Some great ink a few days back from Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples regarding incoming Miami Hurricanes running back Randy ‘Duke’ Johnson.
Johnson was a one-man sales machine this past year. Having originally committed to ‘The U’ in September 2010 when Randy Shannon was still at the helm, Johnson never wavered. Not after a 7-6 season that saw Shannon and much of the staff fired, not after the hiring of Al Golden and not even when Nevin Shapiro did all he could to destroy the future of the Miami program with his salacious allegations.
Johnson not only stood by his hometown Hurricanes, he went a step further, going above and beyond to recruit other players to UM.
“[Miami assistant] George McDonald was my recruiting coordinator,” Johnson said. “And I was his.”
Johnson deserves credit for helping steer four-star Miami Columbus High safety Deon Bush to UM and away from Alabama and Auburn, the other two in his top three. Duke also helped close five-star Miramar High cornerback Tracy Howard at the final hour, choosing the Canes over the hated Seminoles and long-time favorite Gators.
Johnson led the charge and helped Miami pull in some like-minded players. Players unconcerned with Shapiro and his allegations and more focused on helping the new UM coaching staff put the program back on the map.
Regarding the new staff, recent signee, Miramar High receiver Malcolm Lewis was quick to defend Miami coaches. “I’m not going to hold them back for that,” said Lewis. “They weren’t really there. It wasn’t really their fault. I just see a group of coaches trying to turn the program around. I want to be a part of that history.”
The desire to be a part of history is what helped put UM back on the map in the late nineties during the probation era. Guys like Santana Moss, Ed Reed, Edgerrin James, Dan Morgan and Reggie Wayne. They were part of that first influx that believed in Butch Davis and signed on with a Miami program that was seeing its worst days in two decades.
From there it paved the way for kids like Ken Dorsey, Andre Johnson, Clinton Portis, Bryant McKinnie and other first rounders who eventually helped lead the Canes back to national prominence.
Golden has spent the past year-and-change talking about “the process” and what it’d take to get the Miami program back on top.
One would have to believe that his 300-plus-page binder “Deserve Victory” had a whole chapter dedicated to the rebuild – and it starts with a cornerstone piece like The Duke. – C.B.