Recruiting class of 2019: How the Canes are fairing

The Miami Hurricanes Football Team has 16 oral commitments and a class rated 14th nationally by the Rivals. The Canes hosted a group of top prospects during its annual marquee Paradise Camp last July 28.

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For the position of quarterback, most of the focus remains on Michael Johnson, the Oregon-based athlete, as the Canes’ chances might have increased slightly. Johnson’s father coaches in Oregon, and the team had just received a commitment from a different quarterback, but this shouldn’t be a problem for Johnson and the Canes’, as the athlete reportedly enjoyed his official visit in UM. The quarterback expressed his fondness for the team and the staff saying, “I loved my official to Miami and I love the staff more and more every time.” To have Johnson in the team, the Canes need to beat out LSU, FSU, Penn State, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Arizona State, and Oregon.

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The Canes have an oral commitment from three-star Marcus Crowley, a running back who averaged 6.3 yards per carry (190 attempts, 1200 yards) with six touchdowns the previous season at Trinity Christian in Jacksonville. The running back has offers from Georgia, Florida, UCLA, and Virginia Tech.

Jeremiah Payton, a four-star receiver, has orally committed to the Canes. Payton is a receiver from Fletcher High in Neptune, and ESPN rates him 53rd among all players in this recruiting class, and sixth among receivers. Fishbein regards him as one of the two or three best receivers in the state.

Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, is an avid supporter of the Miami Hurricanes. For more updates on the Canes, head over to this blog.

Five things about Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt

His accomplishments at the University of Miami and his previous schools are all well-documented, but there other things about Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt that deserve to be revealed. Here are some of them.

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High school star and backup to a legend

He grew up in South Florida, a star quarterback for Boca Raton High School in the 1970s. He then went to the University of Miami, serving as the backup quarterback to Jim Kelly, deemed one of the best QBs to play for the team.

Mentored and exceeded expectations

Quarterbacks coach Earl Morrall mentored Richt, who still amassed almost 1,500 passing yards despite limited playing time. The 1980 team finished 9-3 (ranked 18th in the country) while the 1981 team finished 9-2 (ranked 8th).

Offensive coordinator role

In 1994, he became offensive coordinator for the Florida State Seminoles, whom he worked for since the start of his coaching career in 1985. Florida State was in the nation’s top five for scoring offenses in five out of the seven seasons that he was the offensive coordinator.

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Appeared on the Wheaties box and a movie

General Milles featured Richt and the Georgia football program on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box in 2006. The coach also appeared in the movie Facing the Giants as the former coach of the movie’s main character, Grant Taylor.

Religion

He’s a devout Christian while his staff is a mix of different religious backgrounds.

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor who is pushing for the empowerment of medical organizations such as the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF). He is also a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes football program. More articles on the Canes here.

How good was Shane Larkin for the Hurricanes?

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An interesting trivia about former Hurricanes star Shane Larkin was that his first love was baseball. He was primed to excel in the sport, having joined a coach-pitch league at the tender age of seven. But his coach didn’t like his swing, and the young Shane didn’t understand. It was enough to shift his focus to another game, one he felt he could dominate, sans a coach who didn’t approve of his posture. 

By 2009, with future Canes coach Jim Larrañaga watching curiously in the sidelines, the then-committed, young basketball player stole a pass from a three-man fast break, which he was the only guy left to defend. The fiery coach immediately saw a bright future for the 5’11 guard with great basketball smarts. Pretty soon, he was offering Larkin a scholarship at George Mason University.

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Things didn’t pan out for the young Larkin, who wanted to go to a school closer to home. How convenient then that Larrañaga—the guy who first saw his potential and in whom Larkin had complete trust—had just been named new coach of the Miami Hurricanes. The rest is Canes basketball history.

Shane was already an elite point guard when he entered the Canes program in 2011. And by 2013, he had already led Miami to the top of the ACC, a clutch player who can make shots almost at will and a solid defender too, reminiscent to many of the NBA’s Chris Paul. That regular season, he averaged 13 points, four assists, and four rebounds. He would go on to be picked 18th by the Atlanta Hawks in the same year’s NBA draft and will be remembered as one of the best ball handlers the Canes program has ever seen.

Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, supports the medical organization Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) in its advocacy of putting an end to chronic neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. He also avidly follows the Miami Hurricanes. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Best running back duos who ever wore the Miami Hurricanes Uniform

In American football, gaining yards is everything.  That’s why there are positions that are filled in solely to advance farther into the field.  And while there’s great hype about wide receivers, there’s still a great deal of attention when it comes to running back duos.  And the great Miami Hurricanes has had some of the best RB duos in college football history.  Here are some of the Canes’ best running back duos in history.

