. At the time, Miami High was one of the nation's top high school programs and scheduled teams from 5 different states during Dooley's senior year.

He chose to stay home and play his college football at the University of Miami and then head coach Andy Gustafson. During his junior year in 1950, Dooley led the Canes to an upset victory over then #1 ranked Purdue at West Lafayette, Indiana. The victory sparked a huge celebration in Miami which saw thousands of fans greet the team upon their arrival at the Miami International Airport. The Canes went on to play Clemson in the 1951 Orange Bowl Classic, losing 15-14 after Miami's Frank Smith was tackled in the end zone for a safety late in the 4th quarter.

Dooley was a true 60-minute player and played both offense and defense as a junior and senior. He was the first UM player to rush for over 1,000 yards in his career and set a UM bowl record with 4 interceptions vs. Clemson in the 1952 Gator Bowl. In 1951, Dooley intercepted 10 passes--a school record that has since been tied by Bennie Blades and the late Sean Taylor.

He was selected in the first round by the Chicago Bears in the 1952 NFL Draft and played 10 seasons from 1952-1961. As a rookie he played defense, intercepting 5 passes. But in 1953, he became more of an offensive specialist, playing wide receiver. He finished his pro career with 211 career catches for 3,172 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 1968, Dooley succeeded George Halas as Bears head coach and compiled a 20-36 record from 1968-71. He spent the next 30 years working in the Bears organization as assistant coach and a team executive.

Jim Dooley is survived by his wife, daughter, four sons and 16 grandchildren. He was 77 years old.

Happy Birthday Don Shula

2008-01-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 78th birthday to former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula. Shula retired as the Dolphins head coach after the 1995 season with more career victories (347) than any other coach in NFL history. He earned the respect of nearly everyone connected with professional football.

After an NFL playing career that was built more on dedication and hard work than athletic ability, Shula became a very young head coach in 1963 with the Baltimore Colts. From 1963-69, he compiled a 73-26-4 record and guided the Colts to Super Bowl III. However, the Colts suffered a devasting to loss to the New York Jets at the Orange Bowl. When the Dolphins offered him its head coaching job in 1970, he took it.

Shula immediately amplified his standing in the coaching community. In 1972, he coached the Dolphins to the only perfect season (17-0) in NFL history, including a victory in Super Bowl VII. He won Super Bowl VIII too. Before he retired, Shula took six teams to the Super Bowl.

Throughout his career, Shula adapted to his personnel. With Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris in the early 1970s, the Dolphins won mainly with a powerful rushing attack. With Dan Marino in the 1980s and 1990s, the Dolphins opened up the passing game.

"The secret of success is getting inside different personalities and getting the most out of them." Shula said.

2007 South Florida Dream Team

2007-12-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

Top to bottom: Booker T. Washington head coach Tim "Ice" Harris, Ely cornerback Patrick Johnson and Northwestern quarterback Jacory Harris

The 2007 high school football season was perhaps the greatest ever in South Florida history. Three local teams won state championships--Northwestern in Class 6A, St. Thomas Aquinas in Class 5A and Booker T. Washington in Class 4A. USA Today recently named Northwestern as its national champion and Booker T. Washington finished 8th nationally.

But as great as the teams were, the individual talent in South Florida is as good as it's ever been. But who were the very best players in South Florida? Here's a look at the best senior high school football players in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. This is the first annual 2007 MiamiSouthPaw South Florida Dream Team--hopefully the beginning of a great tradition. Remember these names. Most of them will be playing college football in the next four years and a few of them will be playing in the NFL.

OFFENSE

QB Jacory Harris (6'4, 171) - Northwestern: Offensive Player of the Year, Harris led Northwestern to its second consecutive Class 6A state title and a mythical national championship. He holds every career Dade County passing record including 6,365 passing yards and 86 touchdown passes and a 30-0 career record as a starter. This season Harris threw for 3,445 yards, 49 TD passes and only 6 interceptions...has verbally committed to the University of Miami.

RB Mike Barasch - University School: Set a Broward County record with 2,071 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns during the regular season. Led University to the state playoffs for the first time in school history...Will attend Florida Atlantic University.

RB Jeremiah Harden - St. Thomas Aquinas: Rushed for 1,316 yards and 18 touchdowns. Led St. Thomas Aquinas to the Class 5A state championship and had an 84 yard touchdown run against Kissimmee Osceola in the state championship game--the longest run ever in a state title game. Harden currently has scholarship offers from Syracuse, Wisconsin and South Florida.

RB Aaron Winchester - North Miami Beach: A one-man gang for the North Miami Beach Chargers, Winchester rushed for 1,996 yards and also intercepted 6 passes on defense as a cornerback. He led NMB to an undefeated regular season (10-0)...verbally committed to Western Michigan University.

WR Aldarius Johnson - Northwestern: Named 2nd team All American by USA Today and one of the nation's top rated receivers. Johnson led Northwestern with 76 catches for 930 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2007. Johnson had over 1,000 yards receiving last year as a junior. Caught a 29 yard touchdown pass in the state championship game against Orlando Boone...will attend the University of Miami.

WR Davon Johnson - Booker T. Washington: Considered one of the fastest and most explosive receivers in the nation, Davon Johnson caught 27 passes for 628 yards and 7 touchdowns. Johnson also returned 2 punts and 2 kickoffs for touchdowns. He help Booker T. Washington to the Class 4A state championship...verbally committed to the University of Miami.

WR Tommy Streeter - Northwestern: At 6'5 and 200 pounds, Streeter is a physical mismatch for short defensive backs. He caught 36 passes for 676 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2007. Streeter had 3 touchdown catches in a victory over Texas power Southlake Carroll during the season. Heavily recruited, Streeter has yet to choose a college or university.

TE Bo Reliford - Dillard: A physical speciman at 6'6 and 235 pounds, Reliford is also one of Broward County's top basketball players and one of the state's best tight ends. He has a chance to play either football or basketball in college. Reliford currently has scholarship offers from Central Florida and Ole Miss.

OL Andrew Datko - St. Thomas Aquinas
: At 6'6 and 267 pounds, Datko anchored an offensive line that led Broward County in total offense and was a key member of the Class 5A state champs...has verbally committed to attend Florida State University.

OL Mike Goodman - Columbus: One of the state's most heavily recruited offensive linemen, Goodman helped teammates Jaren Jones and Jakhari Gore rush for over 1,000 yards and was a key member of a Columbus's 10-0 perfect regular season...verbally committed to Boston College.

OL Benjamin Jones - Northwestern: Made the smooth transition from defensive line to offensive line this season. Big and powerful at 6'6 and 270 pounds, Jones also benches 320 pounds and squats 485 pounds...has been offered scholarships by several schools including Miami, Florida, FSU, LSU and Ohio State.

OL Greg Shaw - Monsignor Pace: Two-time all state offensive lineman who stands 6'6 and 280 pounds. Shaw is the younger half brother of former Carol City star Willie Williams. He has scholarship offers from Florida, Georgia Tech, South Florida, LSU and West Virginia.

OL Brandon Washington - Northwestern: Massive guard who stands 6'4 and 314 pounds and is considered an excellent run blocker. Transferred to Northwestern from Edison High and anchored the Bulls offensive line to a state championship...verbally committed to the University of Miami but also has offers from Clemson, LSU and Florida.

ATH T.Y. Hilton - Miami Springs: One of the best all-around athletes in South Florida, Hilton starred at wide receiver, defensive back and returned kicks. Hilton had 785 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns this season. He's also one of Dade County's best basketball players as a point guard. Hilton has scholarship offers from Florida, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

DEFENSE

DL Marcus Forston - Northwestern: Considered one the nation's best defensive tackles in the nation and the best in the state. Forston was named All American by USA Today. This year he registered 19 quarterback sacks and was the MVP of the Clas 6A state championship game...has already committed to the University of Miami.

DL Johnathan Jackson - Booker T. Washington: Undersized at 6'3 and only 215 pounds, Jackson overwhelmed his bigger opponents with quickness and technique and anchored the best defense in Dade County that allowed only 3.2 points per game. Jackson had 4 sacks in the 4A state championship game against Ponte Vedra Nease.

DL Corey Liuget - Hialeah: A pass rushing machine, Liuget had 15 sacks and 50 tackles despite missing a few games due to injuries. The 6'3, 270 pounder is currently verbally committed to the University of Illinois.

DL Andrew Smith - Monarch: A sleeper prospect who blossomed his senior year and dominated Broward County with 80 tackles and 15 quarterback sacks. Smith was named All-Broward County by the Sun Sentinel and verbally committed to the University of Miami.

LB Marcus Robinson - Homestead: Blessed with great speed and instincts, Robinson is rated as one of the nation's best linebackers. He was chosen to play in the U.S. Army National All Star Game and runs a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash. He is currently committed to the University of Miami.

LB Etienne Sabino - Dr. Krop: One of the nation's top rated linebackers, Sabino was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All American All Star Game. The 6'3, 235 pound Sabino will play his college football at Ohio State.

LB Sean Spence - Northwestern: Instinctive linebacker who excells against the run and pass. Spence is a rare 3-time All Dade County star and was chosen to play in ESPN's All American All Star Game. Spence started 41 games in his high school career and led Northwestern in tackles every year since his sophomore season....will attend the University of Miami.

LB Kambriel Willis - Booker T. Washington - Despite his small stature (5'11 and 181 pounds), Willis was statistically the most dominant pass rushers in South Florida. He terrorized Dade County quarterbacks, registering 20 sacks during the regular season. Willis will play his college football at Florida International University.

DB Stephen Atkinson - Cardinal Gibbons: Hard hitting safety and a team leader, Atkinson intercepted 4 passes this season and is an outstanding tackler. He will attend Boston College.

DB Brandon Harris - Booker T. Washington: Perhaps the most versatile high school player in the state, Harris played cornerback, receiver, returned kicks and even saw action at quarterback. He is the son of his head coach Tim "Ice" Harris who is the Coach of the Year. Brandon intercepted 4 passes, returning 2 for touchdowns and helped Booker T. Washington win the 4A title. He was named Gatorade Florida Player of the Year and has a 3.9 grade point average in the classroom. He is currently undecided on where he will attend college.

DB Patrick Johnson - Blanche Ely: Defensive Player of the Year, Johnson did everything for the Ely Tigers. At 6'1 and blessed with 4.37 speed in the 40, Johnson intercepted 7 passes and returned one for a touchdown. He had three other interception returns for touchdowns nullified due to penalties. On offense, Johnson accounted for 9 touchdowns. Johnson has been named to virtually every All American team and was chosen National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today. He is verbally committed to the University of Miami but is also considering Florida, LSU and USC.

