One of the greatest safeties in college football history, Reed twice earned first-team All-America honors while guiding the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001Led the Hurricanes to four consecutive bowl victories, ending career with perfect 12-0 record and 2001 national championship win over Nebraska2001 BIG EAST Defensive Co-Player NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? He had the respect of those players. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Williams Among the numerous stars on the 2001 Miami squad were: quarterback Ken Dorsey; running backs Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Najeh Davenport, and Frank Gore; tight end Jeremy Shockey; wide receiver Andre Johnson; offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie; defensive linemen Jerome McDougle, William Joseph, and Vince Wilfork; linebackers Jonathan Vilma and D.J. He didn't want it to be close. Some of our most beloved Canes shared a meeting room in 2001. Davis The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. That goes for everybody. All I could think as I looked on from the press box was, "I can't believe they're about to blow this," knowing full well a trip to the national championship and the Rose Bowl was on the line. Wayne and Moss were Seniors on that . (gofundme.com) The 2022-23 Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team represents the University of Miami during the 2022-23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by twelfth-year head coach Jim Larraaga, they play their home games at the Watsco Center on the university's campus in Coral Gables, Florida as members of the Atlantic . Internships They pushed each other to the limit, and the one thing that separates that group, they were super, super competitive. I have covered more national champions since 2001 Miami that could make their own claim, too. Fitzgerald The Hurricanes began the season with a nationally televised primetime win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. At that point, euphoric adrenaline runs over you. 1.". But when you play a team like that, you can't turn the ball over, and I think we ended up throwing four interceptions. As of 2013, they had earned a combined total of 43 trips to the Pro Bowl: Ed Reed (9), Andre Johnson (7), Frank Gore (5), Vince Wilfork (5), Jeremy Shockey (4), Jonathan Vilma (3), Willis McGahee (2), Chris Myers (2), Clinton Portis (2), Antrel Rolle (2), Sean Taylor (2), Bryant McKinnie (1), and Kellen Winslow II (1). My knee went between my hands, and hit the tip of the ball and it flipped to Matt Walters. That [last] interception was by Ed Reed. . Rumph He was right. To solidify going to a national championship without having to worry about if somebody else was going to lose -- that was special. "They were really good, but I told Reggie, 'Yeah, you guys were fast and athletic, and we were equally fast and athletic," Vilma recalled recently. If you look at the film, at the last second as he's falling to the ground, he looks up to see if it's Ed, and he lets the ball go. It seems like that every year. Walters ran ten yards with the ball before teammate Ed Reed grabbed the ball out of his hands at around the Miami 20-yard line and raced the remaining 80-yards for a touchdown. In all, 17 players from the team became first-round draft picks, and 38 players would be drafted, with stars like Vilma, Reed, Shockey, Wilfork and Portis earning multiple Pro Bowl bids. All rights reserved I couldn't get off the ground fast enough to go give him a hug. Nobody was too "big time" for anything. And whenever you do stuff like that, you believe you're going to win. I grew up in South Florida, and watched the previous four Miami national champions closely. Of course, Miami players are going to take up for their own team and scream from the rooftops that 2001 Miami is the GOAT. Brown, who played for the Hurricanes' baseball team from 1998-2001, is the No . The debate over the greatest team in college football history will never end, and that is one of things we love so much about sports. [4] Chudzinski Soon, that entire mentality took hold across the entire team. Gonzalez Dorsey Meanwhile, the stifling Miami defense shut down Heisman-winner Eric Crouch and the Huskers vaunted option offense, holding Nebraska 200 yards below its season average. I'd been at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for years and we'd never beaten [Nebraska]. And when he spoke, the coaches listened. Portis ran for 9.923 career yards and 75 touchdowns for Washington and the Denver Broncos while making two Pro Bowl rosters. You're gonna to fight. All rights reserved. And as a coach, you almost never want that -- guys on the ground, just a couple days before the game. McGahee single handedly beat the Florida Gators in 2002 rushing for over 200 yards in the contest. This past January, I sat in the press box at Hard Rock Stadium in the most bizarre setting for a national championship game, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. I never expected it to be a blowout. Find out more. It was so scary. Media Requests The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. Romberg Truly perfected that.". Cleveland scored . Adversity hit shortly after the calendar turned to 2001, when coach Butch Davis left to become head coach with the Cleveland Browns. Davenport went on to a seven year NFL career with the Packers, Steelers, and Colts, while averaging 4.6 yards per rush and scoring 13 touchdowns as a pro. Sterling, sadly, had. In interviews with players and coaches, here . They would challenge each other to sprints, or whatever it was, and they held each other accountable and would not accept mediocrity. 