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Alonzo Highsmith and Melvin Bratton

During the mid-80s, Bratton and Highsmith provided an explosive offense for the Hurricanes and are considered two of the finest running backs in the university’s history.  During the 1983 championship season, Highsmith had a record of reaching almost 2,000 yards and completed 25 touchdowns in four years.  Bratton, on the other hand, showed his backfield versatility, running close to 2,400 yards and helping Miami win the national championship in 1987.  The two working together resulted in an 11-1 season in 1986.

James Jackson and Clinton Porti

Jackson was known for his rushing prowess with almost 3,000 yards to his name.  And while he was already sensational on his own, it was his tandem with Portis in 2001 that helped the team capture its fifth title.  2000 was their highlight season as both made a combined 1,500 yards rushing and in the receiving end.

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Javarris James and Graig Cooper

Though the Cane’s run in the mid to late 2000s wasn’t that spectacular, James and Cooper performed brilliantly and consistently.  From 2007 to 2009, the duo rushed 3,500 years combined. 

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor and avid supporter of the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF). He is also a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes basketball and football teams. For similar reads, click here.  

The Mark Richt Football Camp: An Introduction

The Mark Richt Football Camp, LLC takes place at the home of the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Florida, with the objective of teaching the fundamentals and skills of the game. Here, the Miami coaching staff – led by Coach Mark Richt – will get assistance from current student-athletes as well as other university and college divisions coaches to instill and harness the love for the game among young participants.

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Lending prestige to this summer football camp is the unique opportunity to work with some of the best teachers that football has to offer young enthusiasts. With a 12:1 student to teacher ratio, every participant gets the chance to excel while getting to know other classmates along with professors. The training will be centrally located at the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence and the Greentree Practice Fields, a 34,oo0-sq.ft.-facility that serves as the ‘Canes training facility.

The 2018 football camp recently wrapped up with four sessions on campus last June. The June 13 session focused on five-year-olds through rising 6th graders, with a $20 per camper cost that included a Mark Richt Football Camp t-shirt and lunch. The June 14 to 16 sessions targeted rising 7th and 8th graders, 9th and 10th graders, and 11th and 12th graders, with a $60 cost that included an Adidas TechFit shirt and lunch.

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It’s not just the best value in training on campus where the 5-time national champions reside and thrive, but the singular prestige of learning with the best and most celebrated coaches and teachers.

Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, actively supports the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) in its quest to develop treatments for various neurological diseases. He is a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes football team and the sport in general. For similar reads, click here.

Remember To Visit These National Parks When Heading East

National parks are great weekend escapes for city dwellers, travel enthusiasts, and students who are ready to explore the wild.  Almost all the national parks in the United States are worth visiting.  Yet for visitors who are heading to the East, here are three of the national parks they can explore and enjoy.

Congaree National Park

The Congaree National Park is located in South Carolina and is the largest hardwood forest that survives—to this day—in the eastern periphery of the United States.  The perpetual flooding in the area results in more than bald Cypress trees and Spanish moss, which makes it perfect for birds and wildlife spotting.  The park, set in an area of 22,000 acres, is a home for otters, alligators, bobcats, deer, and a vast variety of birds.  It offers great access to hikers down the 7km long Western Lake Loop Trail.  The Kingsnake Trail, which is 19k long, is heaven for sighting birds.

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Everglades National Park

Astoundingly huge at 1.5million acres, the Everglades National Park is the largest sub-tropical chunk of wilderness in the whole of United States.  It is a huge reserve that consists of mangroves and sawgrass.  Visitors can move around in small boats through small channels.  Walls of high grass tower on either side.

Acadia National Park

Acadia is the first and premier national park of the East and is the most dramatic one that Maine has in store for its tourists.  Cadillac Mountain and Bar Harbor offer different attractions, yet are equally astonishing.  However, the Otter Cliff is considered the main attraction, standing at 34m high, making it a headland tallest than any north of Rio.

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Dywer and Associates works on preserving and restoring natural habitats by supporting the further expansion of the country’s national park system. For more posts like this, click here.

Interesting Basketball Trivia For The Sports Junkie

It’s every man’s sport, and if this doesn’t hold true then basketball remains an athletic pursuit of unparalleled popularity and mass appeal. Here are some interesting basketball facts and trivia, especially for fellow huge supporters of Miami teams like the Miami Hurricanes.

History and rules

Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith, who also was a P.E. teacher from Springfield, Massachusetts. It was borne out of the desire to keep his gym class busy while it was raining outside. Originally, two teams made up of nine players played the game – a number anchored on the standard number of players on a baseball team. Obviously, the teams were later reduced to having five players each.