DB Jerral Stewart - Deerfield Beach: Standing only 5'8 and just 160 pounds, Stewart is the smallest player on the South Florida Dream Team. But his talent is as big as anyone's. He intercepted 8 passes to lead all Broward County big-school players and led the Deerfield Beach Bucks to the Class 6A semifinals, losing a heartbreaker to Northwestern.

ATH George Baker - Archbishop Carroll: Great athlete who played running back and defensive back. Baker led his team to the Class 2A semifinals, the best finish in school history. Rushed for 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense and made 50 tackles on defense...verbally committed to Auburn University.

SPECIAL TEAMS

KR Phillip Pierre-Louis - St. Thomas Aquinas: One of the fastest athletes in the state, Pierre-Louis returned 4 punts for touchdowns and was also the leading receiver on the Raiders Class 5A state championship team.

P Chad Saladrigas - Cypress Bay: Blessed with a strong leg, Saladrigas averaged 45.1 yards per punt on 24 punts and had a long of 70 yards. Named All Broward County by the Sun Sentinel.

K Blair Walsh - Cardinal Gibbons: Considered the best place kicker in the nation and has extraordinary leg strength and accuracy. Walsh, made a 57 yard field goal and narrowly missed a 65 yard attempt during the season. He also had a 58 yarder his junior year. Walsh was named to the USA Today All American team and will attend the University of Georgia.

Head Coach Tim "Ice" Harris - Booker T. Washington: Led Booker T. Washington to a perfect 15-0 record and the school's first FHSAA Class 4A state championship. Since taking over the Booker T. program in 2003, the Tornadoes are 62-7 under Harris and have reached at least the state semifinals in all five seasons. Harris was named National Coach of the Year by USA Today. His son Brandon Harris was chosen as a defensive back to the South Florida Dream Team.

Northwestern Crowned National Champs By USA Today

2007-12-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

They're the best high school football team Dade County has arguably ever produced and now they're officially the best in the nation. Congratulations to head coach Billy Rolle and the Miami Northwestern Bulls. USA Today officially named Northwestern its national champion after capping off a perfect 15-0 season and a second consecutive Class 6A state title. The Bulls become the first team from South Florida to win USA Today's title since the paper began its national high school football poll in 1982. Northwestern also becomes the third team from Florida to win the national championship, joining the 1988 Pensacola Pine Forest Eagles and the 2005 Lakeland Dreadnaughts.

But the Bulls were not the only Miami-Dade County school ranked in USA Today's Top 25. Booker T. Washington High School in Overtown finished 8th in the nation. Both teams won the state titles in their respective classifications. Two weeks ago, Northwestern crushed Orlando's Boone High School 41-0 in the Class 6A championship game, while Booker T. Washington beat Ponte Vedra Nease in the 4A title game. Broward's St. Thomas Aquinas won the 5A championship beating Kissimmee's Osceola High School. It was truly a year to remember for South Florida high school football.

How good is Northwestern? The Bulls have won 30 consecutive games dating back to 2005. Nineteen seniors are expected to attend college on football scholarships next year and 30 players on the roster are considered legitimate college prospects. Six Northwestern players have already verbally committed to attend the University of Miami. They include quarterback Jacory Harris, who set virtually every passing record in Dade County history. Harris threw 49 touchdown passes this season and had a great trio of receivers including Aldarius Johnson, Kendal Thompkins and Tommy Streeter. Johnson and Thompkins will join Harris at UM, while Streeter remains undecided on his college choice. Offensive lineman Brandon Washington, defensive tackle Marcus Forston and linebacker Sean Spence will also attend UM.

While few followers of South Florida high school football are surprised by Northwestern's championship season. It almost never happened. Miami-Dade School Superintendent Rudy Crew nearly cancelled Northwestern's season in the wake of a coverup of a sex scandal involving former player Antwain Easterling.

Former school principal Dwight Bernard along with head coach Roland Smith were fired after they failed to report Easterling to the police for having sex in the school bathroom with a 14 year old student. Easterling was 18 years old at the time. Not only did the they fail report the crime, Bernard and Smith gave Easterling permission to play in last year's state championship game. Easterling rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown to help the Bulls win last year's 6A title.

In the wake of the scandal, Billy Rolle and new princicpal Charles Hankerson were brought in to clean up the program. So far, so good. Rolle had coached Northwestern from 1997 to 2000 and led the Bulls to the state title in 1998. He also coached at Killian High from 2001 to 2006 and won a state title in 2004. Under Hankerson, Northwestern's enrollment has improved dramatically with 90 percent attendance. But the Liberty City school continues to face the unique challenges most inner city schools continue to struggle with. Northwestern is located across the street from the infamous Pork and Beans housing project--one of the poorest and most economically depressed areas in Miami. The students at Northwestern overcome obstacles just to graduate from school. They're surrounded by gangs, drugs, violence and poverty. Hankerson became Northwestern's fourth principal in just the last two years.

Despite all the obstacles, Northwestern is seen as a beacon of hope in Liberty City. Football has always given the school a unique sense of pride. Northwestern has won 4 state championships. But for the first time, the Bulls can say they're the best in the nation. It's a crown all of Liberty City and the Northwestern community will wear proudly.

Happy Birthday Larry Csonka

2007-12-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Happy 61st birthday to former Miami Dolphins fullback Larry Csonka. During the 1970s, Csonka was pro football's most powerful running back who often trampled and knocked over defenders like a Mack truck through bowling pins. He was the face and personification of the great Dolphin teams of the early 1970s--including the 1972 undefeated team.

Born Lawrence Richard Csonka in Stow, Ohio, he grew up on a farm as one of six children from a Hungarian family. Csonka was always unusually large and strong. He weighed 10 pounds when he was born and weighed 150 pounds by the age of 12.

His football career began at Stow-Munroe Falls High School where he played defensive end as a sophomore. His transition to running back came as an accident. In the final game of his sophomore year he was sent in as a substitute as a kickoff returner. He returned the kick almost for a touchdown and nearly ran over the entire opposing team. From that point on, it was obvious Csonka had a gift for running with the football. By his senior year, Csonka led his high school team to the Metropolitan League Championship in Akron, Ohio. He graduated in 1964 and earned a football scholarship to Syracuse University.

In his three seasons on the Syracuse varsity, Csonka broke school records that were previously held by great players like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim Nance and Floyd Little. He finished his college career with 2,934 yards, 14 100-yard games and was named consensus All American by his senior year in 1967. He finished 4th in the Heisman Trophy voting and was selected in the first round by the Dolphins in the 1968 NFL Draft.

Csonka was the workhorse of Dolphin teams that dominated the NFL in the early 1970s. He led the Dolphins to three consecutive AFC Championships in 1971, 1972 and 1973. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in all three seasons with his best production--1,117 yards--coming during the Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. All AFC three straight seasons (1971-73) and All Pro in 1971, Csonka was selected to play in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1970 to 1974, although injuries forced him to miss two of those games.

His most memorable performance came in Super Bowl VIII, when he was selected most valuable player. Miami's powerful rushing attack was at its best with Csonka carrying 33 times for a then-Super Bowl record 145 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-7. He finished his pro career with 8,081 yards rushing and fumbled only 21 times in 1,997 career ball handling opportunities.

Csonka startled the pro football world by playing out his option with the Dolphins in 1974 to join the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League, along with Dolphin teammates Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield. When the WFL folded, he joined the New York Giants as a free agent in 1976. He enjoyed moderate success with the Giants before returning to the Dolphins fo a final 1979 season.

After his football career, Csonka has become a motiviational speaker and has hosted several hunting and fishing shows on the old Outdoor Life Network. He once worked as the General Manager of the Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League and even co-hosted the TV show American Gladiators from 1990 to 1993. He currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska.

Happy Birthday Chris Evert

2007-12-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 53rd birthday to tennis legend Chris Evert. A Fort Lauderdale native, Evert was most dominant female athlete to ever come out of South Florida and one of the greatest tennis players to ever pick up a racquet. During her illustrious career, Evert won an amazing 157 singles titles including 18 grand slam titles along with 72 career runner-up finishes. During the 1970s and early 80s she was arguably the most decorated tennis champion--male or female--in the world.

Born Christine Marie Evert in Fort Lauderdale, she started playing tennis at age five. Her father Jimmy Evert was a well-known tennis coach who taught many of South Florida's best youth players at the public tennis courts at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale. Jennifer Capriati was one of Jimmy Evert's students. By 1969, Chris was the #1 ranked girl in the United States among ages 14 and under.

She went on to attend St. Thomas Aquinas High School and began competing profesionally at the same time. By age 15, she beat Australia's Margaret Court, who was the #1 women's player in the world at the time. She was so good and so young, she skipped her senior prom to compete in Wimbledon. By the early 1970s, she burst onto the tennis scene as a tall, slender blonde with ribbons in her hair filled with a fierce competitive spirit. She began to develop a reputation as an intense competitor and was nicknamed "The Ice Maiden" by the media. She rarely showed emotion on the court and was always in control--often intimidating her overmatched opponents.

By the mid 1970s, Evert was by far the best women's player in the world. By 1976, she had won all four gland slam tournaments. (Wimbledon, French Open, U.S. and the Australian Opens). For a brief time she was engaged to Jimmy Connors, who was the number one men's player in the world at the time. The romance didn't last, but Evert's dominance just kept going.

But in the late 1970s another great player who defected from Czechoslovakia named Martina Navratilova burst onto the scene and became Evert's biggest rival. The Evert vs. Navratilova rivlary would eventually become the greatest in tennis history and arguably one of the greatest in all of sports. Evert dominated their early matches. But by the 1980s, Navratilova overtook Evert and became the dominant player in the world. Evert and Navratilova met an amazing 14 times in Grand Slam finals, with Navratilova winnning 10 of the matches.

Evert's career was remarkably consistant. She never lost in the first round of any tournament and never failed to at least reach the semifinals of the 34 grand slam tournaments she competed in. She retired in 1989 and set standards that have yet to be duplicated. Evert was voted Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year four times. Tennis Magazine ranked her 4th on the its list of the 40 greatest players of all time. She was the first female athlete to host Saturday Night Live. She is currently engaged to golfer Greg Norman and runs a tennis academy with Robert Seguso and his wife Carling Bassett-Seguso.

