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Fifty Fabulous Floridians: Number 2

This article was written for Canespace by SolarCane

As we now edge closer to the grande finale and remaining top 2 athletes that made the Fifty Fabulous Floridians (FFF) That Made Us Proud list I wanted once again to express my appreciation to those bloggers who have commented or debated the list and the rankings of individual athletes on it.

As you know by now we are doing the top five selections one at a time to give them the recognition they truly deserve.  Today we move up to number 2 on the list, and with only the top spot still in question, the selections keep getting even better, yet more difficult.

Here are my brief thoughts on this week's selection Super Bowl champion and FSU star Deion Sanders:

Ultra talented, self confident, charismatic, self promoting, arrogant; he should have been a ‘Cane! Neon Deion is the only athlete in history of pro sports to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same week.  Nine year part time MLB career combined with 14 years in the NFL. Sanders intercepted 53 passes in his NFL career for an unheard of 25 yards per return average. Eight pro bowls, NFL Defensive Player of The Year Regarded as one of the fastest players in NFL history.

# 2 Deion Sanders

Deion Luwynn Sanders Born on August 9, 1967 in Fort Myers, Florida) is a former National Football League cornerback, Major League Baseball outfielder, and is currently an NFL Network commentator. He carries the nicknames "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion".

Sanders is considered one of the most versatile athletes in history because he played two sports at multiple positions. In the NFL he played primarily at cornerback, but also played as a wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens, winning the Super Bowl with the 49ers and Cowboys. In Major League Baseball, he played for the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants. His college career was at Florida State University, where he excelled at both football and baseball.

Biography

 High school years

Sanders attended North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, Florida, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. He was an All-State honoree in all three sports. In 1985, Sanders was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100 year history of high school football in the state of Florida's history.

 College career

Sanders was a star in three sports for Florida State: football, baseball, and track. Beginning his freshman year, he started in the Seminoles' secondary, played outfield for the baseball team that finished fifth in the nation, and helped lead the track and field team to a conference championship.

At Florida State University, under head coach Bobby Bowden, Sanders was a two time consensus All-American cornerback in 1986 and 1987, and a third team All-American in 1988, intercepting 14 passes in his career, including three in bowl games, and managed to return one interception 100 yards for a touchdown. He won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988. He was also a standout punt returner for Florida State, leading the nation in 1988 with his punt return average, and breaking the school's record for career punt return yards. His jersey at Florida State, #2, was retired in 1995.

While playing baseball under head coach Mike Martin, at Florida State, Sanders hit .331 in 1986; he was known more for base stealing, swiping 27 bags in 1987. Sanders would go on to be drafted while in college by the New York Yankees (He also was selected by the Kansas City Royals out of North Fort Myers High School, though he did not sign.)

On one occasion, Sanders played the first game of a baseball doubleheader, ran a leg of a 4x100 relay, then returned to play another baseball game.

 Personal life

Sanders has been married twice — to Carolyn Chambers, with whom he has two children (Deiondra and Deion Jr.), and Pilar Biggers with whom he has 3 children (Shilo, Shedeur and Shelomi). Deion appeared with his family on NBC's new show Celebrity Family Feud which premiered on June 24, 2008.

Other

Although Deion Sanders was ranked fourth on the NFL Network's Top 10 - Fastest Players in NFL History, Sanders lost to Willie Gault in the 1990 Super Stars Competition's 100 yard dash and half mile run.

Deion Sanders posted a 4.1-sec 40-yard dash at his pro-day workout prior to the 1989 NFL Draft. That 4.29-sec time is one of the fastest known 40-yard dash times ever recorded by an NFL player or prospect.

 
MLB career

Sanders played a nine-year, part-time baseball career, playing 641 games with 4 teams. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 6th round of the 1985 draft, but did not sign with them. He was drafted again in 30th round of the 1989 draft by the New York Yankees and signed with team on June 22. Sanders later signed with the Atlanta Braves, and during his most productive year in the majors, the 1992 season, he hit .304 for the team, stole 26 bases, and led the NL with 14 triples in 97 games. During the 1989 season, he hit a major league home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, the only player to ever do so. Sanders is also the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.

