Thug Who?

I saw this mentioned in another blog and online this weekend and wanted to make note of it. With all the bad press The U gets from the national media outlets, you’d expect them to throw the program the occasional bone with some good coverage. Nah.

It was announced over the weekend that the University of Miami led the ACC with the most student athletes on the All-Academic Team. G Andrew Bain, OT Jason Fox, TE Greg Olsen, PK Jon Peattie, S Kenny Phillips, LB Darryl Sharpton, WR Sam Sheilds and C Anthony Wollschlager were the eight Canes who were honored.

Miami’s eight selection trumped both Boston College and Duke, two programs thought to be academic powerhouses. The Eagles and Blue Devils had six each, with Florida State next in line with their four.

To be eligible, the player must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the fall semester or have held down a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.

“I guess we’re not a football factory anymore. We’re an academic factory now,” said head coach Randy Shannon. “You have to give a lot of credit to our academic staff. This university and football program attract a lot of great student-athletes that will be successful in life, and we are proud of that.”

I wouldn’t go as far as calling The U an ‘academic factory’ but Shannon’s point is well taken. Miami does places a priority on academics and even football players are expected to hold down their own in the classroom, as well as on the field.

In 2005, the University of Miami recorded an 87% NCAA Football Graduation Rate. The U has exceeded the average (70% graduation rate) among football student athletes in nine of the past 15 seasons and has exceeded the national graduation rate for American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) member schools 13 of 15 years.

Miami’s 84.2% AFCA graduation rate in 2004 absolutely dwarfed the national average of 58%.

Choke on that critics and haters.

IN OTHER NEWS: Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe has been granted a sixth year of eligibility. Sharpe was the freshman corner who was jobbed on the bogus PI call on Chris Gamble, giving the Luckeyes a second chance and costing Miami back-to-back titles against Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

Sharpe was a Carol City standout who came to The U with big plans as the next great corner. He suffered a season-ending knee injury seven games into his sophomore season (2003) and returned for the first two games of 2004, only to discover that the knee wasn’t completely healed. Sharpe received a medical redshirt and before he could mount a comeback in 2005, he tore his right ACL during summer workouts. He spent the entire season and off-season rehabbing and getting back to playing shape for 2006.

With only two and a half full seasons of NCAA football under his belt, Sharpe has more than earned a sixth year of eligibility and will hopefully become that mature team leader who can bolster a talented and energetic Miami secondary. Welcome back, Glenn.

.:Canes305:.

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