Can the Big Tuna Rescue the Dolphins?

2007-12-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

Bill Parcells

I will never accuse Wayne Huizenga of not caring enough about his team. With Bill Parcells on the verge of signing a contract for a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons, Huizenga swooped in and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. When it was over, Parcells was signed, sealed and delivered to the Dolphins. He is now the Dolphins Vice President in charge of football operations.

If you're a Dolphins fan, you have to be ecstatic. Parcells' track record speaks for itself. As a head coach, he led the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowl titles in 1986 and 1990. He led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1996. He also led the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. In just the last few years, he took a losing Dallas Cowboys team and has built it into the Super Bowl contender it is today. There is one common denominator to all of Parcells's jobs. He made every franchise he worked for better.

But Parcells will have his work cut out for him in Miami. This time he will be asked to rebuild a franchise that is in complete shambles. Never has he inherited a team in such bad shape. What's also different is this time he will not be the head coach. He will be making the personnel decisions, but not from the sidelines. Whoever coaches the Dolphins next year will have to swallow their ego and answer to the man known as "The Big Tuna".

For now, that man is Cam Cameron. But what is Cameron's future? My first reaction was this will probably be the end of Cameron as Dolphins head coach. Usually when changes are made in the front office, head coaches are replaced in favor of someone who fits the philosophy of the new management. But an intersting factor could keep Cameron in Miami. Parcells is a good friend of legendary and volatile college basketball coach Bob Knight. It just so happens, Cameron played basketball for Knight at Indiana University and got his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Michigan thanks to a recommendation from Bob Knight to then Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler.

Now it's hard to imagine that Cameron could keep his job just because of Bob Knight. But don't underestimate Knight's close ties to Parcells and Cameron. There's a tremendous amount of mutual respect between Parcells and Knight. Right now Cameron is hanging on by a thread to keep his job. Had it not been for Greg Camarillo's overtime touchdown against the Ravens, the Dolphins would have likely gone winless this season. I doubt Cameron could have kept his job if the Dolphins finished 0-16.

The man who has the most to lose is general manager Randy Mueller. Let's face it. Parcells's job is to repair the mess created by Mueller and his predecessor Rick Speilman. Their horrible personnel decisions and blunders have sent Dolphins down to the dregs of football. Bottom line, Mueller better start packing his bags and cleaning out his desk.

While I'm excited about the Parcells hire, part of me has seen this act before. Just a decade ago, Huizenga hired Jimmy Johnson to be the savior of the franchise. But instead of taking the Dolphins back to the Super Bowl, Johnson's legacy will be remembered for his clash of egos with Dan Marino and his inability to improve the Dolphins offense. By his final year as head coach, Johnson had grown tired of coaching and retired for good in the Keys. More recently, Nick Saban was hired two years ago to be the savior. Well, we all know what happened with that experiment.

The truth is Parcells is 66 years old. He also has a history of heart problems. How much energy does he have left? This is not going to be a quick fix. It will take extraordinary time and dedication to put this franchise back on top. Parcells is a proven winner. But will that be enough to make Miami a winner again? We shall see.

Carol City's Greatest Chief Retires

2007-12-20T18:11:00.001-08:00

Walt Frazier

For 26 years, Walt Frazier was an iconic figure at Miami Carol City High School. A strict taskmaster and known for wearing his trademark train engineer's hat on the sidelines, few high school coaches won more games, championships or sent more kids to college than Frazier. Frazier announced his retirement yesterday ending an amazing coaching career that ranks among the best ever in state history.

His Carol City Chiefs won three Class 6A state championships in 1996, 1997 and 2003 and were state runners-up in 1989. The 1997 team went 15-0, his only undefeated season and finished #5 in the nation by USA Today. From 1996 to 1997, the Chiefs won a then Dade County record 29 consecutive games. The record was recently broken by Northwestern High. His career record of 212-111 ranks third all time in Miami-Dade County history behind Coral Gables legend Nick Kotys (258) and Jim Kroll (213) who coached at Southwest, Miami Beach and Palmetto. Two weeks ago, the FHSAA named Frazier as one of the 12 greatest coaches in state history. He was one of 3 Dade County coaches named to the prestigious list along with Kotys and Nathaniel "Traz" Powell, who coached at Carver and Mays high schools during segregation from 1948 to 1968. St. Thomas Aquinas coach George Smith was the only Broward coach named to the list.

Before he arrived at Carol City in 1983, Frazier coached at Northwestern High School from 1975 to 1977 and was an offensive line coach at Hialeah-Miami Lakes. He started wearing his trademark hat as a tribute to his father who worked as a railroad worker and instilled in him the values of discipline and hard work. Contrary to popular belief, Frazier doesn't own just one hat. Over the year's he's worn many and has collected hats from friends and admirers.

While there is no official statistic, it's hard to imagine any coach in Dade County history ever sent more of his players to college than Frazier. His former players range from current NFL players like brothers Santana Moss and Sinorice Moss to rapper Rick Ross, whose real name is William Roberts and played offensive line for the Chiefs in the early 1990s. Frazier's teams were a reflection of his personality. They were simple, yet extremely tough. The Chiefs relied on a power running game and dominant defense.

It's easy to recognize a great coach for his won-loss record. But the true measure of Frazier's success was the impact he made on his player's lives and turning boys into men. I've never met or knew Walt Frazier personally. But I have met a couple of people who have played for him and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more respected and beloved individual. For those who love high school football everywhere, the game will never be quite the same without him.

Notable Carol City athletes who played for Frazier:

Rudy Barber - former offensive lineman at UM
Delvin Brown - former safety at UM
Teako Brown - former safety at UF
Ricky Jean Francois - defensive lineman at LSU
Donald Heaven - former offensive lineman at FSU
Aubrey Hill - former receiver at UF
Bradley Jennings - former linebacker at FSU
Willie Jones - former defensive end at FSU
Santana Moss - wide receiver at UM and the NFL
Sinorice Moss - wide receiver at UM and the NFL
Godfrey Myles - former linebacker at UF and the NFL
Tim Paulk - former linebacker at UF
Kenny Phillips - safety at UM
Williams Roberts - former All-Dade lineman, later became rapper Rick Ross
Stanford Samuels - former DB at FSU
Ethenic Sands - Great high school QB who became a receiver at UM
Kevin Simons - former offensive lineman at Tennessee and the NFL
Del Speer - former DB at UF and the NFL
Willie Williams - great high school linebacker who had stints at UM and Louisville

The Dolphins Are in the Win Column!

2007-12-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

Greg Camarillo celebrates in the end zone after scoring the winning touchdown

A wise man once said, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then." It's taken the Miami Dolphins over a year to find their nut. But the drought is finally over. For the first time since December 10, 2006, the Dolphins can finally call themselves winners. Reserve wide receiver Greg Camarillo scored the winning touchdown in overtime to give the Dolphins a 22-16 victory over the Ravens.

I won't lie to you. The losing was really starting to take a toll on my mental health. For over a month, I stopped posting on this blog. It got to the point where I was not going to post anything until the Dolphins won a game. I figured it was easier to keep this promise than to rather stop shaving or showering until the Dolphins won again. Thank God I didn't resort to those extreme measures.

Every Dolphin fan should celebrate this victory. Nobody who calls themselves a Dolphin fan wanted to see this team go 0-16. But let's be honest. Cam Cameron tried his best to lose this game. He really did. Week after week, Cameron and the Dolphins would find ways to pull defeat from the jaws of victory. But this time Ravens coach Brian Billick decided he would top Cameron with a special blend of incompetance of Rich Kotite proportions.

After the Dolphins took a 16-13 lead on a Jay Feely field goal, Feely was instructed to boot a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff. Unfortunately instead of executing the kick, Feely should have been executed after he kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Ravens excellent field position. Baltimore quickly took advantage of Feely's mistake by driving down the field behind the arm of last year's Heisman winner Troy Smith, who replaced an injured Kyle Boller. The Ravens drove to the Dolphins 1 yard line. But with time for only one more play in regulation, Billick decided to kick a tying field goal rather than win the game with a touchdown. Consider this, the Ravens had Willis McGahee, who had rushed for 104 yards in the game. The Dolphins rush defense ranked last in the NFL. But despite those stats, Billick decide to bring in kicker Matt Stover who tied the game with an 18 yard chip shot field goal.

The Ravens won the coin toss in overtime and quickly drove deep into Miami territory again. But this time Stover missed a 44 yard attempt. Cleo Lemon finished off the Ravens by finding reserve reserve receiver Greg Camarillo over the middle. Camarillo found a soft spot in the Ravens coverage and raced 64 yards for the winning score.

Several people deserve game balls for this victory. First, let's give a warm round of applause to Brian Billick for his complete lack of balls and not going for the winning touchdown. Cameron should send Billick a gift basket for basically saving his job. If the Dolphins had lost, there's no doubt this team goes 0-16 and Cameron is kicked to the curb with a pink slip in his hand.

Secondly, Jason Taylor was not going to let the Dolphins defense lose. Taylor had a pair of sacks. The first came on a 3rd and goal at the 3 yard line and held the Ravens to a field goal. The second sack took the Ravens out of field goal range.

Thirdly, you gotta give some love to Greg Camarillo. When the season began, I didn't even know who this guy was. Apparently neither did Dolphins radio broadcaster Jim Mandich. When Camarillo crossed the end zone, Mandich screamed, "I love Rich Camarillo!" The problem is Rich Camarillo was a punter who played for the New England Patriots in the 1980s. Oh well. In a season of imperfection, it was only fitting Mandich would butcher the call of Miami's lone winning touchdown.

Another game ball should go to Wayne Huizenga. Through all the losing, no man had to feel more anguish than the Dolphins beleagured owner. There's no doubt in my mind the rumors of Huizenga selling the team would not exist if the Dolphins had won a few games. The tears of joy running down Huizenga's face after the game said it all.

But no game ball should go to Cam Cameron. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the Dolphins won. But Cameron deserves absolutely no credit for this victory. The players rose up and won this game on their own--with a little help from the Ravens idiot of a coach Brian Billick. Thanks Brian. I hope you and Cameron are in the same unemployment line soon.

A special thanks should also go to the 1972 Dolphins, who were honored at halftime during the game. As a firm believer in kharma, I'm convinced just the mere presence of our perfect geezers helped raise the team to victory. Maybe Wayne Huizenga should invite the 72 Dolphins back again next week when the Dolphins travel to New England to face the unbeaten Patriots. Maybe the site of a pot-bellied Bob Kuechenberg and Larry Csonka on the sidelines will inspire this team and scare the Patriots. Somehow, I doubt it. In the meantime, enjoy this win Fin fans. You deserve it.