In four games of the 1992 World Series, Sanders batted .533 with 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 doubles, and 1 RBI while playing with a broken bone in his foot. Despite Sanders's performance, he and his Braves ultimately lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games.

In 1997, Sanders finished 2nd in the NL with 56 stolen bases in 115 games while with the Cincinnati Reds before leaving baseball for three years. After retiring from the NFL after the 2000 season, Sanders returned to the Reds in 2001, playing in 32 games before retiring from baseball for good.

NFL career

 Atlanta Falcons

Sanders' professional football career started the same year as his baseball career, 1989. He was the fifth pick overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he played until 1993. Sanders returned his first career punt return for a touchdown. During his time in Atlanta, he intercepted 24 passes (including a career high 7 in 1993), three of which he returned for touchdowns. In 1992, he also led the league in kickoff return yards (1,067), yards per return (26.7) and return touchdowns (2). Over his five years with the Falcons, Sanders found his way to the end zone ten times (three defensive, three kick returns, two punt returns, and two receptions).

 

San Francisco 49ers

After five seasons Sanders signed on to play one season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he had arguably his best season as a professional football player, recording six interceptions and returning them for an NFL best 303 yards and three touchdowns. On October 16, 1994, Deion was the big story as he made his dramatic return to the Georgia Dome in a 49er uniform. After getting into a scuffle with his former Falcon teammate Andre Rison, Sanders intercepted a pass from quarterback Jeff George and proceeded to return it 93 yards while mockingly staring down the entire Falcons sideline before high-stepping into the end zone. Sanders was later voted the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and recorded an interception in the 49ers 49–26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.

 
Dallas Cowboys

Following his successful season with the 49ers, Sanders, along with his agent Eugene Parker, proceeded to court numerous teams in need of an All-Pro cornerback. The several teams in the "Deion Sweepstakes," as it was coined by the media, were the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and the Dallas Cowboys, who had lost their starting cornerback Kevin Smith to injury for the rest of the season.

On September 9, 1995 (which happened to fall in Week 2 of that NFL season), Sanders signed a lucrative contract with the Dallas Cowboys (seven years, $35 million with a $12.99 million signing bonus), essentially making him, at the time, the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

He went on to help the Cowboys win their third Super Bowl title in four years in Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he returned a punt for 11 yards and caught a 47-yard reception on offense, setting up Dallas' first touchdown of the game and a 27–17 victory.

 Washington Redskins

After five seasons with the Cowboys, new Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder pursued Sanders along with other high priced free agents Mark Carrier and Bruce Smith. Sanders played one season with the Redskins, having four interceptions before retiring in 2001.

 Baltimore Ravens

In 2004, Sanders announced that he was going to end his retirement, after being lured back to football by Ravens cornerback Corey Fuller, linebacker Ray Lewis and best friend Joe Zorovich. He signed a 1-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens to be a nickelback. Sanders chose to wear the number 37, which matched his age at the time, to preemptively let people know that he was well aware of his relative senior status as an NFL player.

In January of 2006, after playing two seasons for Baltimore in which the Ravens did not qualify for the postseason, Sanders once again retired from the NFL and became an analyst for the NFL Network.

 
Legacy

During his 14-year NFL career, Sanders was a perennial All-Pro and one of the most feared pass defenders to ever play the game. While critics argued that his tackling was poor and he was not much of a factor in run support, they could not deny his closing speed.

During his career, Sanders intercepted 52 passes for 1,331 yards (a 25.1 yards per return average), recovered four fumbles for 15 yards, returned 155 kickoffs for 3,523 yards, gained 2,199 yards on 212 punt returns, and caught 60 passes for 784 yards. Sanders amassed 7,838 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns: nine interception returns, six punt returns, three kickoff returns, three receiving, and one fumble recovery. His 19 defensive and return touchdowns are an NFL record. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls in 1991--1994, 1996–1999. He was also awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1994.

· College Football News named Sanders #8 in its list of 100 Greatest College Football Players of All-Time.

· The Sporting News named Sanders #37 in their Top 100 Football Players of the Century released in 1999.

· ESPN named Sanders #74 in its list of the 100 Great Athletes of the Century released in 1999.

