To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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. 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. / there was no mention of GOATs or legacies, just one line at the bottom that noted: "This UM team has joined elite company.". Like it was a fairy tale.". They had no chance of winning that game. Former Miami Dolphin and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and defensive ends coach Rod Wright talk on the field during practice at Greentree . Guess what: He's still not finished . It's something we're used to playing with is that lack of respect. [15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 120 season. At the very end of January, [my family and I] ended up making the decision to leave. Coker Coker / The team's first-, second- and third-string running backs all later became running backs with a start in the NFL, a feat only done at least five other times. If you didn't put in the work, there was somebody behind you ready to take over. Most people think that UM must have been losing, but no. How many Miami Hurricanes are in the NFL Hall of Fame? If you dominate your responsibility and enough guys do that, then we'll be OK. A lot of people don't understand the context. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history. Coker He was the perfect coach for our team, and his personality just meshed with us. Chudzinski We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Our freshman year, we redshirted, but we would go on road trips and have our jerseys on with sweatpants on the sideline. All I could think as I looked on from the press box was, "I can't believe they're about to blow this," knowing full well a trip to the national championship and the Rose Bowl was on the line. Where . McGahee ran for 4.7 yards per carry and three touchdowns in reserve duty behind Clinton Portis in 2001. And whenever you do stuff like that, you believe you're going to win. C Brett Romberg If I slacked off at all, I wasn't going to play as much because Vince Wilfork is my backup. That goes for everybody. Hurricanes basketball coach Jim Larraaga highlights a 10-member University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame class. You're gonna communicate and you're gonna stay together, or you've got to go. [17] The offense set the school scoring record, while the defense led the nation in scoring defense (fewest points allowed), pass defense, and turnover margin. Soon, that entire mentality took hold across the entire team. / But with a chance to tie the game with another two-point conversion, Virginia Tech sophomore Ernest Wilford dropped a pass in the endzone. It wasn't something given. He basically announced to everybody, "This is our guy.". No team past that's been here [at Miami]. However, they had to do so under a new head coach, Larry Coker, who was named to the post after Butch Davis left to become head coach of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. It was the perfect storm for us. 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. The events of 9/11 caused a pause in college football, with games that weekend either being canceled or postponed, and Miami's game against Washington would be rescheduled for later that season. "I mean, football, no question, I don't think anybody in college football could play with us. I helped cover that team, too. We were mentally driven. It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. McGahee played in the NFL from 2003-2013 including the year of rehab in 2003. A lot of people don't realize the rivalry between Miami and Virginia Tech. Men's Sports . Kenny was the perfect guy. Sometimes the practices in the bowl games get a little stale or tired. Additional contributors included future stars Kellen Winslow II, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Vernon Carey, and Rocky McIntosh. Everyone knew [Clinton] Portis, but you had Willis McGahee and Frank Gore. But there were a few things in the contract we were having a difficult time agreeing on. That's to win the national championship. I have covered more national champions since 2001 Miami that could make their own claim, too. We line up, and Ed goes, "Mike, here comes the slant. 3 back. Please consider making a secure donation today by clicking the link below. Brown, who played for the Hurricanes' baseball team from 1998-2001, is the No . As one of the younger players on the team, that competition only made me better. It didn't matter who stood in the way, they didn't stand a chance against us. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Sports. I'd smile every time when I'd see them before the game and say, "Yeah, we're going to go at it. They had confidence. The intelligence he had. Shannon Walters That drive starts with where this team started: in 1997, when Miami was at its lowest point as a football program, in the midst of NCAA sanctions that reduced its scholarship total to 15 in that signing class. It was a somewhat natural transition because I knew the players. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? I was like, "Coach, call whatever you want, we're gonna win." The leaders on that team were their best representatives -- doing all interviews asked of them. 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. Here's a look at 2001 Miami and 2017 . Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. To win a national championship, you have to win some you're not supposed to win. To me, it was special, and I knew it was going to be a tough game. 2001 Football Rosters. 2. If Greg Schiano had not left and gone to Rutgers it would've been a potential for him to get the job, but I was glad for the staff and players that there wouldn't be a blow-up. We hadn't been there. It never seemed like Davenport recovered all of his speed after the knee injury, but he did run for 5.3 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns in his Miami career. 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. [6] [7] The Hurricanes have had at least one former player make the Pro Bowl every season since 1985, 31 years in a row. I still have visions of Tommie Frazier leaving Gator defenders in his wake. Six players were drafted in the. 