A Disgraceful Exit

2007-11-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

UM players Jason Fox and Richard Gordon walk off the field after UM's 48-0 loss to Virginia inthe final game at the Orange Bowl

In all the years I've been watching University of Miami football, last night's 48-0 loss to Virginia in the Orange Bowl's fairwell was the worst performance I've ever seen. This is truly rock bottom. This is worse than the 47-0 loss to FSU in 1997. Back then, the program was on probation and lost over 20 scholarships. It's clear the talent level has significantly dropped off during the Larry Coker years. Randy Shannon inherited a mess.

But Randy Shannon and his staff also have to take a lot of blame for what happened Saturday night. This team was not properly prepared. The fact that they played with zero emotion really has me puzzled. With all the tradition, nostalgia and the presence of all the great players from the past, you would think every player wearing the UM uniform would be motivated to play their best.

I was especially embarassed for the great former players who came back and witnessed this desecration. An ESPN sidelline reporter interviewed Bennie Blades during the game. You could see the painful expression on his face. He wasn't angry. But he looked very sad. For a moment, I thought Blades was going to cry. All those great players left their blood, sweat and tears on that field. And to see this year's UM team play, they're not worthy of wearing that uniform.

I know it sounds harsh, but Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman should turn in their scholarships. In fact, every player who participated in that abortion is not worthy of representing The U. The players and coaches should all be ashamed of themselves. They embarassed the university, the city and most importantly themselves. At the same time, I have to give Virginia credit for playing a flawless game. When you win 48-0, you are the better team. And there's no question the better team won last night. But you can't justify the margin of victory in this game. Can you believe the Las Vegas oddsmakers had the Canes as a slim favorite?

Randy Shannon has a lot of work to do. He must literally flush out the heartless and mediocre talent left behind by Coker. I like the recruiting class he's bringing in. Those kids and the next couple of recruiting classes will determine Shannon's legacy. But bringing in good talent is just part of the equation. Shannon's staff must do a better job of preparing that talent to play. I'm not impressed with Patrick Nix as an offensive coordinator. I didn't like him when he was at Georgia Tech and I certainly don't care for him right now. Tim Walton doesn't impress me as the defensive coordinator. The defense has clearly taken a few steps backwards under his watch.

As for Shannon himself, he needs to make sure these kids don't quit. I don't expect UM to win the next two games against Boston College and Virginia Tech. However, this team needs to at least put together better effort. Nobody associated with the current University of Miami team is blameless. We're going to find out what kind of heart--or lack there of--this team has. So far, the answer is the latter.

So along Orange Bowl. You deserved better.

Happy Birthday Larry Little

2007-11-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Happy 62nd birthday to former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Larry Little. From 1969 to 1980 Little starred for the Dolphins and was one of the NFL's most dominant guards of all time. He was arguably the best pulling guards ever and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Born Lawrence Chatmon Little in Groveland, Georgia, he moved to Miami as young boy and grew up in Overtown during segregation. He began playing football at Booker T. Washington High School and learned the game from legendary Booker T. coach James "Dean Blue" Everett. Little played fullback on offense and defensive tackle. Like a lot of young African-American kids growing up in segregated Miami, Little dreamed of playing for the Florida A&M Rattlers. As a youngster he attended Orange Blossom Classic games at the Orange Bowl when coach Jake Gaither would bring his FAMU Rattlers down to Miami every first week of December. At the time Gaither could recruit virtually every top black athlete in the state he wanted.

However, Gaither and his coaching staff chose not to recruit Little. Playing fullback in high school, Little was considered too slow and never got the scholarship he coveted. Because Florida schools were segregated, there weren't many opportunities for black athletes. Universities like Miami, Florida and Florida State had no black athletes at the time. But Little's talents did not go completely unnoticed. He received a scholarship to play football at Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach.

At Bethune Cookman, Little developed into All-Conference offensive and defensive lineman and a team captain. While he was considered too slow to play fullback, he was extremely quick for an offensive lineman. His quick feet and powerful size made him the prototype pulling guard. Despite his fine college career, Little was undrafted coming out of Bethune Cookman in 1967.

He began his NFL career as an unheralded free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 1967 and enjoyed only moderate success during his two years in San Diego. In 1969, Little was traded to the Dolphins in exchange for defensive Mack Lamb, who was Little's teammate at Miami's Booker T. Washington High School. It turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in football history. Little went on to become a perennial all-pro, while Lamb never played a down for the Chargers.

Little transformed from a project into a polished blocking machine under Dolphins offensive line coach Monte Clark. During the 1970s, when the Dolphins were a dominant team, Little became the epitome of the intimidating force of the vaunted Dolphins rushing attack. At 6-1 and 255 pounds, Little was also a superb pass blocker. Little was named all-pro and All-AFC seven consecutive years from 1971-77. He was selected to five Pro Bowls in his career and named the NFL Players Association AFC Lineman of the Year in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Along with fellow offensive linemen Jim Langer, Bob Kuechenberg, Norm Evans and Wayne Moore, the Dolphins won three consecutive AFC titles from 1971-73 and won Super Bowls VII and VIII. In 1972, Little and the Dolphins became the only NFL team to go undefeated.

Little displayed versatility, durability and dedication throughout his career. Dolphins coach Don Shula call him "a real inspiration, not just for the way he performs but also for his influence on our younger players."

Little wasn't the only talented football player in his family. His younger brother David Little was a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1981 to 1992 and was an All American at the University of Florida. David Little is still the all time leading tackler in Gators history and passed away from a heart attack in 2005.

Following his playing career, Larry Little returned to Bethune Cookman as the school's head football coach during the late 1980s. He also coached the Ohio Glory of the World League of American Football. In 1993 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and currently works as a specialist in the Miami-Dade County public school system.

Happy Birthday Ted Hendricks

2007-11-01T19:10:00.001-07:00

Ted Hendricks shown chasing University of Florida QB Steve Spurrier in 1966

Happy 60th birthday to former University of Miami defensive end and NFL linebacker Ted Hendricks. Standing 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, Hendricks was a lean and mean player known as "The Mad Stork" and is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. He's the only 3-time All American in UM history and played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Packers and Raiders.

Born Theodore Paul Hendricks in Guatemala where his father was employed, he moved to South Florida as a young boy and grew up in Hialeah. He starred at Hialeah High School and was twice named All City by the Miami Herald as both an offensive and defensive end. Hendricks was also a gifted student. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and won the prestigious Silver Knight Award as Dade County's best student athlete.

Hendricks enrolled at the University of Miami as a freshman in 1965. After playing on the freshman team, he later became the first and only 3-time All American in Canes football history. Hendricks likely would have been a 4-time All American had freshmen been eligible during the 1960s. He made 327 career tackles and recovered 12 fumbles.--the most ever by a University of Miami defensive lineman. Hendricks was so dominant, he actually received Heisman votes as a junior and senior despite playing defensive end.

Despite his great college career, Hendricks slipped to the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Colts because scouts feared he was too thin to play defensive end in the NFL. But the Colts, who were then coached by Don Shula, switched Hendricks to outside linebacker where he could use his great speed to play in space and rush the quarterback. By his second season, he helped the Colts win Super Bowl V against the Cowboys at the Orange Bowl.

After an All-Pro career with the Colts, Hendricks was traded to the Packers in 1974 and then joined the Raiders the following year where he finished out his brilliant career. It was as a Raider where Hendricks had his best seasons. Henricks used his height to advantage in blocking kicks and in pass coverage. He intercepted 26 passes in his career and blocked 25 field goals and extra points--an NFL record. He also holds the NFL record with 4 safeties in his career. Hendricks helped the Raiders win three Super Bowls including his final game Super Bowl XVIII against the Redskins in January 1984.

He played in 215 consecutive regular season games, seven AFC championship games and won four Super Bowl rings. He was also selected eight times to the Pro Bowl. In 1990 Hendricks was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Four years later, he was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. The Sporting News named him as one of the 100 greatest players in NFL history. He currently works on behalf of ex-players as part of the Hall of Fame Player's Association.

Time To Start John Beck

2007-11-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

John Beck

Is it me or is Cam Cameron reaching for excuses not to play John Beck? The Dolphins are 0-8 and have now dropped their last 12 regular season games dating back to last year. Cleo Lemon has played okay. But he's coming off his worst start since taking over for the injured Trent Green. The Dolphins have lost their best running back Ronnie Brown for the season to injury. They've traded their best receiver Chris Chambers to San Diego. This season has spun so ridiculously out of control, there is a realistic chance the Dolphins could go 0-16.

It's time to take the training wheels off and give John Beck the keys to the car. The rookie quarterback from BYU has yet to play a down. But at this point, can the Dolphins play any worse than now? Beck was the team's 2nd round pick. The Dolphins bypassed Notre Dame star Brady Quinn who was unepectedly available with the fourth pick of the draft. But instead, the Dolphins chose receiver Ted Ginn with the hope of drafting Beck in the second. Beck was available and the Dolphins immediately grabbed him in the second round.

So why hasn't Cameron given Beck a chance to start? Back in 1994, Cameron was the quarterback's coach for the Washington Redskins. That year, the Redskins drafted University of Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler with its first round pick. Eight weeks into the 1994 season, the Redskins threw Shuler into the starting lineup and he was clearly not ready. Shuler struggled terribly and never developed into a quality NFL quarterback. Cameron believes Shuler was rushed too soon, destroying his confidence and essentially his NFL career.

But the example of Heath Shuler is a poor excuse. First of all, Shuler never proved he could play in the NFL. It didn't matter when Shuler was thown into the starting lineup. He was never going to be a good quarterback. Shuler's poor career wasn't because he lost confidence from his rookie year. He just wasn't any good. Don't believe me? There have been plenty of great quarterbacks who struggled miserably as rookies and went on to great careers. John Elway had a terrible rookie year in 1983. Troy Aikman went 1-15 with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie in 1989. Peyton Manning led the NFL with 28 interceptions his rookie year and the Colts were a pathetic 3-13. But going through those growing pains made them into the great quarterbacks they would eventually become. Do you think Aikman, Elway and Manning lost confidence after rough rookies seasons? Of course not. A good quarterback should have enough confidence to know he can play in the league. Otherwise, he shouldn't be playing.