Other ventures

In addition to his sports career, Sanders has moved on to other ventures after his retirement. In 2003, Sanders took interest in Devin Hester a return specialist from the University of Miami Hurricanes. Sanders mentored Hester, counseling and advising him during various points of his collegiate career. The Chicago Bears drafted Hester in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Since then, Hester has broken, tied, or approached many NFL return records. Hester has cited Sanders as one of his major inspirations and idols, and thanked him for his training and advice. Hester, also known as “Anytime,” occasionally performs Sanders’ signature touchdown dance and high-steps in homage to his mentor

On September 2, 2005, in response to the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina, Sanders challenged all professional athletes in the four major sports to donate $1,000 each to relief efforts, hoping to raise between $1.5 and $3 million total.  

Career history
Career highlights and awards
· 8× Pro Bowl selection (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) · 6× First Team All-Pro selection (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) · 2× Second Team All-pro selection (1991, 1999) · 2× Super Bowl champion (XXIX, XXX) · NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1994) · 2× NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994) · Jim Thorpe Award (1988) · NFL 1990s All-Decade Team

Fifty Fabulous Floridians: Number 3

As we now get closer to the grand finale and remaining top 3 athletes that made the Fifty Fabulous Floridians (That Made Us Proud) list I wanted once again to offer a special thanks to those who have commented or debated the list and the rankings of individual athletes on it.

As you know by now we are doing the top five selections one at a time to give them the recognition they truly deserve.  This week we move up to number 3 on the list, and with only two more of the cherished spots at the top left, the selections keep getting even better, yet more difficult.

Here are my brief thoughts on this week's selection NFL Hall of Famer and former Florida Gator Emmitt Smith:

The NFL all time rushing leader.  The only player in history to win the Super Bowl Championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season   Take a minute and look at his  astonishing statistics.

# 3 Emmitt Smith

Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is a Hall of Fame American football running back. He was an All-American at the University of Florida before playing professionally for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, and is the NFL's all-time rushing leader, a record formerly held by his childhood hero, Walter Payton. He is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season (1993). He is also one of four running backs to lead the NFL in rushing three or more consecutive seasons, joining Steve Van Buren, Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell. He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Smith is the first player from the 1990 NFL Draft to be inducted. He also won the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars in 2006.

While playing for the Cowboys, Smith, Troy Aikman, and Michael Irvin were "The Triplets" who led their team to three Super Bowl championshipsduring the 1990s.

 Early years

Smith was born in Pensacola, Florida, the son of Mary (née Clements) and Emmitt James Smith II He attended Escambia High School in Pensacola. During his football career there, Smith rushed for 106 touchdowns and 8,804 yards, which was the second most yardage in the history of American high school football at the time. For his efforts, Smith was named the USA Today and Parade Magazine high school player of the year for 1986. In 2007, Smith was named the best player in the 100 year history of Florida high school football by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Yet despite his accomplishments and accolades, some college recruiting experts opined that he was too small and too slow to succeed in major college football when he signed to play at the University of Florida.

 College career

Emmitt Smith did not start the first two games of his college career in the fall of 1987, but made the most of his opportunities in a 2nd-week rout of Tulsa in which he gained 109 yards on just 10 carries, including a 66 yard touchdown run. That performance earned him his first collegiate start in the next contest: the SEC opener against Alabama in Birmingham.

In his first full game, Smith promptly broke Florida's 40-year old all-time single game rushing record, carrying 39 times for 224 yards and 2 TDs as the Gators upset the Crimson Tide. Smith went on to break the 1000-yard barrier in the 7th game of his freshman season, the fastest any running back had ever broken that barrier to begin his college career He finished the 1987 season with 1,341 yards and was named Southeastern Conferenceand National Freshman of the Year. He also finished 9th in that year's Heisman voting.

Smith started the 1988 season strong until injuring his knee against Memphis State. The Gators, who had reeled off a 5-0 record with Smith in the backfield, lost the game in which he was injured and then the next three as well while Smith was unable to play. Upon returning, he almost reached 1000 yards on the season, finishing with 988.

Smith stayed healthy throughout his junior season in 1989 and found success again. He finished the campaign with Florida records for rushing yards in a season (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 versus New Mexico in October 1989), longest rushing play (96 yards against Mississippi State in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), and career rushing touchdowns (36), among many others. In all, Smith owned 58 school records at the conclusion of his Florida career despite playing on Florida teams with virtually no passing game, making him the focal point of opposing defenses.