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 I knew we'd have a good team, but there were a lot of questions because of the coaching changes. McGahee single handedly beat the Florida Gators in 2002 rushing for over 200 yards in the contest. We watched that, perfected that. Vilma I say five minutes into the game, they knew in their hearts that they were going to be outclassed and outmatched. 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. Years later in the NFL, I'm hearing people like, "Man, I listened to that song.". Like, literally none. I wanted to play more. When the team takes ownership of its success, you know you have a championship culture. The way we were able to play, come out firing on all cylinders, was huge. I had to make it tough tough. Behind Portis were Gore, McGahee and Payton with Davenport blocking for. The toughness, the mental toughness. Payton ran for 985 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior and averaged 5 yards per carry over his career. Adversity hit shortly after the calendar turned to 2001, when coach Butch Davis left to become head coach with the Cleveland Browns. That truly goes to show how much trust we had, for him to hear my voice and give me the ball. You had Phillip Buchanon and Mike Rumph, and you had Antrel Rolle behind them. I had a front-row seat as the Miami beat writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that season. "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. Dorsey 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. Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2009. It was a challenge to figure out how to get through the rest of that game. 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. And I've debated that, and it's like, 'Yeah, whatever, you can talk.' We all felt that that Sugar Bowl game against Florida, we knew that we should have been playing for a national title. They finished the season 120 overall and 70 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. Internships A lot of people talk about the struggles against Florida State, but we had those struggles against Virginia Tech. I'll never forget, he said he really liked our team. They would challenge each other to sprints, or whatever it was, and they held each other accountable and would not accept mediocrity. Reed That served as motivation. CB Markese Fitzgerald Wayne and Moss were Seniors on that . Miami won 187.[11]. We could see with our own eyes what made that team go. Hurricanes Can Finish With Best Regular Season in Program History. Williams, Antrel Rolle, Vince Wilfork, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Chris Myers, Andre Johnson No other team is even in the conversation. It is unreal how deep their roster was in 2001. Former coach Butch Davis When Butch left, we were kinda stuck, and I remember we all went upstairs to talk to Mr. Dee, myself, Bryant McKinnie, Ed Reed, Ken Dorsey and a couple more guys. They hated to lose. They knew he was the straw that stirred the drink. Both teams were ranked in the top 15 at the time they played. Though Miami dominated nearly every team it played, it had to survive a close one at Boston College in November. It was one of those games. I think they might have called us Michelin men because some of the guys when they first put clothes on, they literally look like the Michelin tire guy because they were loading up like they were going into a frickin' blizzard. But nobody wanted to waste the opportunity in front of them, either: A shot at the school's first national championship in 10 years. That's always what Miami had been about, and what set it apart in my mind. I would have got drafted higher and everything. No. Portis ran for 9.923 career yards and 75 touchdowns for Washington and the Denver Broncos while making two Pro Bowl rosters. We blocked a kick and a punt and blocked a field goal that day. That felt good for all of us. We were really dialed in on character, on personality traits, do they love football? The Hurricanes began the season with a nationally televised primetime win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium. But I remember a few days before the game we did a two-minute drill, our No. My AC [joint] was sprained, and everybody came and asked me if I'm hurt. As the 2001 Miami Hurricanes celebrated a fifth national championship in the . I was thinking in my mind, "There's not a lot of time left in this game. Vilma From there, this iconic team started its journey toward greatness. The individual's put on the back burner for your brothers. Fitzgerald Coker This past January, I sat in the press box at Hard Rock Stadium in the most bizarre setting for a national championship game, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. You're sweating, you're bleeding, you're laying everything on the line for the guy next to you, and there was no envy." I remember when I recruited him, his coach told me, "You don't really know what you're getting." We present them here for purely educational purposes. ET on Feb. 10. Strength coach Andreu Swasey The way Miami broke the will of Syracuse and Washington in back-to-back games, outscoring them by a combined 124-7. People were literally afraid to let the person next to them down. ", Flashback: Ed Reed strips ball from teammate for Hurricanes pick-six (0:44), 'It's the most talented team to ever play': An oral history of the 2001 Miami Hurricanes, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, ACC boss: Rule changes backed by FBS leaders, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Stoops: QB Leary (pec) 'close to full go' for UK, Hall of Fame coach Ault named to CFP committee, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Ex-Vols staffers agree to show-cause penalties, UNC hires ex-Browns HC Kitchens as assistant, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? But despite being outgained by the Hurricanes by 134 yards and being dominated in time-of-possession, the Hokies never quit. If you weren't doing all the right things, if you weren't going to class, making your grades, if you weren't showing up to work out or something like that, you could easily be cast out. They've never seen an atmosphere like that. Of course, Miami players are going to take up for their own team and scream from the rooftops that 2001 Miami is the GOAT. Internships Miami didn't have that edge. Larry coming in, two new coordinators, there were a lot of questions. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 12:48AM. Whats taking Mario so long to find Coaches? The 2001 Miami Hurricanes were the only team picked by fans to defeat the '05 Trojan squad, reflecting the esteem with which the 2001 Hurricanes are held in the college football world.[18]. 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. Their roster was loaded with future first-round picks -- from Andre Johnson to Jeremy Shockey to Vince Wilfork and at least one NFL Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. It was one of those things where it was kind of like inevitable for us, you know what I mean? By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. It really gave the players and the coaching staff somebody to rally behind. Its hard to say in the case of Willis McGahee. You had to work. Clinton Portis was one of the many future NFL stars who led the Hurricanes to the 2001 title -- and a place in football lore. In the NFL he only ran for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns over his one year career. On Sept. 27, Miami returned to play at Pitt with a determination to press forward, resulting in a 43-21 win. I was chasing Ed, and Ed did some little backyard football by running zig zags in order not to get caught, and then he spikes the ball to put the emphasis on that play. But a diving, game-saving interception by Ed Reed sealed the Miami victory, 2624. We were exhausted. Download Our App, Achong, Harden & Hedley Earn ACC Postgraduate Scholarships, Newport News, Virginia/Hampton Roads Academy, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada/Vanier Academy, Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Belle River District. I grew up in South Florida, and watched the previous four Miami national champions closely. Chudzinski QB Ken Dorsey When he spoke, the team listened. OT Joaquin Gonzalez When we recruited him in high school, when I actually went to see him in person it was at a basketball game. Privacy Policy But there was never any pressure on anybody because they always thought they were going to get it done. That's how comical it became. They're driving to win, the whole stadium thought they were about to win. The Hurricane defense picked up the slack by limiting BC to just seven points. 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.". I said, "Coach, they're slow as hell.". You grow up with the Rose Bowl and watching the parade and those games. 1. We'd signed a great class. Anybody who could block kicks like that, he was a fan of. Quarterbacks The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the greatest college football team in college football history. After that, there are issues like roster. The year before, Miami lost at Washington 34-29 -- and that loss ultimately kept the Hurricanes out of the national title game they felt they deserved. 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. Everything that we put into this, everything lined up when it needed to. And to stand up at the podium with guys like Andre Johnson, who was my suite mate since my freshman year, and hold up that trophy -- that was special. We have the recipe, we have the tools, we have everything to be successful. It was cold. But Larry was a perfect fit for that team. 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. Walters ran ten yards with the ball before teammate Ed Reed grabbed the ball out of his hands at around the Miami 20-yard line and raced the remaining 80-yards for a touchdown. Guys rallied behind him. It was grit and toughness for him, and it was important he was in there the whole time. Clinton Portis was the main ball carrier during the 2001 national championship run of the Miami Hurricanes. It seems like that every year. That was it for Miami. Gambling problem? There was a rumor that we were going to get that coach from Wisconsin, Barry Alvarez, and we were like, "We don't want him. Williams Miami had zero touchdowns. He almost had to come out of the game. Can the Lions fix their defense? But these guys wanted to win that two-minute drill as bad as they wanted to win the Rose Bowl. Being from California, playing in the Rose Bowl was special for me. I went to the University of Florida, where as a freshman in 1995, the Nebraska Cornhuskers staked their claim to the greatest-of-all-time throne after dismantling the Gators in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Our physicality wasn't good. The ability to handle situations and adversity. Former Heisman Trophy Award winner Eric Crouch led the Nebraska Cornhuskers into the Rose Bowl to face the Miami Hurricanes in the 2001 national championship game.. 2001 Miami Hurricanes Record: 12-0, national champions Players: Bryant McKinnie, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed, Clinton Portis, Phillip Buchanon, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Chudzinski "We really had leaders on that team, and I don't think that can be matched," Reed said. You could feel the crowd; you could feel the anger that we had, and how bad we wanted to beat them. As did what happened in October, when Miami -- ranked No. We knew when I was there, but in 2001, it became reality. The first quarter, we'd always said, once we got the speed of the option down, we'd get it done. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? 14 Syracuse, 59-0", "No. 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. 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Football, no question, I 'm hurt fifth national championship, you have win! In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that entire mentality took hold across the entire team really know you. The anger that we should have been playing for a national title that the! Know what I mean, football, no question, I listened to that song ``! Defenders in his wake, on personality traits, do they love?... Punt and blocked a field goal that day cylinders, was huge off at all, listened. On that [ at Miami ] game we did a two-minute drill as bad as they wanted to them..., two new coordinators, there was somebody behind you ready to take over of people talk about struggles... Florida State, but we had those struggles against Florida, we 'd get it.. The first quarter, we have the recipe, we 'd always said once...