Listen, I'm not saying John Beck is going to be the next Elway, Aikman or Peyton Manning. But you need to crawl before you can walk. The best way for Beck to develop into a good quarterback is to play. You don't learn anything sitting on the bench. You can't simulate the speed of the game in practice. The only way you learn to play quarterback is getting out there on the field and face a real NFL defense.

Beck is 26 years old and the Dolphins don't have the luxury of having him wait for a year or two on the sidelines before throwing him into the fire. I don't expect Beck to light it up and start looking like the second coming of Dan Marino. He's probably going to struggle and perhaps very badly. But that's okay. This team is not going anywhere anytime soon. The Dolphins need to find out what Beck can do.

Cameron obviously feels Lemon gives the Dolphins the best chance to win because of experience. But he's not the future. The Dolphins have a lot invested in Beck. It's time to put that investment into good use.

Olli Jokinen Breaks Panthers Scoring Records

2007-10-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Panthers center Olli Jokinen for breaking the Florida Panthers franchise scoring records for both career goals and points. Jokinen scored two goals in the Panther's 4-3 win over the Philadlphia Flyers Wednesday night. He also set a team record with his 31st game winning goal.

Jokinen now has 355 career points and 158 goals to break the previous team records held by Scott Mellanby, who played for the Panthers from the expansion 1993 season to 2001. Mellanby was one of the signature players in Panthers history and a key member of the Florida's 1995-96 team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals.

Do They Speak English in London?

2007-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Channing Crowder

Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder will never be confused for a rocket scientist. But when Crowder asked a Sun Sentinel reporter whether people in London spoke English, you either had to wonder if Crowder was joking or if he's just plain stupid. I'm hoping its the former and not the latter.

Here's what Crowder said. "I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name."

Wow! This is just another example of how athletes should just keep their mouths shut. Crowder, who attended the University of Florida, probably didn't take any geography classes in Gainesville. If he did, it sounds like he slept through them.

Heat trade Antoine Walker to Minnesota for Ricky Davis in a 5 player deal

2007-10-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ricky Davis shown playing against the Heat last year

Miami Heat fans can finally say goodbye to the tippy-toe three-point shots of Antoine Walker. No longer will we have to endure another frustrating season of clanks from the free throw line and 3-point line from the notoriously inconsistant Walker. The Heat traded Walker along with Michael Doleac,Wayne Simien and a conditional first round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.

This trade should make the Heat a better team for now. But not good enough to return to championship glory. The Heat will begin the season without Dwyane Wade who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The Heat are hoping Ricky Davis can help fill the void during Wade's absence. When Wade returns, Davis will likely move from shooting guard to small forward. Davis brings instant offense and athleticism, having averaged 18.6 point per game in the last three years in Minnesota. With the loss of Jason Kapono to free agency, Davis also fills another void--a quality perimeter shooter from 3 point range.

Fans of both Miami and Minnesota are happy about the deal. Both Walker and Davis have talent and also have the ability to make their coaches rip their hair out. In addition to his inconsistant play, Walker showed up for training camp out of shape. His body-fat was way above the requirements of Pat Riley, who demands all his players conform to his strict standards of conditioning. A fed-up Riley barred Walker from practicing with the team. It was only a matter of time before Riley would completely run out of patience and dump the lazy Walker.

Davis is not without his faults. While gifted and athletic, he's been known to be somehwat of a ballhog who lacks the discipline to play team basketball. Looking at his track record, he hasn't shown the ability to make his teams better. His numbers are nice, but the victories don't seem follow. Davis is no stranger to Miami. He played for the Heat back in the 2000-2001 season. But he only played in seven games due to an ankle injury. He was then traded to Cleveland and feuded with Cavaliers head coach Paul Silas. Riley later admitted trading Davis was a mistake. But Davis was labled as selfish by fans and the media. In a game against the Utah Jazz in 2003, Davis missed a shot on purpose on his own team's basket just so he could get a rebound and reach a triple double. Now I gotta admit, that's pretty selfish. Since then, he's bounced around from Boston to Minnesota and now back to Miami.

But like any great coach, Pat Riley has an enormous ego. He obviously thinks he can get Davis to buy into his system. But this trade was much than just getting Davis. It was about dumping Walker's salary along with Doleac and Simien, who was a mediocre bench player.

The Heat also get Mark Blount who can play both power forward and center. Blount can basically do everything Doleac can and probably better. The 7-foot, 250 pound Blount averaged double-digits in points and gives the Heat a quality big man off the bench.

Happy Birthday Al Leiter

2007-10-23T17:34:00.001-07:00

Happy 42nd birthday to former Florida Marlins pitcher Al Leiter. During his 19 year major league career , Leiter compiled a career record of 162-132 with a 3.80 ERA and 1,974 strikeouts. He had two stints with the Marlins from 1996 to 1997 and again in 2005. On May 11, 1996, Leiter became the first pitcher in Marlins history to throw a no-hitter after beating the Colorado Rockies. He is also remembered for having started game seven of the 1997 World Series, pitching 6 innings and giving up 2 earned runs while being credited with a no decision. The Marlins would go on to beat the Cleveland Indians in extra innings and clinch the team's first World Series title.

Born Alois Terry Leiter in Tom's River, New Jersey, Leiter came from an athletic family. His older brother Mark was also major league pitcher. But it was Al who was considered the best talent in the family. At Central Regional High School in New Jersey he began to carve a legendary career, attracting major league scouts with his lively arm and 90 plus mph fastball. Following his high school graduation, the New York Yankees selected Leiter in the second round of the 1984 Major League Draft. Three years later, he made his major league debut with the Yankees.

Over the course of the next 18 years, Leiter pitched for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Marlins and Mets. In April 2002, he became the first pitcher to defeat all 30 major league teams and was a two-time National League All Star. (1996 and 2000).

Leiter spent only three combined seasons with the Marlins during his two stints. His 1996 season was one of the best of his career. In addition to throwing a no-hitter, Leiter went 16-12 with 200 strikeouts. In 1997, he helped the Marlins win the World Series. Leiter also has a World Series ring as a member of the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.

Following his baseball career, Leiter has gone on to a successful broadcast career. He currently works for the YES Network doing color commentary on the New York Yankees broadcasts. He has also done work for the Fox Network during the playoffs over the last several seasons. Leiter is also known for his charity work. He won the Branch Rickey Award in 1999 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 2000.

Patriots Stay Perfect...Unfortunately so do the Dolphins

2007-10-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

Randy Moss makes a leaping catch over Dolphins defenders Cameron Worrell and Will Allen

This game was worse than men vs. boys. Watching the Patriots beat the Dolphins was like witnessing a school bully taking away lunch money from the class nerd. Randy Moss should have been arrested for rape by the way he violated Dolphins safety Cameron Worrell. By halftime, Tom Brady had thown five touchdown passes and the Patriots led 42-7. The Patriots may be the most dominant team I've seen in a long time--if ever. They've destroyed every team they've played and are now 7-0. The Dolphins are now 0-7 and will next play the the hot New York Giants in London.

To make things worse, the Dolphins lost running back Ronnie Brown to a season ending ACL injury. Not only are the Dolphins losing games, they continue to lose key players. Two weeks ago, it was Trent Green. This past week, leading receiver Chris Chambers was traded to San Diego and now Brown is gone for the year.

I'm going to say it now. This team has a damn good chance to go perfect--as in 0-16. In fact, the Dolphins may have a better chance of losing all of their games than the Patriots do in winning theirs. By the way, the 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs are the only team in NFL history to go a full season winless. They went 0-14.

Every year, the 1972 Miami Dolphins reunite for a champagne party when the last undefeated team loses. I doubt the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers reunite to celebrate the last winless team getting in the win column. But look out '76 Bucs, you may have company soon.

Canes Beat the Noles in a Sloppy Classic

2007-10-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy races 27 yards for a touchdown after recovering a Xavier Lee fumble. Canes backup tight end Dedrick Epps celebrates his game winning touchdown catch from Kirby Freeman

It may not be the most historic or longest running rivalry in college football. But whenever the University of Miami and Florida State meet on the football field, chances are you'll see a thrilling finish. Forget about the records or where the teams are ranked. (unranked in this case) I dare anyone to find a rivalry that has more close and dramatic finishes than this one. If you have a heart condition and are a fan of either of these schools, this rivalry can be hazardous to your health.

Trailing 29-24 to start the fourth quarter, the Canes were down to their backup quarterback Kirby Freeman, who had completed more passes to the Noles than to his own teammates going into the final drive. With under 3 minutes to play and trailing 29-24, Freeman led the Canes to a game winning 83 yard drive that will down as one of the best in the history of the UM vs FSU rivalry. Just a couple of minutes earlier, Freeman appeared to be the goat, when he was stopped on 4th down and inches quarterback sneak inside the FSU one-yard-line. Never has a quarterback played so poorly, yet been so brilliant when the game was on the line.

How crazy was this game? Throw out all logic and expect the unexpected. Canes backup tight end Dedrick Epps had yet to catch a pass all season. But he would be on the receiving end of Freeman's game winning throw. FSU kicker Gary Cismesia made all five of his field goal attempts. FSU even got a defensive touchdown when linebacker Toddrick Verdell ran back a Kyle Wright interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Miami was able to score 37 points despite losing its starting quarterback Kyle Wright to a severe ankle injury and only four completions by Freeman. But three of Freeman's completions came on the final drive. Miami kicker Francesco Zampogna threw 26 yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal.

But let's be honest. Both of these teams are nowhere near the level they once were in their heyday. Gone are the days when the Canes and Noles were playing for national championships or a top ranking. We're now in an era where the University of South Florida is a better program. Both UM and FSU are unranked. The two teams combined for 9 turnovers and 15 penalties.

It was not a well played game. But you couldn't have asked for a more breathtaking and unlikely finish. Brent Musberger and Keith Jackson weren't broadcasting the game. In fact, ABC didn't even send it's B or C team to cover the game. They sent Terry Gannon and David Norrie--who are probably the network's D team. The only hype going into the contest was the lack of hype. But don't tell that to 82,000 who packed Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahssee or any those who watched it on TV. It was a sloppy classic.

Some observations:

*Miami defensive tackle Teraz McCray was the game's unsung hero. The senior from Pompano Beach Ely High was constantly in the FSU backfield, forcing fumbles and tipping passes. McCray forced FSU quarterback Xavier Lee to fumble that led to linebacker Colin McCarthy to score the game's final touchdown.