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Basketball superstars

Michael Jordan had a so-called “love of the game” clause in his contract, and this effectively allowed him to play basketball against anyone, anytime, and practically anywhere. Tim Duncan, on the other hand, grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he was preparing for the 1992 Olympics as a competitive swimmer, until a hurricane destroyed the only Olympic-sized pool on the island. He was left with the option to swim in the ocean, but there was one problem: he was afraid of sharks.

Historic brawls

The Pacers-Piston game on Nov. 19, 2004 marked the most infamous fight that broke out in the NBA. It involved a massive brawl among players and spectators, where the league suspended nine players and had to deal with $11 million in lost earnings. Five fans, on the other hand, were slapped with criminal charges and were banned from Piston home games forever.

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Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, encourages everyone to give the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) continued support because it is working on key research to improve the diagnosis, management, and treatment options for these illnesses. He is a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes basketball team. Learn more about great American sports on this page.

A Review: Miami Hurricanes 2017-18 Basketball Season

The 2017-18 basketball season for the Miami Hurricanes is marked by a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, despite the coaching staff and team braving the odds, injuries, and many distractions during the journey. But it’s not one without valuable lessons to bring into the seasons they will face.

The team came into the season as number 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, as well as number 13 in the Associated Press Top 25. They leveraged on a weak non-conference schedule and gallantly worked their way to a 10-0 start to the season. Part of the winning streak is an 86-81 win they had on the road against Minnesota during the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. UM also manage to clobber Pittsburgh at home as well as Virginia Tech on the road in January.

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Add this to the fact that there trudged along with a limited Lonnie Walker IV, the freshman who was still working his way back into the game after an offseason knee surgery.

The season may not have emerged with the ideal results, but it’s another teaching moment for head coach Jim Larrañaga and his staff in their unyielding quest to build a winning program. For one, it enjoyed significant contributions from the freshman squad of Bruce Brown Jr., DJ Vasiljevic, and Dewan Huell, as well as an exciting game element in the form of point guard Chris Lykes.

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Amid the spirit of resiliency, UM has to grapple with a number of negatives from the season, such as its spate of injuries, inconsistent shooting, recruiting shortcomings, and underperforming for much of the season.

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor and avid supporter of the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF). He is also a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes basketball and football teams. Similar reads on this page.

Great National Parks In The U.S. To Visit With Your Kids

While many parks and reserves in the U.S. are great for the family, not all of them are child-friendly, especially those that are riddled with difficult and steep trails. Listed below are some of the best parks to visit for that bonding with your kids and with nature.

Arches National Park

What makes this Utah park most alluring for family visits is that it’s very accessible. Kids will not complain about the distance of the trails much, as the 36-mile loop will already have visitors witnessing the park’s main sights. Kids will love the numerous sandstone arch formations that look like spires and domes, especially since some of them are climbable. Make sure to visit Delicate Arch, the most-photographed monolith jutting out at the corner of a cliff like the feet of a giant or a portal to some magical place.

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Yellowstone National Park

This famed park is more than just Old Faithful. Kids will love seeing the geyser for sure, as well as the wildlife of bison and wolves, but the park has many programs in place specifically catering to kids, from studying the site’s thermal features while playing with laser guns to tracking earthworms. There’s plenty to do here to keep the kids happy and occupied when the excitement about the scenery has passed.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This is the perfect place to bring the children to witness swarms of fireflies as well as 30 species of salamanders. The 500,000-acre park that straddles North Carolina and Tennessee offers ranger- or naturalist-guided training for kids who want to get closer to the various species of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals that call the reserve their home. You can enroll the children in the Smoky Mountain Field School, or even have their try playing junior rangers.

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Dwyer and Associates will always be for preservation of biomes and other natural environments that exist within national parks. More writings on national parks in the U.S. here.

Children Will Love These National Park Adventures

American novelist Wallace Stegner was right when he said: “National parks are the best idea we ever had.” Here are some of the best delectable adventures for children in store in the country’s well-preserved national parks.

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First on the list is to become a Junior Ranger, a program that enables children to earn badges or patches for completing fun activities. There are other programs for youth, including the Junior Paleontologist program, which teaches kids about fossils at Badlands National Park, and Young Scientists for probing the area around Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park.

Kids can also have a crash course in geology. Arches National Park in Utah boasts of the richest concentration of arch and “window” formations worldwide, from the Double Arch (two huge arches sharing a common support column) to the Fiery Furnace (a warren of passageways between stone fins and walls, best for guided hikes).

No one’s too young for an adrenaline rush, too. Have the children take a scenic helicopter ride such as the North Canyon Tour, a 30-minute aerial tour of the Grand Canyon, or have them go sledding on a sand dune onboard snow saucers at New Mexico’s White Sands.

