While fans of the University of Miami were focused on where five early departees and a handful of other Canes were headed Draft-wise this past weekend, more conformation came out of Philadelphia regarding the man now leading ‘The U’ into the future.
Current UM head coach Al Golden had three former Temple players taken in the 2012 NFL Draft – running back Bernard Pierce, tight end Evan Rodriguez and linebacker Tahir Whitehead. Pierce was chosen twenty-first in the third round, Rodriguez went sixteenth in the fourth and Whitehead was the Owls’ final selection, going third in the fifth.
Pierce was a two-star prospect out of Concorde Mills, PA and wasn’t a highly-sought after product. Conversely, former Miami running back Lamar Miller was a coveted local four-star prospect out of Killian High.
Pierce went thirteen spots ahead of Miller, who was the second pick of the fourth round. Pierce also went to Baltimore, a franchise that covets University of Miami talent.
Rodriguez was selected by Chicago in the fourth, at a position where the Canes used to dominate, but have since fallen off.
The last true UM tight end great was Greg Olsen, also chosen by the Bears, back in 2006. Since then, virtually nothing.
Jimmy Graham came out of obscurity en route to being one of the best in the game, but he’s known more for a lengthy basketball career at UM, followed with a one-year football experiment that proved successful due to physique work ethic, but as far as athletes recruited, nurtured, developed and intended to play the tight end position at ‘The U’, it’s been barren for years.
San Diego took Dedrick Epps in the seventh round back in 2010, but nothing panned out. A year later Richard Gordon unfathomably wound up Oakland’s sixth round pick, despite little playing time at UM.
Rodriguez was a three-star product out of New Jersey who appeared headed to West Virginia before Golden swayed him to Temple.
Rodriguez didn’t play in 2007 or 2008, but was a big part of three Temple teams what went 9-4, 8-4 and 9-4, respectively. As a senior in 2011 he played in twelve games, had thirty-five receptions, 479 yards and two touchdowns.
Down south in Coral Gables, tight ends Clive Walford, Chase Ford and Asante Cleveland totaled twenty-eight receptions, 266 yards and two touchdowns, combined. Walford and Cleveland return in 2012, while Ford is headed to Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent.
Whitehead was bit of a sleeper and a two-star prospect out of Newark. By his senior year at Temple he was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference linebacker, starting eleven games and finishing third on the team with fifty-nine tackles. He also led the Owls with twelve tackles for loss and netted five sacks, forced four fumbles and had three fumble recoveries.
These three former Golden players join two who reached the next level in last year’s draft as well – defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, the first round pick of the New York Jets and safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, who was Philadelphia’s second round selection.
Wilkerson was another two-star prospect out of New Jersey, that played his way into the first round, while Jarrett was a highly off-the-radar kid out of Brooklyn who worked hard to eventually achieve second round status, despite not making his mark at Temple until late in his collegiate career.
No one is debating that Coach Golden still has his work cut out for him at Miami, but it’s encouraging to see two-star prospects coached up to first round talent at Temple as it’s been the complete opposite in Coral Gables, with five-stars going undrafted (Marcus Forston) or completely falling off the grid (Aldarius Johnson).
Keep working that magic and pushing ‘The Process’, Coach. More overachievers and less underachievers; the path to ultimate success. – C.B.
Good article and I completely agree. It is refreshing to see guys being coached up and getting better over their times on campus instead of taking a step back or just leveling-off… Just to note though, Muhammad Wilkerson is a DL and not a WR.