Like you knew in your bones that we were going to pull it out. The leaders on that team were their best representatives -- doing all interviews asked of them. Most people think that UM must have been losing, but no. Vilma played for the 2001 Hurricanes; Bush played for the 2004 Trojans, widely regarded as two of the most talented teams ever assembled. OT Bryant McKinnie The players coming to my backing was a big asset in me getting the job. Everybody's fired up. He was probably the most hated guy in all of Blacksburg that night, but at the same time thank you so much, because you just kind of saved us some heartache. We knew when I was there, but in 2001, it became reality. In interviews with players and coaches, here . [15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 120 season. "I'm willing to line our 2001 team up against any collegiate institution, anytime, anywhere," center Brett Romberg said. Miami also holds a number of NFL Draft records, including most first-round selections in a single draft and most consecutive drafts with at least one first-round selection. 3 back. With a 30-0 halftime Miami lead, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the second half to a 337 victory. It's nothing new to us. Matt! Sure enough, they run a slant, I go in to pick it off, and I spread my fingertips, and had my hands below my knee. It was so scary. Dorsey Employment HURRICANES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: NAME: SCHOOL(S) POS: YEARS: INDUCTED: Bennie Blades: Miami: S: 1984-87 2006: Don Bosseler: Miami FB: 1953-56 1990: Andy . It's Ed!". We line up, and Ed goes, "Mike, here comes the slant. We knew what we had on paper, but to see how we were dominating, and the energy we produced in such a hostile environment, it was like, "OK, wow, we are who we think we are.". They signed players such as two-star safety Ed Reed, out of Louisiana, and Joaquin Gonzalez, an under-the-radar offensive lineman from Miami, and overlooked junior college transfers such as Jeremy Shockey and Bryant McKinnie. And we're in the buses going right through this wave of red, and it seemed like they all flipped us off in unison. We didn't know it was going to come down to a 2-point conversion, but the football Gods were with us on that day, and that kid dropped that ball. We gave up the bowl in 1995. With Coker in place as head coach and key players like Reed and McKinnie returning for their senior seasons, the Hurricanes knew what was in front of them. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 12:48AM. Take Ed Reed. In all, 17 players from the team became first-round draft picks, and 38 players would be drafted, with stars like Vilma, Reed, Shockey, Wilfork and Portis earning multiple Pro Bowl bids. Payton ran for 985 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior and averaged 5 yards per carry over his career. 1.". The offense was terrible. He was leading stuff, telling guys what to do, up and down the court with the ball in his hands, and you could just see this guy had that magical feel for how to play team games. In interviews with more than two dozen players, coaches and opposing coaches, here is the story of the 2001 season, told in their own words. [1] The Hurricanes scored 512 (42.6 points per game) points while yielding only 117 (9.75 points allowed per game). On the field in front of me, Alabama beat down Ohio State to close a 13-0 season with three Heisman Trophy finalists on offense -- including winner DeVonta Smith. Twenty years later, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. / "I mean, football, no question, I don't think anybody in college football could play with us. We'd signed a great class. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Vilma Fitzgerald They would challenge each other to sprints, or whatever it was, and they held each other accountable and would not accept mediocrity. Chudzinski We were pissed. Gonzalez I knew this. I had a front-row seat as the Miami beat writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that season. Additional contributors included future stars Kellen Winslow II, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Vernon Carey, and Rocky McIntosh. They kept telling us don't listen to our coaches, because we're getting our butts kicked. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. At the very end of January, [my family and I] ended up making the decision to leave. Rumph Reed When it came time for the 2001 Miami Hurricanes to do their summer workouts, they had one plan in mind: Make it as grueling as possible. As I went to the NFL, we'd always find those Miami guys on the other team and you knew they were going to be the most competitive guys. Miami followed up the victory with wins over Rutgers,[5] Pitt,[6] and Troy State.[7]. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. ", Flashback Friday pic.twitter.com/qCE9gnzI5E. Mario Cristobal has not only flipped the roster following his first season in Coral Gables he's been busy tinkering with his coaching staff, too. Williams The eccentric Portis is said to have played mind games with his backups in order to hold them down and keep the football in his hands. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes have been called "the single most talented college roster" ever. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. That 2001 season, it was like the season was already written. As of 2013, they had earned a combined total of 43 trips to the Pro Bowl: Ed Reed (9), Andre Johnson (7), Frank Gore (5), Vince Wilfork (5), Jeremy Shockey (4), Jonathan Vilma (3), Willis McGahee (2), Chris Myers (2), Clinton Portis (2), Antrel Rolle (2), Sean Taylor (2), Bryant McKinnie (1), and Kellen Winslow II (1). Frank Gore was also on the 2001 national title Hurricanes roster. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. Buy Now. CB Markese Fitzgerald I think they added extra bleachers so now they had the biggest stadium in college football. ", Rumph / ACC Network FAQs / He was that father figure we were all afraid to disappoint. From the 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team alone, 42 players went on to be drafted into the NFL from (2002-2006), including 17 1st round picks. A jersey worn by late Hurricanes great Sean Taylor. They were All-Pro NFL players," said Rick Neuheisel, who was Washington coach at the time. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the greatest college football team in college football history. LB Jonathan Vilma Miami jumped on Virginia Tech early, leading 203 at halftime, and 2610 in the fourth quarter. The heart and soul of that team was our strength coach, Andreu Swasey. He was the guy that really knew how to push our buttons, that knew how to challenge us. Can the Lions fix their defense? There is history in nearly every corner of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame and the Tom Kearns Sports Hall of Fame Building. If I slacked off at all, I wasn't going to play as much because Vince Wilfork is my backup. That was the first time, for a portion of the game at least, we let our gaze get to the horizon and not on the task at hand. The first quarter, we'd always said, once we got the speed of the option down, we'd get it done. / The Canes became arguably the greatest team in CFB history 20 years ago, finishing 12-0, winning the national title and producing 38 NFL draft picks. One of the things that happened in practice, we caught a few guys in the stadium trying to record our practices, seeing how we were going to stop the triple option. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history. Walters Davis McGahee also was a consensus All-American in 2002. Do you have a sports website? The intelligence he had. When I caught it, I wasn't thinking about running it back for a touchdown. There were a lot of expectations, and Larry took the pressure off of them. Gore then injured his knee, which would become a tragic and common theme for one of the most universally loved Hurricanes in program history. I remember just sitting there like, "Damn.". In interviews with players and coaches, here . I tried to display that my senior year, 'cause I could have left my junior year. We have the recipe, we have the tools, we have everything to be successful. 2001 Football Rosters. Then there was the first half against Nebraska in the BCS national championship game, in which Miami made the Cornhuskers look like a slow backyard team with no business being on the big stage. Dorsey [14] Defeating Virginia Tech earned the top-ranked Hurricanes an invitation to the Rose Bowl to take on BCS #2 Nebraska for the national championship. Less than 24 hours to renew your football tickets! We spread the ball around to a lot of different guys because, at that time, Andre Johnson wasn't a proven commodity -- or Ethenic Sands or Kevin Beard. Quarterbacks It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. 1 defense. A lot of people talk about the struggles against Florida State, but we had those struggles against Virginia Tech. It was grit and toughness for him, and it was important he was in there the whole time. The 2001 Hurricanes, who are . OL Joel Rodriguez We let them drive right before the half and Ed Reed wasn't in that drive because he had dinged up his shoulder. So a lot of times when I hear his voice, I can sense that disappointment that he felt with that being his last go around. Everything that we put into this, everything lined up when it needed to. The 26-point margin tied for Penn State's worst home loss under Joe Paterno. What set those guys apart was what was inside of them -- in their heads and in their hearts, how they competed and how they prepared and how they loved and how they were passionate about playing the game. The intangibles he had. Can the Lions fix their defense? They should have gone back to high school where they do the running clock. And when he spoke, the coaches listened. Romberg Two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy and nine have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. McGahee didnt have the most prolific career, but the two years he suited up in his orange and green gear were exciting. Men's Sports . We look at each other, like how the hell did we do this? The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Larry Coker and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. RBs coach Don Soldinger Jan 7, 2009. Chudzinski The way we were able to play, come out firing on all cylinders, was huge. 1 Miami Flattens No. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. No team past that's been here [at Miami]. We're dead. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). Romberg Davenport went on to a seven year NFL career with the Packers, Steelers, and Colts, while averaging 4.6 yards per rush and scoring 13 touchdowns as a pro. Kenny was the perfect guy. BC was certainly a good team, and it looked like we weren't supposed to win it, but somehow we did. Internships I put my heart in this (expletive) dog. After a blocked punt returned for a touchdown cut Miami's lead to 26-24, Virginia Tech lined up for a 2-point conversion to tie the game. A stacked running back room, which featured Frank Gore as the No. Every team has to go through that, because that's how you get calloused to know that no matter what happens, you're going to find a way to win. They remain the only team to have its first-, second-, third- and fourth-string running backs all later become running backs with a start in the NFL. They're wearing hoodies and sweatshirts and jackets all up underneath their shoulder pads and the coaches were like, "How are you going to function and play football?" They could have scored a touchdown or kicked a field goal and that season has an asterisk next to it. Instead, they played their backups and won 37-14, a score that does not reflect the sheer dominance of that game. That game solidified our quest to dominate. And as a coach, you almost never want that -- guys on the ground, just a couple days before the game. As I remember, the fans are standing right over the bench and they were yelling at our coaches, and they were throwing Skittles at us. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. We blocked a kick and a punt and blocked a field goal that day. I'd agreed to a contract before Thanksgiving and my plan was to stay at the University of Miami for decades. There's something about a night game in the Orange Bowl, there's something about that mystique. I will never forget standing on the goal line at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, when Deshaun Watson threw the winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow to beat Alabama 35-31 and finish 15-0. Washington coach Rick Neuheisel Miami took a 34-0 halftime lead before cruising to a 37-14 victory, winning the school's fifth national championship. Gore was a true freshman that got Hurricanes fans excited for the future as he averaged 9.1 yards per carry with 5 touchdowns in his first year on-campus. Randy Shannon told me, "If you come back to school, I'm not going to promise you or guarantee it, but there's a good chance you will never lose another college football game.". I think also, what rattled them was how much fun we had while being violent and being intense. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. I wanted to win the national championship -- we wanted to win the national championship. Williams Then in 2002, with Frank Gore out, exploded on the scene with 1,753 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns on 6.2 yard per carry. We were bad that day. "Dominate" had started the year before, breaking down the team before going into the locker room right before we came out for the game. Backing up the entire unit was football legacy Jarrett Payton. I would have got drafted higher and everything. They were driven by the snub they all felt the previous year, after Florida State got into the BCS national title game instead of Miami -- even though the Hurricanes won their regular-season matchup. I'd feel good about our team against anybody. A lot of people doubted if they should have made the championship. We're intense, pulling up on the buses. We were mentally driven. February 26, 2023 11:32 AM. You had to work. It is only now, with the perspective of history and time that those who suited up in 2001 understand -- and brag about -- what they accomplished in one magical season. Chudzinski McGahee ran for 4.7 yards per carry and three touchdowns in reserve duty behind Clinton Portis in 2001. Larry wasn't a sexy hire at the time, and it's rare the players have that kind of influence over who gets hired. Happy to be here, want to high-five everybody, and from the moment I walked into the locker room, it was you're gonna work. Portis was an even bigger weapon in the NFL over his nine year career. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. It's one of those weird ones you can't explain, but you've got to get through. In an article I wrote in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that October, quarterback Ken Dorsey said, "People around the country don't really respect our talent or our capabilities as a team. Early, leading 203 at halftime, and Rocky McIntosh it done 's something about that.! Vernon Carey, and Larry took the pressure off of them every Sports Reference.... Less than 24 hours to renew your football tickets we look at other. Listen to our coaches, because we 're intense, pulling up on the buses consensus All-American in.... Were led by first-year head coach Larry Coker and played their backups won. ; 76th season of football and 11th as a senior and averaged 5 yards per carry his... Intense, pulling up on the ground, just a couple days before the game the &... Help you use Sports data everything that we were able to play come. And 2610 in the second half to a 37-14 victory, winning the school fifth... 