They can also make their park visit a learning opportunity with the wealth of events, classes, and activities available on schedule. Celebrations like the National Hispanic Heritage Month teach them a thing or two about appreciating cultural diversity, while they can join fun online classes, such as following the lives of Brooks River brown bears on the internet.

Image source: NationalGeographic.com

Dwyer & Associates believes in the conservation of national parks and will always be protective of these scenic beauties. For similar reads, visit this page.

Miami Hurricanes Trivia To Enjoy

History, statistics, coaches, and players, and anything under the sun – welcome to the Miami Hurricanes world, where college football is at its best and legends are born. Here are some fun-filled facts and trivia to enjoy.

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What’s the name of the award given each season to Miami’s MVP? It’s the Jack Harding Award. Harding came to the Hurricanes in 1937, serving 11 years as head coach and directing the athletic department from 1948 to 1963. Every year, the award goes to the Most Valuable Player on the football team. It’s been given since 1964 and selected by players and coaches alike.

Which Miami quarterback never threw for 400 yards in a single game? That would be Vinny Testaverde. And who didn’t attend the University of Miami? That would be Willie McGinest, who attended USC. Then there’s Edgerrin James, who rushed for 299 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner with only 50 seconds left, during the 1998 upset victory over then BCS number two UCLA. The game was initially scheduled for early September but was rescheduled for Dec 5 due to Hurricane George.

Then there’s the coaching side. Butch Davis coached the 2000 Miami Hurricanes and was known as among the best Miami recruiters there ever was. Jimmy Johnson led the 1987 National Championship team of the Canes, while Howard Schnellenberger was the coach of the 1983 National Championship team.

Sebastian, the official mascot for the University of Miami, is an ibis, and it represents bravery and being the last to hide during a hurricane, the first to come out of shelter. The Hurricane dancers are called The Sunsations, who perform not just at Canes’ football and basketball games but also at charitable and community service events.

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Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor who is an ardent supporter of the Miami Hurricanes. More articles on the Canes here.

Come And Visit The Volcanoes National Park

Adventurous spirits who haven’t visited Hawaii are missing out on a lot. There are a hundred things to do in Hawaii for those who love nature. And there are very few places like it on earth.

Image source:NPS.gov

One of the places that’s sure to attract the attention not just of nature lovers, but also of thrill seekers, geologists, volcanologists, and researchers all around the world is the Volcanoes National Park. This national park proves that there is more to Hawaii than just world-class beaches.

The Volcanoes National Park can be found on Big Island, and it is home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world – Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The protected part of the park extends from sea level all the way up to Mauna Loa’s peak. There’s a trail that takes visitors through Mauna Loa’s barren lava landscape. Many guests are surprised to feel the chill in the night air, being beside a volcano and all. It’s also important to remember that people who plan to venture through the Mauna Loa trail should be fit enough to do some high-altitude, low-oxygen treks.

Image source: NPS.gov

For a less physically demanding time, the Kilauea trail is easier, but no less scenic than that of Mauna Loa. Although most of the adventure will be done in a motor vehicle, there are still plenty of things to do such as see Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road. There are tourist spots such as museums and information centers where people can learn a great deal about the Volcanoes National Park.

Dwyer and Associates advocates the preservation of the planet through conservation of national parks. For more articles on the grandeur of national parks, click here.

Introducing The Offensive Breakout Hurricanes For This Season

Last year, the Miami Hurricanes ended the season with a three-game losing spell, which makes matters worse when considering a win against the Pitt would have afforded them a spot in the College Football Playoff despite their outcome against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

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DeeJay Dallas 

DeeJay Dallas put on extra pounds in the weight room this spring in hopes of becoming a stronger, more durable player. Dallas’s workload is set to increase this year, and he is doing all the right things to prove he’s a good bet to become one of the team’s stars. As the Hurricanes hope to take advantage of a strong quarterback play by Malik Rosier, a favorable rushing attack can assist the team in making a comeback as one of the conference’s premier teams; the team hopes Dallas can make it happen.

Lawrence Cager 

Despite the Hurricanes losing the game Wisconsin, Lawrence Cager set careers highs in receptions (4) and receiving yardage (76) while scoring. Conclusively recruited out of high school, and receiving offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, and Ohio State, Cager had impressive stats in 2015 and is only increasing those as he progresses in the game. 

Jeff Thomas 

Jeff Thomas is a speedy and versatile player. As a freshman, the wide receiver made 17 catches for 374 yards and a touchdown, which made him the Hurricane’s fourth-leading receiver in yardage. The exits of Christopher Herndon IV and Braxton Berrios can prove to be an excellent opportunity for players like Thomas to step up to the plate. 

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Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor who is an ardent supporter of the Miami Hurricanes football team. For more updates about the Hurricanes, visit this blog.