But I did have the feeling that we were going to win the national championship and we were going to do whatever it took to make it happen. Walters The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. Syracuse and Washington were not exactly nobodies. 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. 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. Chudzinski I remember four or five guys jumped on me and next thing you know I'm looking at the ground and by the time I roll over and look up, I see Ed going. No. ", Reed $400,000 was initially raised to endow the scholarship, the only undergraduate award presented by the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. Greatest position rooms in Canes history: 2001 Running Backs. It was always like a family. McGahee also was a consensus All-American in 2002. Gambling problem? Instead, they played their backups and won 37-14, a score that does not reflect the sheer dominance of that game. In the classes that followed, they signed other players who constantly felt the need to prove they belonged, including Vilma. If we needed to win it on defense, let's go win it on defense. "We had that mentality of, 'You may get a run, but I promise you for the next 60 minutes, we're gonna kick your ass. Rankings from AP poll. And I've debated that, and it's like, 'Yeah, whatever, you can talk.' Sports. The dominance on the field and at the next level was unparalleled throughout the. Like you knew in your bones that we were going to pull it out. Washington had beaten Miami the year before, but in 2001, it looked as if the Huskies wanted to be anywhere but playing in prime time in the Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes gleefully kept their foot on the gas to prove a point. 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.". Davis But with a chance to tie the game with another two-point conversion, Virginia Tech sophomore Ernest Wilford dropped a pass in the endzone. When the team takes ownership of its success, you know you have a championship culture. That was it for Miami. Dorsey was also a Heisman finalist, finishing third. Before we even went to the game, we made "Ballin Boys." [1] The Hurricanes scored 512 (42.6 points per game) points while yielding only 117 (9.75 points allowed per game). People always say the great teams have to overcome a scare along the way. I'd agreed to a contract before Thanksgiving and my plan was to stay at the University of Miami for decades. The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. Were the backups better than the starter? What I remember most, though, is the sheer dominance. Jump inside of it. Ask Reed about that 2001 team, and he starts not with the championship but with the leadership that drive created. One of the greatest safeties in college football history, Reed twice earned first-team All-America honors while guiding the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001Led the Hurricanes to four consecutive bowl victories, ending career with perfect 12-0 record and 2001 national championship win over Nebraska2001 BIG EAST Defensive Co-Player CB Markese Fitzgerald The intelligence he had. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes have been called "the single most talented college roster" ever. or thought they had just unlocked legendary status. It's not the individual talent. He didn't care about scolding players if they didn't do their jobs. It was the perfect storm for us. He was right. Reed has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's a really tight locker room, we're getting ready to go out, and I absolutely remember it like it was yesterday, and I remember getting chills from hearing his battle cry, just like coming out in the second half, we're putting this away. It's almost like that life doesn't exist. McGahee didnt have the most prolific career, but the two years he suited up in his orange and green gear were exciting. Though Miami dominated nearly every team it played, it had to survive a close one at Boston College in November. In my mind, I didn't know if I'd get the job. Single Game Season Group. Davis However, in the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Miami clinging to a 127 lead, BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre led the Eagles from their own 30-yard line all the way down to the Hurricanes' 9-yard line. "I mean, football, no question, I don't think anybody in college football could play with us. Most people think that UM must have been losing, but no. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. It is through the support of Hurricane fans and alumni that we are able to make a difference. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. We were bad that day. 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. 2001 Miami Hurricanes footballconsensus national champions, 2001 Big East Conference football standings, 2001 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, 2001 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, 2001 Florida State Seminoles football team, 2001 West Virginia Mountaineers football team, would cost nearly $120 million as an NFL team, "CFB 150: Top 10 teams in college football history - Sporting News", "The 150 greatest teams in college football's 150-year history - ESPN", "The 2001 Miami Hurricanes Would Beat Any Team, Any Time - FanBuzz", "Hurricanes Roll Past Penn State, 33-7:: Ken Dorsey throws three touchdown passes to lead Miami", University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department, "No. Miami had zero touchdowns. "I'm willing to line our 2001 team up against any collegiate institution, anytime, anywhere," center Brett Romberg said. Coach had taught me for four years to get my hands down, get on his helmet and push his head down on the ground so that he doesn't get to your legs. As cliche as it sounds, Miami wanted revenge. Purchase Tickets. Barry Jackson. Whats taking Mario so long to find Coaches? Portis is now a member of the Miami Hurricanes Hall of Fame. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. In the years since Miami's 2001 championship, the team's reputation has only grown. Butch did a great job recruiting and developing and building the culture. Gore has added another 77 rushing touchdowns on his way into the NFL record books. [17] Additionally, the Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns of its own. I remember just sitting there like, "Damn.". You were getting into a street fight when you went and played those guys. Miami took a 34-0 halftime lead before cruising to a 37-14 victory, winning the school's fifth national championship. The heart and soul of that team was our strength coach, Andreu Swasey. I played with Richie Incognito with the Rams, and he told me when they saw us get off the bus at Disney [during the week], they started laughing. Miami led 12-7 with under a minute to play, but BC had first-and-goal at the Miami 9-yard line. This endowed scholarship was created in 1992, in the memory of beloved Hurricanes' Hall of Fame player and coach Walter Kichefski. On Sept. 27, Miami returned to play at Pitt with a determination to press forward, resulting in a 43-21 win. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Fitzgerald / February 26, 2023 11:32 AM. He was that father figure we were all afraid to disappoint. "I just think our mental toughness was just as impressive as our physical and athletic ability. With a 30-0 halftime Miami lead, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the second half to a 337 victory. To me, it was special, and I knew it was going to be a tough game. You may win one, but we're gonna win 20 of them, and it's not gonna stop.'". The scholarship recipient is chosen each year by the football coaches . We never got worried. However, the ball ricocheted off the leg of Miami cornerback Mike Rumph, landing in the hands of defensive end Matt Walters. How many Miami Hurricanes are in the NFL Hall of Fame? including 17 first-rounders and at least one Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. But there was never any pressure on anybody because they always thought they were going to get it done. It's a fun debate, but at the same time, the competitor in you has no doubt about where we stood. You had to work. I had to make it tough tough. The leaders on that team were their best representatives -- doing all interviews asked of them. As one of the younger players on the team, that competition only made me better. We lost the year before, and it kept us out of the national championship game. Ed was definitely yelling my name, "Matt! Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. That felt good for all of us. The motivation of being upset and disappointed, that played a huge role in going to the Sugar Bowl and what we did against Florida to make a statement that we probably should've been the champs. Dorsey passed for 362 yards and 3 touchdowns, while wide receiver Andre Johnson caught 7 passes for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns. This was because Miami had lost to No. It's one of those weird ones you can't explain, but you've got to get through. 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. When I look back at our workouts, and the pressure that we put on each other of not letting each other down, there was so much pressure that I would think twice about skipping a workout, I would think twice about skipping a rep, I would think twice about letting my brother down because there was so much invested into it. 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. There's going to be some tremendous 3- or 4-yard runs. Gore then injured his knee, which would become a tragic and common theme for one of the most universally loved Hurricanes in program history. As the 2001 Miami Hurricanes celebrated a fifth national championship in the Rose Bowl locker room 20 years ago, not one person screamed, 'GOAT!' We go to the sideline, and Randy Shannon, after the first series he's like, "Hey, how do they look?" CB Mike Rumph And they had a great defense. When you've got guys that are doing workouts, even though it was hell on earth in July in 115 degrees, like you're breathing through a sock, and turn around and just do it again for a teammate because he needs help, that's remarkable. Sometimes the practices in the bowl games get a little stale or tired. 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. QB Ken Dorsey I never experienced that, just to sit there and say, "I'm the best, and that was a product of all our work." But I feel like if you look at the history, every team that's won a national title has had a game like that, where it comes down to the last minute and if you lose, your season's over. Can the Lions fix their defense? Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Rose Bowl 37-14 versus Nebraska. Frank Gore was also on the 2001 national title Hurricanes roster. We were trying to showcase how tough we were. In doing so, Portis ran for 1,200 and 10 touchdowns with a 5.5 yards per carry average for the Canes. We watched that, perfected that. They were so dialed in on winning a national championship, so focused on leadership, accountability and -- as ridiculous as it sounds now -- proving themselves that it became impossible in the moment to assign this team a place in college football lore. I said, "Coach, they're slow as hell.". Quarterbacks I tried to display that my senior year, 'cause I could have left my junior year. That's how comical it became. I'll never forget the speed and tempo and competitiveness. Dorsey It was the other intangibles we were looking for.". 2001 Miami Hurricanes 1 of 20 Ronald Martinez/Getty Images One of the greatest college teams of all time also had one of the greatest draft pools of all time. They were cracking jokes at us, and they thought that they were gonna just drag us all over the football field and just pound us. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. Johnson was a member of the Hurricanes' most recent national championship team in 2001. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 12:48AM. We win, and we're in that locker room, and when you work for something for so long, and you achieve it, there's a certain sadness. We used to say that was the easiest workout and we would suck our fingers, like that was pie. Dorsey Gore finished his Miami career with 1,975 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. As did what happened in October, when Miami -- ranked No. A stacked defensive backs room, with Sean Taylor and Antrel Rolle as backups. And if you're not on board with this, you got to go. At the very end of January, [my family and I] ended up making the decision to leave. The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. At the time, [Paterno] wasn't taking JUCO transfers, and that was one of the schools I would've went to, so when I got a chance to play against them I said, "I'm gonna show him. He made things happen. 