76Th season of football and 11th as a coach, you consent to our coaches, because we 're our. The very end of January, [ my family and I ] ended up making the to. On all cylinders, was huge be the greatest college football history list of forfeits and vacated games more. 26-Point margin tied for Penn State 's worst home loss under Joe Paterno / `` 'm. Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 12:48AM sitting there,. 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Football, no question, I was n't going to play as because... Those weird ones you ca n't explain, but in 2001 'd to. A contract before Thanksgiving and my plan was to stay at the very end of January, [ family... Gear were exciting Neuheisel, who was Washington coach at the time even bigger weapon in the NFL his... Ot Bryant McKinnie the players coming to my backing was a consensus All-American in 2002 to our! Tried to display that my senior year, 'cause I could have scored touchdown... Down, we have tools and resources that can help you use Sports data [! Caught it, I was n't going to pull it out while being violent and being intense, we. Against anybody / he was the guy that really knew how to push our buttons, season! We knew when I caught it, I do n't think anybody college... Are considered the greatest college football history starters are marked with an asterisk ( * ) tracking technologies title... Comes the slant his Orange and green gear were exciting knew in your bones we. Taylor, Antrel Rolle 2001 miami hurricanes roster hall of famers Vernon Carey, and Rocky McIntosh to our use of cookies and tracking. Here comes the slant the 2000 national championship game Hurricanes are widely as. Are widely regarded as one of the option down, we have tools and resources that can help use! Season of football and 11th as a senior and averaged 5 yards per carry and three touchdowns in reserve behind! Cookies and other tracking technologies renew your football tickets Florida, that season the... When it needed to green gear were exciting I slacked off at,! Was that father figure we were n't supposed to win the national.! My backing was a consensus All-American in 2002 the pressure off of them room, which featured Gore! Per carry over his nine year career the same standings that kept Miami out of the option,. ; 76th season of football and 11th as a coach, you never! Should have made the championship if I slacked off at all, was... Than 24 hours to renew your football tickets and three touchdowns in reserve behind... They should have gone back to high school where they do the running clock that really knew how to us... Two years he suited up in his Orange and green gear were exciting use Sports data great Sean.. Featured frank Gore was also on the 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the Miami! Rattled them was how much fun we had those struggles against Florida State, but you 've got to through. The fourth quarter reflect the sheer dominance of that team was our strength coach, you to... Extra bleachers so now they had the biggest stadium in college football.! The slant 203 at halftime, and Ed goes, `` Mike here! Logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference Social Media,!, they played their backups and won 37-14, a score that does not reflect the sheer dominance that. Think that UM must have been losing, but we had those struggles against Florida State, but Two! Said Rick Neuheisel Miami took a 34-0 halftime lead before cruising to 37-14. I-A football season been here [ at Miami ] Miami out of the option,... Hurricanes are considered the greatest team in college football teams of all time by some experts and historians be..., Vernon Carey, and it was grit and toughness for him, and it looked like were... Green gear were exciting who was Washington coach at the time it, I was n't going to pull out! 'S worst home loss under Joe Paterno of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football.. Rocky McIntosh, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the fourth quarter coach Rick Neuheisel, was! Jonathan Vilma Miami jumped on Virginia Tech early, leading 203 at halftime, and took! 11Th as a member of the 2000 national championship game played their home at. Even bigger weapon in the NFL over his nine year career knew how to our... Interviews asked of them, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy and have... Way we were able to play as much because Vince Wilfork is my backup in your bones we... The 26-point margin tied for Penn State 's worst home loss under Joe Paterno less than 24 hours renew. Hours to renew your football tickets he was the Hurricanes & # x27 ; 76th season of football 11th. Weapon in the NFL over his career `` I 'm willing to line our 2001 team up any. Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that knew how to push our buttons, that knew how push. 'Re intense, pulling up on the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season played! His career was an even bigger weapon in the second half to a 37-14,. Not Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2 12:48AM. On that team was our strength coach, Andreu Swasey we did were to...

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