At the conclusion of his junior season in 1989, Smith was named a first-team SEC selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a consensus first-team All-American, and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

On January 1, 1990, Florida hired Steve Spurrierto coach the Gators. Smith, concerned about his place in Spurrier's reportedly pass-first offense, decided to forgo his senior year at Florida and enter the NFL.

Smith was subsequently inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great," the Gator Football Ring of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He returned to the university during the NFL off-season and completed his bachelor's degree

 Professional career

Despite his collegiate success, some NFLteams still felt that Smith was too small and slow for the pro game. He fell to the 17th pick in the first round, when he was picked by the Dallas Cowboys, who had traded up to draft him.

Smith was the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with over 1,400 rushing yards. Smith, Jim Brown, and LaDainian Tomlinson are the only players with seven straight 10-touchdown seasons to start their careers. With 1,021 rushing yards in 2001, Smith became the first player in NFL history with 11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and the first to post 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons in a career. He is the NFL's all-time leader in rushing attempts with 4,409.

Smith currently holds the NFL record in career rushing yards with 18,355, breaking the previous record held by Walter Payton, on October 27 of the 2002 NFL season. He leads all running backs with 164 career rushing touchdowns, and his 175 total touchdowns ranks him second only to Jerry Rice's 208. The sum of his rushing yards, receiving yards (3,224) and fumble return yards (-15) give him a total of 21,564 yards from the line of scrimmage, making him one of only four players in NFL history to eclipse the 21,000-combined yards mark.

Smith also accumulated several NFL postseason records, including rushing touchdowns (19), consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (9) and 100-yard rushing games (7). His 1,586 yards rushing is also top on the NFL postseason chart, and he shares the total playoff touchdown mark of 21 with Thurman Thomas.

With the Cowboys, Smith won three Super Bowl rings and rushed for over 100 yards in two of those games, Super Bowl XXVII (108 yards and a touchdown, along with 6 receptions for 27 yards), and Super Bowl XXVIII (132 yards and two touchdowns, along with 4 receptions for 26 yards). Smith received the Super Bowl MVP award for Super Bowl XXVIII, becoming the only Cowboys running back ever to win the award out of all their Super Bowl wins.

Smith is one of only five NFL players who have amassed over 10,000 career-rushing yards and 400 career receptions. Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice are the only two non-kickers to score 1000 points in a career.

 Retirement

Three days before Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005, Smith announced his retirement from the NFL. He was released by the Arizona Cardinals and signed a one day contract for no money with the Dallas Cowboys – after which he immediately retired as a Cowboy, the team he played for from 1990 to 2002.

Smith was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, in his first year of eligibility.

On February 7, 2010, Smith flipped the coin at the start of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.

 Personal

Smith is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at Florida and returned to school during the off-season to take classes. He received his degree in Public Recreation from the University of Florida in May 1996.

Smith married former Miss Virginia USA beauty queen Patricia Southallon April 22, 2000. They have a son, Emmitt IV, who was born on Smith's 33rd birthday, May 15, 2002, and a daughter, Skylar, born in October 2003.

Smith also has a daughter (Rheagen Smith) by ex-girlfriend Hope Wilson and a stepdaughter (Jasmin Page Lawrence), Southall's daughter from her previous marriage to comedian Martin Lawrence.

Career highlights and awards

· Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010 inductee) · NFL record for career rushing yards (18,355) · NFL record for career rushing touchdowns (164) · NFL record for career 100+ yards rushing games (78) · 8× Pro Bowl selection (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999) · 4× First-Team All-Pro selection (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995) · Second-Team All-Pro selection (1991) · NFL 1990s All-Decade Team · 3× Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) · AP NFL MVP (1993) · 1990 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year · Super Bowl MVP (XXVIII) · 2× NEA NFL MVP, (1991, 1992) · 1993 PFWA NFL MVP · Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor ·  1989 SEC Player of the Year · Gator Football Ring of Honor · Florida High School All-Century Team · Florida High School Athletic Association Player of the Century

Grandal Earns Honors, Recognition For Stellar Season

This article was written for Canespace by UM grad student Kelly Green...

Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal led the way for the Hurricanes during the 2010 season.  While the Hurricanes were recently knocked out of the NCAA playoffs by the Florida Gators at the Super Regional tournament in Gainesville, Grandal's 2010 season is one for the UM record books.

Always an excellent defensive player behind the plate for UM, Grandal was awarded a 2010 Rawlings Gold Glove, as announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association last Thursday. This year marks the fourth season for the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, chosen by ABCA.

Grandal is the first Hurricane to be honored since the award was first handed out to college players in 2007.

Grandal turned in one of the most successful defensive seasons in school history this past season, finishing the year with a .994 fielding percentage in 57 games behind the plate. He threw out 32 percent of attempted base stealers, committed three errors all season and just one error over Miami's last 41 games.

Grandal's Gold Glove Award comes just days after he was named a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. 

The Miami native led the ACC in batting average (.401), slugging percentage (.721) and on-base percentage (.527). During the 2010 season Grandal had 89 hits, 24 doubles, 15 homers, 60 RBI, 57 walks, 56 runs scored and 160 total bases in 62 games.

In 2010 it was Grandal's incredible statistics at the plate rather than behind it that clearly demonstrated his significant improvement from 2009.  He led the Hurricanes in nearly every offensive category - including hits (80), RBI (54) and total bases (142) - while ranking second in homers (13).   

In recognition of his outstanding season, Grandal was recently selected as the ACC player of the Year for 2010.  In response to the award the Hurricanes catcher had this to say:

"It is a tremendous honor to have been selected for such a prestigious award.  I appreciate the coaches in this conference for recognizing my hard work and determination to be the best player I can be.  I also want to thank my coaches, teammates and family for being there for me. I wouldn't be where I am today without their support."

In addition to earning the ACC Player of the Year award he was named first-team honors by Baseball America, a Louisville Slugger first-team All-American and Yahoo Sports All-America honors. 

He was also  named the NCBWA District III Player of the Year as well as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Johnny Bench Award.

To top it all off, Grandal was recently selected with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

In his three seasons in Coral Gables, he hit .326 with 38 homers, 133 RBI and 129 runs scored in 159 games.  Those career numbers at UM earned him a shot at the Big Leagues.

Earlier this season, I (Kelly seen above with Hurricane head coach Jim Morris) had the chance to meet with Yasmani and talk to him about his time at Miami.  Here is my video report of that interview:

 

Dirty White Boy

Matt Bosher is dirty. 

And by dirty I mean good.  Really, really good. 

The Urban Dictionary defines "dirty" as:

1. Really good, a superlative, sick, awesome.  As in: "Matt is really good at football. Yeah, he's dirty."

Matt Bosher was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2008 University of Miami football team.  As a kicker.  At The U.  Now that's dirty!

The same school that produced Ted Hendricks, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Ray Lewis, Jerome Brown, Russell Maryland, Michael Irvin, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Ed Reed, Bryant McKinney, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow Jr. and Sean Taylor.

When U get your name mentioned among that group of players that is downright filthy dirty.

Matt Bosher had more tackles in 2008 as a punter/place-kicker than highly touted LB Arthur Brown did. 

In 2009 LB Brown (seen above signing the infamous picture of him with his #1 fan Cat5) outplayed three star PK Bosher by two tackles (8 to 6). 

Brown is now in Kansas.  Bosher is hanging out with hotties on South Beach. 

Advantage Bosher.

But what made him dirty was his big time hit against the Florida Gators at The Swamp in 2008.  U remember "The Hit" right? 

Yeah that was dirty.  Totally dirty. 

Even the famous 1980's rock group Foreigner wrote a song about Matt Bosher:

Matt Bosher is among the top 10 Hurricanes most likely to be drafted in the 2011 NFL draft.

Matt Bosher is dirty. 

He's a dirty white boy.

Real dirty.

Are U Ready To Rumble?

University of Miami football fans will get to kick off the upcoming 2010 season with select players and other UM fans at two special events hosted by the UM Athletics Department July 10 and July 31, as well as an exclusive season ticket holder event on August 7.

Miami will hold a CanesFest event on July 10 at the Palm Beach Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, Fla. 33401) and in Broward County on July 31 at the Broward County Convention Center (1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33316).