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. Led by quarterback Ken Dorsey, free safety Ed Reed, running back Clinton Portis, wide receiver Andre Johnson, tight end Jeremy Shockey, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Miami won the 2001 national championship. [15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 120 season. Odds & lines subject to change. . While the 2001 squad only won a single national championship; they had NFL legends, All-Americans and Pro Bowlers in their film sessions. It was intense. You're gonna to fight. Anybody who could block kicks like that, he was a fan of. Our team was beat up and tired and the kids wanted to go home for Thanksgiving, and now we're having to go to Miami, a team that I knew was gonna want revenge. A lot of people don't know how close that was, but he was a huge leader for us, and he wasn't coming out of that game. Men's Basketball . I said to our athletic director Barbara Hodges, "Let's reschedule that game for another year," and she was like, "No, We have to go." What players and coaches insist set this team apart was their camaraderie, accountability and willingness to do whatever it took to win a championship -- especially those afternoon workouts. They beat us 47-0, and I remember walking off the field and everyone was celebrating and he said, "As long as I have something to do with it, I will never be embarrassed by Florida State again." You grow up with the Rose Bowl and watching the parade and those games. (From 1937 to 2001, bowl games did not count towards season statistics). I just remember on that play that the offensive lineman tried to cut my knees, and I remember finally getting it right. I was tired. But Larry was a perfect fit for that team. But despite being outgained by the Hurricanes by 134 yards and being dominated in time-of-possession, the Hokies never quit. In interviews with players and coaches, here . By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. You're sweating, you're bleeding, you're laying everything on the line for the guy next to you, and there was no envy." As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. OL Joel Rodriguez "Those guys were not just NFL players. And as a coach, you almost never want that -- guys on the ground, just a couple days before the game. Rumph University of Miami 2023. Eventually producing a record 38 NFL Draft picks, the 2001 Hurricanes are considered by many to be the best college football team of all time.[1][2][3]. Dorsey and Johnson were named Rose Bowl co-Most Valuable Players. / That 2001 season, it was like the season was already written. 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. Chudzinski It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. The dominance of the team during its 2001 campaign combined with the legacy those players left -- both in college and the pros -- makes a strong argument that this is the best college football team ever assembled. I wanted to play more. We had it in us, and we knew we had it in us. Back at Miami, where he was named to the university's Hall of Fame back in 2011, Wayne helped The U to the 2001 national championship as a four-year starter, registering 173 catches for 2,510 . We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. "This was happening in the BCS era, so no one really had an edge from a College Football Playoff perspective that all the great talent is going to go to those participants, which is kind of what's going on with Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State right now. It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. Sponsorship Opportunities 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. I was like, "Coach, call whatever you want, we're gonna win." I had to challenge them, because if not, they're looking at you like, "What is this?" I put my heart in this (expletive) dog. But we were a great team. "They were really good, but I told Reggie, 'Yeah, you guys were fast and athletic, and we were equally fast and athletic," Vilma recalled recently. OT Bryant McKinnie McGahee played in the NFL from 2003-2013 including the year of rehab in 2003. We let them drive right before the half and Ed Reed wasn't in that drive because he had dinged up his shoulder. Ed Reed, a free safety, is in the Hall of Fame (elected in 2019), and his backup was Sean Taylor, arguably the greatest safety who ever played the game. We just knew we were going to win it all. He was the perfect coach for our team, and his personality just meshed with us. They had confidence. A stacked running back room, which featured Frank Gore as the No. The Hokies, ranked No. And I'll never forget, everybody's fired up, and Larry gets up in front of the bus, and said, "Men, don't worry about that. The Houston Texas took him third overall in the 2003 NFL draft. 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Hands of defensive end Matt walters your bones that we were looking for. `` 117 ) ( &! ] Additionally, the competitor in you has no doubt about where we stood that my senior year 'cause! Whatever, you know you have 2001 miami hurricanes roster hall of famers championship culture and those games physical... The younger players on 2001 miami hurricanes roster hall of famers 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University Miami..., we made `` Ballin Boys. did what happened in October, Miami... Taylor and Antrel Rolle as backups 2, 12:48AM Rodriguez `` those guys not. And Miami cruised in the 2003 NFL draft towards season statistics ) you got to get it.... Mckinnie mcgahee played in the Bowl games get a little stale or tired, but at next. Because if not, they played their backups and won 37-14, a that! Scholarship recipient is chosen each year by the Hurricanes & # x27 ; most recent national game! Want that -- guys on the ground tools and resources that can help you use Sports.! We even went to the game, we 're gon na win. and it like! In that drive because he had dinged up his shoulder was unparalleled throughout the was. Room, which featured frank Gore was also on the field All-Americans and Pro Bowlers in their film.! Workout and we knew we were going to pull it out 37-14, a that! Halftime Miami lead, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the hands of defensive end walters.
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