*Darnell Jenkins has become Miami's go-to receiver in clutch situations. Jenkins caught 4 passes for 106 yards. Although he didn't score, two of Jenkins catches set up Miami touchdowns, including the game winning pass from Freeman to Epps.

*Randy Shannon is the eighth Miami head coach to face Bobby Bowden's FSU teams. All eight of Miami's head coaches have beaten Bowden at least once.

*Bobby Bowden's record against the Canes drops to 13-20.

*Miami won the game despite FSU scoring first on a Gary Cismesia field goal. Why is this noteworthy? Going into the game, the team that had scored first had won 15 of the last 16 games in this rivlary. Well, make that 15 out of 17.

*Darren Daly replaced Francesco Zampogna as UM's starting place kicker. However, Zampogna came off the bench and threw a touchdown pass to tight end DajLeon Farr on a fake field goal.

*It's quite obvious Graig Cooper is Miami's best running back. Javarris James played better, but is still struggling to duplicate his freshman season. Cooper was used almost exclusively on Miami's game-winning final drive. Cooper needs to get the ball more.

*Sam Shields might be Miami's most talented receiver, yet didn't catch a pass. However, Dedrick Epps, who hadn't caught a pass all year, pulls in the game winner. Go figure.

*The Canes injury problems continue to mount. Miami's defensive line is getting thinner. The Canes played without three defensive tackles Antonio Dixon, Dwayne Hendricks and Josh Holmes. Defensive end Eric Moncur and left tackle Jason Fox also left the game with injuries. Quarterback Kyle Wright was knocked out of the game with a sprained ankle and Kirby Freeman took a vicious shot to the ribs after he was sandwiched between two FSU defenders on his game winning pass.

*Kudos to safety Randy Phillips who had two interceptions on tipped passes. Phillips had begun the year as a starting cornerback. But he lost his job after a terrible performance against Oklahoma. Phillips made the switch to safety and had the best game of his career.

Happy Birthday Willis McGahee

2007-10-20T06:47:00.001-07:00

Happy 26th birthday to former University of Miami and current Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee. McGahee has overcome two serious knee injuries to become one of the NFL's most productive and highly paid running backs. His 2002 season at UM is arguably the greatest individual season ever by a UM offensive player the best ever by a Canes running back.

Born Willis Andrew McGahee in Miami, he came from an athletic family. His father Willis Sr. was great high school player at both all-black George Washington Carver and Mays High Schools during segregation. The elder McGahee was a two-time Miami Herald All-City selection as a defensive lineman while playing for legendary high school coach Nathaniel "Traz" Powell and later played college ball at Texas Southern University. Those athletic gifts were passed down to his son Willis Jr.

The younger McGahee was destined to be a football star. He began his high school career at Miami Springs High School where he played for longtime coach Buddy Goins. When McGahee was in the 9th grade, Goins ran into then UM running backs coach Don Soldinger and told him McGahee is the best running back talent he ever saw come out of Dade County. Soldinger never forgot the conversation. He kept track of McGahee throughout his prep career. By his junior year, McGahee had established himself as one of the premier backs in the state. He rushed for 1004 yards, averaging 8.5 per carry, and scored 15 times. He did this despite missing a few games due to injury and earned second team All-Dade County from the Miami Herald.

McGahee transferred to Miami Central High School his senior year where he played for Tim "Ice" Harris. He was hyped as the best running back prospect in the state and one of the best in the country. In his first five games, McGahee lived up to the hype rushing for 677 yards, 11 touchdown and averaged 8.8 yards per carry. But he suffered a season ending knee injury. Despite the injury, college recruiters didn't back off. He was named 3rd Team All Dade County by the Miami Herald and named to the prestigious Parade All American team and Gatorade Florida Player of the Year.

Recruited heavily by Florida, Florida State and Ohio State, McGahee chose to stay home and play for the Canes. He sat out his freshman year while redshirting to rehab his knee injury. McGahee saw his first action in 2001 while playing behind Clinton Portis and fellow freshman Frank Gore. He started his first game in the 2002 Rose Bowl against Nebraska at fullback and helped the Canes win the national championship.

When Portis left UM for the NFL and Gore suffered a season ending knee injury in spring practice, McGahee was given the starting tailback job and ran away with it. In 2002 McGahee gained 1,753 yards and scored 28 touchdowns--both UM records. He finished 4th in the Heisman Trophy voting. He led the Canes to another undefeated regular season and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl to play Ohio State for the national championship.

Heavily favored, the top ranked Canes struggled offensively against the Buckeyes. McGahee was held in check until he scored on 9 yard touchdown run to cut Ohio State's lead to 17-14 in the third quarter. But early in the 4th quarter McGahee suffered a devastating knee injury that forced him to leave the game. Miami eventually lost 31-24 in double overtime due to a controversial pass interference penalty that allowed Ohio State to stay in the game.

Despite the injury, McGahee's agent Drew Rosenhaus used some shrewd maneuvering to convince NFL teams his client was first round worthy. The Buffalo Bills selected McGahee with the 23 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. After sitting out the 2003 season, McGahee made a strong comeback with the Bills in 2004 rushing for 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns. He followed that year with a solid 1,247 yards in 2005. After struggling in 2006 with only 990 yards, McGahee signed a 7-year contract worth $40.12 million with the Ravens.

Canes QB Robert Marve to Redshirt

2007-10-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Robert Marve has yet to play a down of football at the University of Miami. In fact, he won't play a down for the Canes until at least next year. But ask any hardcore UM football fan about Marve and they'll tell you how important this young 6-foot-1, 198 pound freshman means to the future of UM football. Marve may be the most highly regarded quarterback recruit to set foot on the UM campus since....well Kyle Wright. However due to injuries he sustained from a car accident over the summer, Marve will sit out the season and redshirt. Marve's injuries have yet to fully heal. He expect to be ready by next spring.

Blessed with a powerful right arm and known as a fiery leader, Marve has a great football pedigree. He is the son of former NFL linebacker Eugene Marve, who played for the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A year ago, Robert led Tampa's Plant High School to a perfect 14-0 record and the Class 4A state title. He threw for a state record 48 touchdown passes and 4,380 yards, erasing the previous records held by current University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Marve's incredible senior season earned him Florida's Mr. Football honors, given annually to best high school player in the state.

Marve had originally committed to play his college football for Alabama. But when Alabama fired Mike Shula, Marve began looking at other options. He eventually chose the Canes. Since the graduation of Ken Dorsey, UM fans have been starving for excellence to be restored to the quarterback position. They say good things come to those who wait. Canes fans are hoping Marve will return Miami back to where it belongs--on top.

Trent Green Says He'll Be Back

2007-10-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

Nobody knows Trent Green's physical condition better than Green himself. But yesterday during his radio show on WQAM, Green told Hank Goldberg he wants to return to the field sometime this season. Just the fact that Green wants to come back makes you wonder if he already has brain damage.

Seriously, what does Green hope to accomplish with a comeback? The Dolphins are going nowhere this season. One more blow to the head and Green's brain could turn into scrambled eggs. As a fan of the Dolphins, I would hope Cam Cameron and the Dolphins organization does the right thing and not put Green back on the field. It's just not worth it. I admire Green's competitiveness and his love for the game he's played since he was a young boy. Sometimes it's tough to let go. But what's more important--playing football or living a normal life? I hope for Green's sake, he makes the right decision.

What will Joey say this week?

2007-10-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have read this blog have already figured out my dislike for new Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter. I didn't like him when he played for the Steelers. But at least he was a good player in Pittsburgh. Since signing a $32 million contract with the Dolphins, Porter has been more bark than bite. So far he has zero sacks and did not make a tackle in last week's game against the Browns. Porter has been the eptiomy of a payroll bandit.

Every week, Porter has made more headlines for what he says than what he does. Last week, he criticized Browns tight end Kellen Winslow for not being a true tight end. All Winslow did was catch 5 passes for 90 yards, while burning Porter over and over. Two week prior, he guaranteed the Dolphins would beat the Raiders. That didn't happen. In week one, he acted like a spoiled brat moping on the sidelines and in the lockeroom after yet another ineffective performance. Dating back to last year, Porter has not recorded a quarterback sack in his last 10 games.

This past Sunday, the Fox Network aired surveillance video from a Las Vegas casino which showed Porter and three of his "buddies" attacking Bengals tackle Levi Jones at a black jack table. Porter plead guilty to charges of misdemeanor battery and was fined for his actions by the NFL. It may have been the last time Porter actually hit somebody. I guess if you can't hit somebody on a football field, you might as well join your fellow thugs and attack somebody in a casino.

Since the Dolphins are 0-6 and have virtually no chance of beating the Patriots this coming Sunday, I'm waiting to hear what kind of verbal nonsense Porter has for this week. Maybe he'll say Tom Brady isn't a real quarterback because he's too pretty. Perhaps Porter will guarantee Randy Moss won't catch a pass. Whatever outlandish garbage comes out of Joey's mouth, it'll probably be more entertaining than his actual performance. My guess is Porter will once again finish the game with his foot in his mouth.

Frankie Hammond Commits to the Gators

2007-10-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

At the start of the season, Hallandale High School receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. was flying under the radar of most college recruiters. He didn't attend any football camps over the summer and was considered more accomplished in track. At 6'0 and only 150 pounds, he wasn't exactly a physical speciman. But through seven games, the senior speedster has now established himself as the best receiver in Broward County and one of the best in the state. College recruiters began converging on the Hallandale campus to court this late bloomer. Yesterday, Hammond verbally committed to play for Urban Meyer and the University of Florida Gators.

Hammond currently has 25 catches for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns to lead Broward County. His 21.6 yards per catch also is the best in Broward County. Schools like Miami and Boston College have also offered scholarships. In fact, Miami was considered the early favorite. Last week, a couple of UM fan websites had claimed Hammond was close to making his commitment to the Canes. But in a bit of a surprise and some effective recruiting by UF assistant coach Doc Holiday, Hammond gave his pledge to the Gators.

Dolphins Trade Chris Chambers to San Diego

2007-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

The screams of joy heard coming from the Dolphins training facility at Nova Southeastern University probably came from the mouth of Chris Chambers. Well, actually there are no substantiated reports of Chambers yelling, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty. I'm free at last!" But I wouldn't blame him if he did. The Dolphins traded the wide receiver to the San Diego Chargers for a second round draft choice. Personally, I think this a trade that should benefit both teams. The Chargers need help at wide receiver and the Dolphins just simply need help period.