Both events are free and open to the public from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Select members of the 2010 football team will be participating in a panel discussion moderated by Don Bailey Jr. (Seen below with 86Cane)

Season ticket and group ticket representatives will be on hand. Season tickets start as low as $199 for lower bowl seating and $99 for upper bowl seating and may be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-CANES or by logging on to HurricaneSports.com.

Hurricanes' 2010 football season ticket holders and UM employees will be invited to an exclusive event on Saturday, Aug. 7 at Cobb Stadium on the UM campus. Sebastian the Ibis (seen below with former UM QB/WR Ethenic Sands) will be present. More details will be released at a later date.

In addition to the Bank United CanesFest events, fans are encouraged to save the following dates:

Saturday, Aug. 28 - `Canes Carnivale will serve as a kickoff to the 2010-2011 athletics year and feature members from all 18 UM sports. More details will be released in the near future.

Tuesday, Sept. 7 and Monday, Nov. 1 - UM Hurricane Club will sponsor two luncheons with head coach Randy Shannon. The first in Broward County from Noon-1 p.m. and the second in Palm Beach County from Noon- 1p.m. More details will be released in the near future.

Saturday, Oct. 23 - The Hurricane Club will hold a pregame tailgate party prior to the Miami-North Carolina football game on Saturday, Oct. 23 at Sun Life Stadium. This event is exclusive to Hurricane Club Donors.

Fifty Fabulous Floridians: Number 4

This article was written for Canespace by SolarCane

As we head into the home stretch and celebrate the remaining top 4 athletes that made our list, I would like to thank you once again for reading the Fifty Fabulous Floridians (FFF) That Made Us Proud series.  I want to send out a special thanks to those who have commented or debated the list and the rankings of the individual athletes on it.

As I mentioned last week on the FFF feature we are doing the top five one at a time to give them the recognition they truly deserve.  This week we move up to number 4 on the list, and with only three cherished spots at the top left, the selections keep getting even more difficult.

Here are my brief thoughts on this week's selection, baseball Hall of Famer, Steve Carlton:

Carlton is the highest ranked baseball player on the list.  A ten time All Star, 4 time Cy Young Award winner, two time World Series Champion and voted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot by a whopping 95.8%.

# 4 Steve Carlton

Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, from 1965 to 1988. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. He was affectionately known to Philadelphia fans as "Lefty". He played the most number of years for the Philadelphia Phillies, receiving his greatest acclaim as a professional and winning four Cy Young Awards. In addition, Carlton spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.

Carlton has the second-most lifetime strikeouts of any left-handed pitcher (4th overall), and the second-most lifetime wins of any left-handed pitcher (11th overall). He was the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards in a career. He held the lifetime strikeout record several times between 1982 and 1984, before his contemporary Nolan Ryan passed him. One of his most remarkable records was accounting for nearly half (46%) of his team's wins, when he won 27 games for the last-place (59-97) 1972 Phillies. He is still the last National League pitcher to win 25 or more games in one season, as well as the last pitcher from any team to throw more than 300 innings in a season.

 Early years

Carlton was born and reared in Miami, Florida, where he played little league and American Legion baseball during his youth. He attended North Miami High School, and later Miami-Dade Community College. In 1963, while a student at Miami-Dade, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for a $5,000 bonus

 St. Louis Cardinals

Carlton debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals as a 20-year-old in 1965 and by 1967 was a regular in the Cardinals rotation. An imposing (6'4") man with a hard fastball and slider, Carlton was soon known as an intimidating and dominant pitcher. Carlton enjoyed immediate success in St. Louis, posting winning records and reaching the World Series in 1967 and 1968. On September 15, 1969, Carlton struck out 19 New York Mets, while losing to the Mets, 4-3, setting the all-time modern-day record at that time for strikeouts in a nine-inning game. That season, he finished with a 17-11 record with a 2.17 ERA, second lowest in the NL, and 210 strikeouts.

 Philadelphia Phillies

Following a salary dispute, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch ordered Carlton traded. Eventually, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1972 season for pitcher Rick Wise.[5] The trade is now considered one of the most one-sided deals of the 1970s, as well as one of the worst trades in Cardinals history, and, conversely, one of the best trades in Phillies history.

