National Signing Day wrapped 72 hours ago and for the Hurricanes, a bit anticlimactic opposed to the last few years.
Head coach Al Golden and staff welcomed 21 new kids to the program—all of which deserve a hearty, “Welcome To The U”—while the recruiting-themed sites continue grading out the class and projecting what this means for the struggling program.
Needs were met regarding offensive line, while some important additions were made on the defensive line and in the secondary. Miami also picked up a few last-minute kids, though the focus will remain on too many that got away late.
Covering N.S.D. was once a labor of love, but turned into a grind over the past few years. While seven-loss seasons and good-night-great classes have snuffed out that flame, sitting here in reflection-mode days later, the bigger issue is an overall process that simply doesn’t feel like the Canes of old. Something has been lost.
Watching and re-watching “The U Part 2” over the past few months, the Butch Davis factor has been front and center, as the former Canes coach was a beast of a recruiter and set the program up for next-level success before bolting to Cleveland prior to the 2001 season. Miami’s cupboard was full and the pipeline to the NFL was intact.
Still, bigger than Butch—the type of players that were flocking to a down-and-out program. Kids who wanted to be part of the rebuilding process; cementing their legacies as the guys who brought Miami back.
I wrote about soon after the sequel aired on ESPN in December, but the image of Ed Reed talking about that 47-0 nothing loss at Florida State in 1997—vehemently stating he didn’t come to UM for that kind of failure—while other players of that era echoed the sentiment.
Reed has since won a Super Bowl, been to a handful of Pro Bowls and will reach the NFL Hall Of Fame—yet a decade-and-a-half later, he’s still as sick over that beat down by the Seminoles as he was in the moment.
Same to be said for former linebacker Jon Vilma when discussing the Robbery In The Desert and the *loss* to Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Conversely, too many Hurricanes seemed content with 6-7 last year—telling the media that it’s a process and that Miami was always one to two plays away from winning every game. Losing has become acceptable, as long as there’s an explanation and answer to the “why”—which keeps a program bogged down in the status quo and never breaking through.
Months back allCanes went into the lab with the desire to create a new original tee—rooted in that State Of Miami mentality that Howard Schnellenberger berthed over three decades ago.
The legendary coach had been in-store to sign copies of his new book and his presence served as a reminder of the way it used to be and what it took to get from the bottom to the top.
Anyone at those sessions saw Coach’s passion for the game, love for the program and an infectious aura. We recalled his desire to put a fence around the tri-city area—north to Orlando, southwest towards Daytona Beach and everything below.
Putting it all together, we came up with The State Of Miami—a tee that we planned to sit on until the ship was properly righted, but have since released as a rallying cry to shift the focus back to the proper formula and blueprint for success.
When you think of greats like Melvin Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith or Brian Blades—all local guys who got on board with a nobody hometown program in 1983, despite the negative recruiting and push to leave town for bigger and better.
It took a different breed of player to ignore the outside noise, to believe in the process—forward-thinking and focused on the long-term success, opposed to short-term gains; which is precisely what it will take to return UM to the top.
We could’ve waited a year to release The State Of Miami, as the 2016 class has a handful of verbal commitments from solid local kids—but by releasing it now, we’re hoping it has a grassroots impact.
We want this shirt on the backs of those kids who are on board for next year—and on display for any kids thinking Miami. Furthermore, we want all past South Florida-bred Hurricane greats wearing this shirt on the main stage—using their reach and platform to remind everyone they stayed home and worked their way to the top of the football universe.
As each generation passes, oral tradition is the only way to keep tradition alive. Today’s Hurricanes didn’t see the Decade Of Dominance in person and these freshmen were toddlers as Miami rolled to that last national title in 2001.
Old schoolers, get on board and remind these kids what it takes to succeed at the ultimate levels—while showing them the benefits of staying home and putting one’s city back on the map.
For any who think this is a cash-grab or marketing ploy, don’t buy the shirt. Seriously. $17.99-a-pop isn’t keeping the lights on or the doors open. This tee was created out of a passion for this program and if it can sway one recruit, serve as a reminder or change one kid’s mind—then it’s all worth it.
Tired of seeing too many good ones leaving town and ready to see the hometown team dominating again. It really is that simple.
“The State Of MiamI” is currently available. Click here to order.