All kidding aside, Chambers has been a quality player for the Dolphins for nearly seven seasons. You could argue Chambers and Ronnie Brown have been the only outstanding offensive players drafted by the Dolphins in the last decade. A month ago, I had written a blog entry on how I thought the Dolphins shouldn't trade Chambers. But after watching the Dolphins continue to lose game after game, it was clear Chambers wasn't fitting into Cam Cameron's system or the team's future plans.

The Dolphins are a team in a rebuilding mode in desperate need of more draft picks. To get more draft picks, you're going to need to let some good talent go. Chambers is a good talent. He made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and has led the Dolphins receiving yards and touchdowns each of his first five years. His production fell off dramatically in 2006 and through the first six games, he caught 31 passes for 415 yards and no touchdowns.

As a Dolphin fan I greatly appreciate Chambers contribution to the franchise. He was a second round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2001. He's been a more productive player than virtually all the receivers who were drafted ahead him. He would sometimes frustrate you by making spectacular catches at one moment and then dropping easy passes the next. But also remember he never had the opportunity to play with a good quarterback. Over the years his Dolphin quarterbacks have ranged from Jay Fiedler to A.J. Feeley to Gus Frerotte to a damaged Daunte Culpepper and now a concussed Trent Green. Its a sad trail of mediocre and broken passers.

Chambers will now head off to San Diego and play for a team that finished 14-2 just a year ago. The Chargers have struggled under new head coach Norv Turner and have been looking to bolster their wide receiving corps. Chambers should help. But at 29 years old, you have to wonder if his best years are behind him. An NFL receiver only has so many good years in him--unless your name is Jerry Rice. Once you turn 30, it's usually downhill from there. Chambers' departure from Miami should help rookie first round pick Ted Ginn get more quality playing time. I'd like to think Ginn's play in practice was a factor in making this trade happen.

The Dolphins will now get a second round pick. That's all in good. But you can acquire all the draft choice you want. You still have to pick good players. Picking the likes of Jason Allen and Lorenzo Booker is not going to make your team better. Lets hope general manager Randy Mueller can pick the right players this time.

Cleveland Rocks The Dolphins

2007-10-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ted Ginn returns a kickoff for an apparent touchdown. The play is nullified by a holding penalty against Derek Hagan.

The Dolphins quest for perfection continues as they lost yet another game--this time 41-31 to the Cleveland Browns. The loss drops Miami's record to 0-6. It's only fitting this game was played in a town known as "The Mistake By the Lake". It's getting to the point where being a fan of the Dolphins is like masochism. You know it's going to hurt your mental health watching this team. But yet, we all keep coming back for more.

The only thing that would have made this loss more humiliating is if Brady Quinn came off the bench and threw a couple of touchdown passes to run up the score. Fortunately for the Browns, Derek Anderson did just fine on his own. Anderson completed 18 of 22 passes for 245 yards, 3 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. If Anderson keeps playing like this, Quinn may never get off the bench. But then again Anderson won't get the chance to play against the Dolphins again this season.

The once solid Dolphin defense has become an absolute shambles. The pass rush has become almost non existant. Jason Taylor had one sack. But Miami is getting absolutely nothing from overpaid, loudmouth linebacker Joey Porter. The Dolphins are paying Porter $32 million to make game-changing plays.

During the week Porter opened up his mouth again and called out Browns tight end Kellen Winslow. He said Winslow was a wide receiver and didn't deserve the title "tight end" because he doesn't block. Maybe somebody should tell Joey he doesn't deserve the title linebacker because he doesn't make any tackles. How bad is Porter? He hasn't registered a sack in his last 10 games dating back to his final 4 games last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler. But he was right about one thing. Winslow is a tremendous receiver and burned Porter while he was in coverage. Winslow finished the day with 5 catches and 90 yards--many of it at Porter's expense.

Zach Thomas just continues to put his heart and soul into this sinking ship. He made 12 tackles and as usual threw his body all over the field. But words can't describe the sad state of the Dolphins secondary. I can't say that I'm surprised. After the injury to Yeremiah Bell in the season opener, fans had to wonder who was going to be the unit's playmaker. The answer is nobody. Browns receiver Braylon Edwards had a field day catching all three of Anderson's touchdown passes. Just the fact that Cameron Worrell is even playing for the Dolphins should tell you how bad the Dolphins defensive backs are. What's even worse is last year's top draft pick Jason Allen can't even get on the field. Why is he even on the roster? If Jason Allen can't beat out Cameron Worrell, then what good is he?

The good news is Ronnie Brown is playing awesome football. And while other running backs like Adrian Peterson get more headlines, Brown has quietly racked up over 100 yards in each of his last four games. Brown also leads the team in catches and receiving yards. He is the only player on this team worth watching right now.

I also have to give props to quarterback Cleo Lemon. I thought he did a good job moving the offense and managing the game. He threw for 256 yards, 1 touchdown pass and also ran for another pair of TDs. But the good play of Brown and Lemon could not cancel out Miami's ineptness on defense.

How sad was this loss? Not only are the Dolphins losing games, they're costing their fans money. How? During the radio broadcast, WQAM play-by-play announcer Jimmy Cefalo mentioned a woman who entered a contest by Texaco to win $25,000. To win the money, Ted Ginn must return a kickoff for a touchdown. Well, guess what happened? Ginn returned a kickoff for a touchdown, only to have it nullified by a holding penalty against Dolphins receiver Derek Hagan. The woman didn't get the money. Ginn didn't get the touchdown. And everybody who plays, watches or is associated with the Miami Dolphins loses. It's been that kind of season.

Oh by the way, the Patriots are next on the schedule. Anyone want to guess what happens when a 6-0 team plays an 0-6 team? Start punching holes through those paper bags Dolphin fans because it's going to be ugly next Sunday.

Canes Continue To Regress

2007-10-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Georgia Tech running back Tashard Choice gains some of his 204 yards

Since beating Texas A&M 34-17 back on September 20th, it seemed Randy Shannon's Miami Hurricanes had turned the corner and were on their way to a successful season. Oh how the wheels have fallen off. The unranked Canes continue to flounder after losing to Georgia Tech 17-14 at the Orange Bowl. The loss was Miami's second straight and dropped UM's record to 4-3 and 1-2 in the ACC with the heart of its conference schedule coming up. Georgia Tech has now beaten UM the last three consecutive years.

For so long Miami's defense had been the backbone of the team. But with injuries to starting linebacker Colin McCarthy, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon and poor play from the secondary, this is the worst UM defense I've seen in a long time. Georgia Tech running back Tashard Choice rushed for 204 yards. It marked only the third time since 1986 the Canes defense had allowed a running back to break the 200 yard barrier. Choice got 152 of his yards in the second half and it was clear this Canes defense wasn't capable of stopping him. What's even more frustrating is Georgia Tech ran the same counter play time after time and the Canes could do nothing to stop it. That's just physical domination.

The offense wasn't much better. Quarterback Kyle Wright continues to take steps backwards in his senior year. He threw for a pathetic 56 yards. It wasn't because of a lack of trying. Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix called three long bombs on the Canes first three plays from scrimmage. All three times, Wright's passes missed their targets. In fact, the Canes threw 6 deep passes the entire game and completed none of them. On a couple of occassions receiver Darnell Jenkins was wide open for easy scores. Kirby Freeman even made couple of appearances and was just as ineffective.

Again, it's not a big mystery where Miami's offensive problems begin. The quarterback position is in an awful state. There's no other way to put it. The Georgia Tech game marked the third time this season Miami quarterbacks Wright or Freeman failed to throw for at least 100 yards. That should never happen once in a season--let alone three times. Watching Wright throw the deep pass is painful. He either underthrows his receiver or overthrows them badly. The only good thing I can say about Wright's performance is he didn't throw any interceptions.

If there was a bright spot, freshman running back Shawnbrey McNeal has emerged as a breakaway threat. McNeal had a 33 yard touchdown run on 4th down and 1. He also had another long run that was called back due to a holding penalty. McNeal finished with 48 yards on 8 carries. But as well as McNeal played, UM's offense was not able to muster enough consistancy. What's also alarming is the deterioration of starting running back Javarris James. James started the game, but didn't see any action after the first quarter.

By the way, is there is worse punter in the nation than Matt Bosher? His backup David Strimple wasn't any better. When your offense can't move the ball, you better have a good punter to give your team a decent field position.

But what disturbed me the most going into the Georgia Tech game was a quote by Randy Shannon. He said the players don't trust the coaches. It's easy to blame the coaches for Miami's recent regression. Shannon is ultimately responsible for the product on the field. But it's clear the talent level is the worst Canes fans have seen since the days of probation in the late 1990s. Shannon has tried disciplining players by taking away playing time and changing personnel. But nothing has worked so far and you have to attribute this to a lack of talent.

I'm willing to wait and see how Shannon's recruits develop when they enter UM. If you believe the recruiting experts, the Canes should bring in a great crop of new talent this coming signing day. UM currently has 17 high school players committed including some of the very best in South Florida. But let's not forget Kyle Wright was all-world coming out of high school. Shannon and his staff must prove they develop talent as well they can recruit it. Those are two totally different things. Success will not happen until this coaching staff can do both.

Jacory Harris Throws 6 TD Passes In One Game

2007-10-14T19:11:00.001-07:00

He's the starting quarterback of the nation's best high school football team. So setting standards of excellence has been nothing new for Northwestern High's Jacory Harris. Harris continues to rack up records and victories like no other QB in Miami-Dade County history. Last night, the 6-foot-4, 170 pound senior threw six touchdown passes to five different receivers in Northwestern's 63-0 victory over Hialeah-Miami Lakes.

Harris, who has verbally committed to the University of Miami, now has 23 touchdowns on the season and is on pace for 58, which would break the record of 48 set by former Tampa Plant High standout Robert Marve, who now plays for UM. His 6 touchdown passes last night is a Dade County record. The state record is held by Orlando Colonial's Mike Mitchell who threw 8 in one game. Current University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow once threw 7 touchdown passes while playing for Ponte Vedra Nease High School.

Deerfield Beach: The Kings of Broward

2007-10-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Deerfield Beach running back Cassius McDowell runs through a St. Thomas Aquinas tackler

For years head coach George Smith and his St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders ruled Broward County with an iron fist. But move over this year St. Thomas fans because the Deerfield Beach Bucks made a huge statement Friday night. The Bucks beat the Raiders 43-41 in one of the greatest games played in recent Broward history.