13. Gore has been named to five Pro Bowl rosters and has ran for 14,028 yards over his career. I was tired. That's to win the national championship. We look at each other, like how the hell did we do this? When Butch left, we were kinda stuck, and I remember we all went upstairs to talk to Mr. Dee, myself, Bryant McKinnie, Ed Reed, Ken Dorsey and a couple more guys. We were trying to showcase how tough we were. He was leading stuff, telling guys what to do, up and down the court with the ball in his hands, and you could just see this guy had that magical feel for how to play team games. We didn't know it was going to come down to a 2-point conversion, but the football Gods were with us on that day, and that kid dropped that ball. Before we even went to the game, we made "Ballin Boys." You could feel the crowd; you could feel the anger that we had, and how bad we wanted to beat them. As did what happened in October, when Miami -- ranked No. I'll never forget, he said he really liked our team. We were mentally driven. Joaquin said dominate, and we're not doing it! After a blocked punt returned for a touchdown cut Miami's lead to 26-24, Virginia Tech lined up for a 2-point conversion to tie the game. The motivation of being upset and disappointed, that played a huge role in going to the Sugar Bowl and what we did against Florida to make a statement that we probably should've been the champs. Two weeks later, the game everybody in the locker room had circled on the calendar had finally arrived: Washington. Coker Not a lot needed to be said. 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On the field in front of me, Alabama beat down Ohio State to close a 13-0 season with three Heisman Trophy finalists on offense -- including winner DeVonta Smith. Frank Gore was also on the 2001 national title Hurricanes roster. Can the Lions fix their defense? He made things happen. A lot of people don't know how close that was, but he was a huge leader for us, and he wasn't coming out of that game. Download Our App. I say five minutes into the game, they knew in their hearts that they were going to be outclassed and outmatched. Behind Portis were Gore, McGahee and Payton with Davenport blocking for. I think the next year, we had the mindset that, no matter what happens, we have to take care of business. We all had our careers that take off from there, but from my eyes, I was like, "What now?" Chudzinski When I look back at our workouts, and the pressure that we put on each other of not letting each other down, there was so much pressure that I would think twice about skipping a workout, I would think twice about skipping a rep, I would think twice about letting my brother down because there was so much invested into it. Portis was an even bigger weapon in the NFL over his nine year career. MIAMI, Fla. - Matthew Cleveland scored a last second three-pointer of the game to lead the Seminoles to an 85-84 victory over the top ranked Miami Hurricanes at the Watsco Center. A stacked defensive line room, with Vince Wilfork as a backup, too. If you dominate your responsibility and enough guys do that, then we'll be OK. A lot of people don't understand the context. "Those guys were not just NFL players. After the close win over Boston College, Miami went on to win over #14 Syracuse, 590,[12] and #12 Washington, 657,[13] in consecutive weeks in the Orange Bowl. In addition, Vilma, Shockey, Wilfork, Joseph, Rolle, McKinnie, and Reed have won the Super Bowl. Washington had beaten Miami the year before, but in 2001, it looked as if the Huskies wanted to be anywhere but playing in prime time in the Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes gleefully kept their foot on the gas to prove a point. The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Larry Coker and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. / That 2001 Miami team, led by head coach Larry Coker in his first season, went undefeated and had just two games finish within 20 points. No. University of Miami 2023. Shannon There are vivid moments that stand out to me that season. After suffering a gruesome injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, McGahee entered the 2003 NFL Draft knowing he would have to sit out a season to rehab. I knew we'd have a good team, but there were a lot of questions because of the coaching changes. Reed has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You go into the locker room and everybody is just elated. And we're in the buses going right through this wave of red, and it seemed like they all flipped us off in unison. That truly goes to show how much trust we had, for him to hear my voice and give me the ball. Here's a look at 2001 Miami and 2017 . We knew what we had on paper, but to see how we were dominating, and the energy we produced in such a hostile environment, it was like, "OK, wow, we are who we think we are.". McGahee played in the NFL from 2003-2013 including the year of rehab in 2003. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history. You had Sean Taylor behind him. Williams * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). In the NFL he only ran for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns over his one year career. S Ed Reed There will be unsung heroes picking up blitzes. Vince Wilfork, Frank Gore, Kellen Winslow, Sean Taylor -- they were all NFL first-rounders and they were all back-ups on that team. Mario Cristobal has not only flipped the roster following his first season in Coral Gables he's been busy tinkering with his coaching staff, too. Nevertheless, Miami was left with a bitter sense of disappointment, believing they had been deprived of a shot at a potential national championship. Walters Beamer Rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: Top prospects at every position from Kiper, McShay, Miller, Reid, Kiper's new Big Board rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: Top 25 prospects, Syracuse QB Shrader to miss spring practice, Sources: Asst. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Fundraiser : The UM Sports Hall of Fame Needs U! They had confidence. Rumph When it came time for the 2001 Miami Hurricanes to do their summer workouts, they had one plan in mind: Make it as grueling as possible. Williams It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. Instead, they played their backups and won 37-14, a score that does not reflect the sheer dominance of that game. Williams He didn't want it to be close at all. Prior to the 2006 Rose Bowl, ESPN's SportsCenter ran a special in which the 2005 USC Trojans, led by stars Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White, were compared with the greatest college teams of the past 50 years, as picked by sports fans voting on ESPN.com, to determine their place in history. We knew we were good, and when we got out there and played on Saturdays, the people we went against were not as good as the guys we had on our scout team. He was that father figure we were all afraid to disappoint. It was cold. February 26, 2023 11:32 AM. They're driving to win, the whole stadium thought they were about to win. .mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}. Terms of Service A lot of what we did, Butch should get credit for. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. They could have scored a touchdown or kicked a field goal and that season has an asterisk next to it. Dorsey Or write about sports? Take Ed Reed. I had to challenge them, because if not, they're looking at you like, "What is this?" As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Ed Reed, a free safety, is in the Hall of Fame (elected in 2019), and his backup was Sean Taylor, arguably the greatest safety who ever played the game. This was because Miami had lost to No. It was intense. 2001 Miami Hurricanes Record: 12-0, national champions Players: Bryant McKinnie, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed, Clinton Portis, Phillip Buchanon, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Some felt that Miami got snubbed in a chance to compete for the BCS Championship game. The ability to handle situations and adversity. A total of 38 . Going into the locker room after the win at Virginia Tech, it was special. Two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy and nine have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. I mean, he was pretty much automatic for them. I think it was kind of a weight off everybody's shoulders at the end. From there, this iconic team started its journey toward greatness. He was the perfect coach for our team, and his personality just meshed with us. We go to the sideline, and Randy Shannon, after the first series he's like, "Hey, how do they look?" When Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski wanted a more versatile player he went with Davenport. 2 behind Florida -- the team they dismantled in the Sugar Bowl to close out the 2000 season. However, in the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Miami clinging to a 127 lead, BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre led the Eagles from their own 30-yard line all the way down to the Hurricanes' 9-yard line. Their roster was loaded with future first-round picks -- from Andre Johnson to Jeremy Shockey to Vince Wilfork and at least one NFL Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. But Ernest Wilford dropped it. A stacked defensive backs room, with Sean Taylor and Antrel Rolle as backups. So I continue to stick with Miami as the greatest team of all time. Williams Ask Reed about that 2001 team, and he starts not with the championship but with the leadership that drive created. We thought we had a great team, but you don't know until the bullets start flying. Vilma I'd smile every time when I'd see them before the game and say, "Yeah, we're going to go at it. Incognito told me at halftime, their coach basically said, "Guys let's just try to keep this thing close," and he said that right in front of the athletic director. Our physicality wasn't good. After building up a 40 record, Miami won over Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium, 4927,[8] ending the Seminoles' 47-game home unbeaten streak. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The combined 1247 score is an NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents. A lot of people talk about the struggles against Florida State, but we had those struggles against Virginia Tech. I wanted to win the national championship -- we wanted to win the national championship. In my game story, headlined "UM-BELIEVABLE!" We were really dialed in on character, on personality traits, do they love football? Strength coach Andreu Swasey We want somebody from in-house who knows us, and that's Coach Coker." At that point, it was like, all right, the last game then we're going to ship. Were the backups better than the starter? But there were a few things in the contract we were having a difficult time agreeing on. At halftime, Reed delivered his now famous, "I'm hurt, dog" speech and it was captured by a documentary film crew that was working on an all-access show for ESPN. DC Randy Shannon They had no chance of winning that game. The environment was pretty spectacular. Led by quarterback Ken Dorsey, free safety Ed Reed, running back Clinton Portis, wide receiver Andre Johnson, tight end Jeremy Shockey, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Miami won the 2001 national championship. C Brett Romberg Six players earned All-American status and six players were finalists for national awards, including Maxwell Award winner, Ken Dorsey, and Outland Trophy winner, Bryant McKinnie. And I did that, and I was like, "Oh, man, that felt good." OT Bryant McKinnie The way we were able to play, come out firing on all cylinders, was huge. It was a program that was meant to sink or swim guys. Do you have a blog? We blocked a kick and a punt and blocked a field goal that day. Miami beat Florida State 49-27 to remain undefeated, but a bigger test awaited Nov. 10 on a cold day at Boston College. 2001 Miami (FL) Hurricanes Roster Previous Year Next Year Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll Conference: Big East Conference Record: 7-0 Coach: Larry Coker (12-0) Points For: 512 Points/G: 42.7 (3rd of 117) Points Against: 117 More Team Info Miami (FL) School History 2001 Miami (FL) Statistics And obviously you can point out all the talented guys on the team, but at the time, they weren't the biggest recruits and the five-star guys. My AC [joint] was sprained, and everybody came and asked me if I'm hurt. It gives us extra incentive to go out and perform well every week.". They were cracking jokes at us, and they thought that they were gonna just drag us all over the football field and just pound us. Rumph Schumann returning to Georgia, 'It's the most talented team to ever play': An oral history of the 2001 Miami Hurricanes, Miami's turnover chain set a celebratory standard across the college football landscape. Payton spent time in NFL Europe as well as the Canadian Football League. They kept telling us don't listen to our coaches, because we're getting our butts kicked. Read more about our data coverage. There's something about a night game in the Orange Bowl, there's something about that mystique. It has been achieved by the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide football teams and the 2012 Wisconsin Badgers football team. I'm gonna run out of bounds." The year before, Miami lost at Washington 34-29 -- and that loss ultimately kept the Hurricanes out of the national title game they felt they deserved. To go and win the game was quite an experience. Vilma got into a debate several years ago with former USC running back Reggie Bush when the two played for the New Orleans Saints. McGahee also was a consensus All-American in 2002. It was the other intangibles we were looking for.". The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the greatest college football team in college football history. CB Mike Rumph We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. What players and coaches insist set this team apart was their camaraderie, accountability and willingness to do whatever it took to win a championship -- especially those afternoon workouts. But there was never any pressure on anybody because they always thought they were going to get it done. Romberg I told Mike they ought to bronze your knee and put it in the Hall of Fame, because if that didn't happen, we wouldn't have played for a national championship. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. I didn't know at the time that this would be talked about as one of the best teams in college football. ", Flashback Friday pic.twitter.com/qCE9gnzI5E. It goes beyond the talent, which speaks for itself: 38 NFL draft picks, including 17 first-rounders and at least one Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. McGahee didnt have the most prolific career, but the two years he suited up in his orange and green gear were exciting.