Where there have been some characters with character issues at the University of Miami as of late, that wasn’t the case Sunday afternoon at the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, North Carolina.
UM sent two of its best north for the road trip – running back Mike James and cornerback Brandon McGee. Two seniors with strong character and two guys that could weather the media storm based on all that’s surrounded Miami this past year.
Not only did these two Canes embrace the media, but they maintained composure, smiled, laughed and backed both head coach Al Golden, and UM as their program.
“We really don’t pay much attention to a lot of other people’s expectations,” said McGee. “Our expectations come from within the team. … We definitely think we’re better than a 6-6 [in 2011] team, and we hold ourselves to that standard.
“We have a lot of great safeties. … The young guys, all of them are coming together and moving forward. It’s like when a deaf person loses their hearing, their sight becomes better. That’s the approach we’re taking. When you lack in one place you just make up for it in another.”
James stated that Golden is a “man of his word” and referred to his coach as an “awesome man”, while McGee let it be know that Golden’s word is his bond and that he is a man who makes ethical decisions, earning all of McGee’s trust and belief. Both reiterated that both they and their teammates see Golden as a man of impeccable morals.
Regarding the newbies, James praised five-star running back Randy ‘Duke’ Johnson, describing him as “phenomenal” while McGee spoke openly about five-star cornerback Tracy Howard and the freshman’s desire to learn the position, while picking the senior’s brain.
The downside of this ACC gathering came Monday when the preseason poll was released and the media pegged Miami near the bottom of the Coastal Division. Again, Virginia Tech was a landslide favorite, followed by Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia. Miami was fifth, with Duke in dead last.
This is the lowest the Canes have ever been picked in the Coastal since joining the ACC in 2004 while Florida State was picked first in the Atlantic.
Thankfully these games will be determined on the field, and not in the press box. Miami welcomes Virginia Tech in a nationally televised Thursday night showdown (11/1), as well as North Carolina (10/13), but hits the road for Georgia Tech (9/22) and Virginia (11/10). The Canes showdown with rival Noles will also take place in Miami (10/20), where UM will honor the twenty-five year anniversary of the 1987 National Champion squad.
IN OTHER NEWS : Regarding the rumors swirling around offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, Coach Golden has finally spoken out and while the senior returned late to summer session, no suspension is in order and Henderson will be with the team when practice kicks off in the coming weeks.
“It’s not good from an academic standpoint, but I think he’s grown up,” Golden said. “I know he’s made a lot of progress off the field. He’s under 340 pounds. This kid was 388 pounds when he first arrived, nearing 400 during the Sun Bowl in December of 2010.
“Why is that significant? I don’t think you can lose that much weight if you haven’t bought into nutrition, if you haven’t bought into discipline, if you haven’t bought into the work ethic and the regimen. I think what he’s starting to understand is that process is going to allow him to be productive and what’s going to allow him to have longevity in his career. I think he’s starting to understand that.”