Both teams entered the game undefeated and ranked #2 in the state in their respective classifications. The game swung back and forth. But in the end, it was Bucks kicker Dieago Ramos who supplied the winning points with a 19 yard field goal to give Deerfield Beach the victory. The kick was sweet vindication for Ramos who had missed two kicks earlier in the game. Running back Rodney Harrell rushed for 219 yards on 19 carries. Deerfield Beach is now 7-0 and ranked #2 in Class 6A behind Miami Northwestern. The Raiders dropped to 6-1.

This Deerfield Beach team is no fluke. The Bucks don't have any big-name blue chip recruits or any stars. It's just a team filled with good players that have rallied around second-year coach Art Taylor and play great team football. Before the regular season began, the Bucks gave Miami Northwestern a huge scare, losing 50-41 in a preseason jamboree game. At the time, there were whispers that Northwestern's defense wasn't very good. On the contrary, Deerfield Beach's offense is that good.

And before everyone anoints Northwestern as the 6A champions again, don't underestimate this Deerfield Beach team. I have a feeling these two teams will meet again the in the playoffs. If Northwestern doesn't come ready to play, look out. Let me remind Northwestern fans the last time the Bulls lost a game was in the 6A semifinals to Deerfield Beach in 2005 at Traz Powell Stadium--Northwestern's home field. So there is precedence.

RIP Alec Kessler (1967-2007)

2007-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Former Miami Heat player Alec Kessler died last night from a heart attack in Pensacola after playing a game of pickup basketball. He was just 40 years old. At 6-foot-11, Kessler was a former All SEC and All American player at the University of Georgia. He graduated in 1990 as Georgia's all time leading scorer with 1,788 points. Kessler was one of two first round draft picks by the Miami Heat in 1990 along with Willie Burton. Kessler was the 12th pick of the 1990 NBA Draft.

Both Kessler and Burton struggled in their Heat careers and never lived up to expectations as pros. Kessler averaged just 5.2 points 3.6 rebounds in his 4 year Heat career that spanned 210 games. But while Kessler's basketball career didn't live up to promise, his life after basketball was very successful. He graduated from medical school at Emory University in Atlanta and became an orthopedic surgeon. Kessler and had been practicing medicine in Pensacola. I would like to send out my prayers and condolences to the Kessler family. He is survived by his wife Rhea and sons Nicholas and Christopher.

Happy Birthday Bob Kuechenberg

2007-10-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Happy 60th birthday to former Dolphins offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg. From 1970 to 1983, the man known affectionately as "Kooch" was a fixture on the Dolphins greatest teams. He is arguably the greatest Miami Dolphin not currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Born Robert John Kuechenberg in Gary, Indiana, Kuechenberg grew up in nearby Hobart,Indiana--just east of Chicago. He starred at Hobart High School and later became a standout college player at Notre Dame. During his college career, Kuechenberg saw action on both the defensive and offensive lines and played for legendary coach Ara Parseghian. He played on Notre Dame's 1966 national championship team as a sophomore. His teammates at Notre Dame included college football stars Alan Page, Terry Hanratty, Nick Eddy and Rocky Bleier. By his senior year, Kuechenberg had settled as a defensive lineman with dreams of playing in the NFL.

Drafted in the 4th round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1969 as a defensive lineman, Kuechenberg's NFL career almost ended before it began. He was promptly cut in Eagles training camp and spent the rest of the year playing semi-pro football for the Chicago Owls of the Continental Football League.

In 1970 Kuechenberg's life would change forever. Don Shula had arrived in Miami as the Dolphins new head coach and brought with him a coaching staff that included brilliant offensive line coach Monte Clark. Kuechenberg was invited to Dolphins training camp as a longshot free agent. But it was Clark who saw talent in the former Notre Dame star and molded his project into one of pro football's best guards of the 1970s. By 1971, Kuechenberg along with Jim Langer, Larry Little, Norm Evans and Wayne Moore made up the NFL's most dominant offensive line. All five players had been rejects from other teams. All five would become Pro Bowl players at sometime during their careers. Langer and Little are currently in the hall of fame. That year, the Dolphins would win the AFC title earning a trip to Super Bowl VI. The Dolphins would lose to the Cowboys, but better days were ahead.

By 1972, Kuechenberg and his fellow linemates helped open huge holes and running lanes for running backs Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick. The Dolphins would set an NFL record for rushing yardage that season and would finish the season with a perfect 17-0 record--the only undefeated team in NFL history.

Kuechenberg's finest perfomance came in Super Bowl VIII against the Minnesota Vikings. NFL Films had asked Don Shula to narrate the game's highlight video. In the video Shula went out of his way to praise and spotlight Kuechenberg, whose responsibility was to block Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page, who was Kuechenberg's teammate at Notre Dame. Kuechenberg was a master technician who dominated Page the entire game and helped fullback Larry Csonka rumble for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Dolphins victory. What's even more remarkable is Kuechenberg played with a cast after having suffered a broken arm during the season.

During the course of his 14 year career with the Dolphins, Kuechenberg was six-time Pro Bowl selection and was twice first-team All Pro in 1975 and 1978. The Dolphins made four trips to the Super Bowl and Kuechenberg started in every one of them. He played in a remarkable 196 games and was considered the leader of a line that was loaded with great players. Later in his career, he served as a mentor for another hall of famer Dwight Stephenson.

Kuechenberg has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame each of the last five years. Unfortunately, he's never received enough votes to earn this long deserved honor. A vocal leader during his playing days, Kuechenberg has continued to be outspoken since his retirement. He's not afraid to speak his opinion or criticize some of the Dolphins best players. Even players like Dan Marino and Jason Taylor haven't escaped Kuechenberg's criticism. Taylor once responded, "I think Kooch needs a hug and a hobby." But to understand Kuechenberg, you must realize this is a man who knows perfection and expects it from his beloved Dolphins.

Panthers Finally in the Win Column

2007-10-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Going into last night's home opener at the Bank Atlantic Center against the New Jersey Devils, the Florida Panthers were winless in three games. But the Panthers weren't alone. The Dolphins are currently winless and FIU's football team hasn't won a game since 2005. Well now you can remove South Florida's hockey team from the ranks of the winless with a 3-0 victory over the Devils.

The Panthers got powerplay goals from Olli Jokinen and Nathan Horton and goalie Tomas Vokoun recorded the shutout. Not bad when you consider the Devils are one of the top teams in the league and goalie Martin Brodeur is one of the legends of his position. The Panthers are now 1-3. But keep an eye on this team. The Cats are no threat to compete for the Stanley Cup Finals. But there is a solid core of young players that are starting to emerge. Perhaps it won't be long before fans start showing up to the arena again with rubber rats.

Happy Birthday Cristie Kerr

2007-10-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th birthday to golfer Cristie Kerr. A graduate of Miami's Sunset High School, Kerr is one of the top golfers on the LPGA tour. She recently won the U.S. Women's Open and is currently ranked the fifth best player in the world.

Born and raised in Miami, Kerr started playing golf at age eight and is arguably the most decorated amateur golfer to ever come out of South Florida. During her years at Sunset High School, Kerr was a member of the boy's golf team because the school didn't field a girls team. Not only was Kerr on the boy's team, she was the team's best player and it wasn't close. At age 16 she won the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship and was the 1995 American Junior Golf Association Junior Player of the Year.

Kerr turned down dozens of college scholarships and turned pro at age 19. Over the years, she's made a remarkable physical transformation. Those who saw her play in her early years probably wouldn't recognize her. She initially struggled to adapt to the pro level while battling weight issues. In just the last few years, she's dropped 50 pounds and is now one of the most fit players on the tour. Kerr has come a long way since she was a pudgy bespectacled girl when she graduated from high school.

Since losing the weight, Kerr has finally started to live up to the great potential golf pundits put upon her out of the amateur ranks. She currently has 10 championship victories on the LPGA tour. In 2006, Kerr was the only American to win more than one event on the tour, winning three times. Her victory at the 2007 U.S. Women's Open was her first major championship.

In 2006 Kerr got married is currently makes her home in Scottsdale, Arizona. She's very active in fundraising for breast cancer research. Through her foundation, she's raised over $250,000 since 2004.

Trent Green Needs To Retire Now

2007-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Texans defensive lineman Travis Johnson stands over an injured Trent Green

Once again we are reminded how dangerous the game of football can be. Any given play could be your last. Just last month, Buffalo Bills tight end and former UM player Kevin Everett suffered a serious neck injury and faced the grim future of possibly never walking again. Everett's condition has slightly improved. But his road to recovery still has a ways to go. This past Sunday Dolphins quarterback Trent Green saw his football mortality flash in front of his eyes.

With that in mind, I've become a firm believer Dolphins quarterback Trent Green needs to retire immediately. As most of you are aware, Green suffered a concussion after attempting to cut block Houston Texans defensive tackle Travis Johnson. He laid motionless on the field for several minutes and was wheeled off the field on a stretcher. Luckily the injury was less severe than it initially appeared.

But the long term effects could be devastating. This was not Green's first concussion. He suffered a season ending concussion last year as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Every concussion results in trauma to the brain. It's the type of injury that could turn a perfectly fine-tuned athlete into a vegetable in a milisecond. Some of football's greatest quarterbacks including Steve Young and Troy Aikman were forced to make the difficult decision to end their careers sooner than they wanted because of this injury.

I'm in no position to tell Green what to do with his life, nor do I know him personally. But at 37 years old and his best football years behind him, Green must think of his future. He's got a wife and children to care for as well as his own well being. If he suffers another concussion, he'll face more than just the end of his football career. He may never function normally for the rest of his life.

Like any pro athlete, Green thrives on competition. Leaving the game is never an easy decision. But I think Green's decision should be simple. Life is more important than football.

By the way, I was angered to hear the NFL did not fine Travis Johnson for his classless behavior during Sunday's game. Johnson taunted Green while he was knocked out on the field. Johnson stood over Green and took pleasure in his injury. It's the most bush and pathetic thing I've seen in football in a long time.

Johnson's reasoning was he felt Green's attempted block was a cheap shot. First of all, Green's block was legal. He was also in front of Johnson. Green did not come up from behind and hit Johnson. Anybody who saw the replay should have enough sense to know Green couldn't block Johnson without going for his lower body. Johnson is 300 pounds. There's no way Green could physically block Johnson by taking him on high. Bottom line, there was no malicious intent on Green's part. He didn't go out of his way to hurt Johnson. On the other hand, Johnson went out of his way to humiliate an injured player. That's as low as you can go.