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.