In Carlton's first season with Philadelphia, he led the league in wins (27), complete games (30), strikeouts (310), and ERA (1.97), despite playing for a team whose final record was 59-97. His 1972 performance earned him the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year. His having won 46% of his team's victories is a record in modern major league history.

Baseball commentators during 1972 regularly remarked that Steve's slider was basically unhittable. He was also a good hitter for a pitcher. At times he pinch-hit for the Phillies during 1972.

More success

Carlton continued to enjoy many years of success with the Phillies, winning the Cy Young Award in 1972, 1977, 1980, and 1982, and pitching the Phillies to the best string of post-season appearances in club history. Carlton was the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards, a mark later matched by Greg Maddux, and exceeded by Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson. In 1980, Carlton helped the Phillies win their first World Series, personally winning the final game. Steve was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the year 1994.

Race with Nolan Ryan for the all time strikeout record

Over a three year period between 1982-1984, Carlton was involved in an interesting pitching duel with Nolan Ryan, then of the Houston Astros, in which they often traded places at the top of the all-time strikeout list.

There would be five more lead changes and a tie in 1984 before Carlton ran out of gas. His last-ever lead in the all-time strikeout race was after his start on September 4, 1984, when he struck out four Cubs to lead Ryan by three (3,857 to 3,854). Although the season ended with a mere two-strikeout lead for Ryan (3,874 to 3,872), Carlton had an injury-riddled season in 1985 and an even worse season in 1986 before being released by the Phillies just 18 strikeouts short of 4,000.

Retirement

He attempted to find work in 1989 but found no takers. The closest thing to an offer was the New York Yankees offering him the use of their facilities for training purposes but no spot on the spring training team. Nolan Ryan would pitch until 1993 and would extend his strikeout lead over Carlton to almost 1,600 before retiring. Carlton would eventually fall to third and then fourth place on the all time strikeout list after Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson passed him.

 Legacy

A ten-time All-Star, Carlton led the league in many pitching categories. He struck out 4,136 batters in his career, setting a record for a left-handed pitcher (since surpassed by Randy Johnson), and holds many other records for both left-handed and Phillies pitchers. His 329 career wins are the eleventh most in baseball history, behind Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, and Warren Spahn among pitchers of the live-ball era (post-1920).

Carlton picked 144 runners off base, by far the most in Major League Baseball since pickoff records began being collected in 1957. Jerry Koosman is second with 82.

Carlton was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 with 96% of the vote, one of the highest percentages ever. The Phillies retired his number 32, and honored him with a statue outside Veterans Stadium that was later moved to Citizens Bank Park (along with a similar statue of fellow Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt). In 1999, he ranked number 30 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Despite his career-long rivalry with Ryan, Carlton maintains his greatest rival was Tom Seaver.

Dorsett Commits to Miami Hurricanes

As just announced, highly coveted Saint Thomas Aquinas WR Phillip Dorsett committed to the University of Miami tonight LIVE on Canesport.com. 

Gary Ferman of Canesport.com just had the announcement at 8:08 PM that UM was Dorsett's school of choice.

Now let's get to the Rumor Mill:

Word on the street is that highly recruited DL Ego Ferguson is not going to attend LSU, has enrolled in a junior college and wants to re-open his recruitment.  Some reports are that he wants to come to The U and that Miami is interested in him.  More to follow on this hot story.

USC OL commit Seantrelle Henderson is also rumored to be leaving the Trojans and to be very interested in UM.  He frequently talks on Facebook to several Miami players like Latwan Anderson, but  most reports have him going to Ohio State.

Is This Year Our Next Year?

Last year University of Miami football fans were left uttering the same familiar phrase heard at every other ACC school in 2009 except ACC champion Georgia Tech : "Next year will be our year."

Well, don't look now but "next year" is almost here. 

The 2010 football season will start in about 80 days and according to Captain Optimist the word on the street is that your Miami Hurricanes are going to win their first Atlantic Coast Conference title.  That's right 2010 is going to be our year to finally win the conference and wear the ACC football crown.

When Miami wins the title it will be only the second conference championship in a major sport for UM since joining the ACC in 2004 (Miami won the ACC title in baseball in 2008). 

After dominating the Big East Conference during their tenure there, the University of Miami has struggled to achieve such lofty accomplishments in the much tougher and more competitive ACC. 

Here is a brief history of the ACC as we know it (NOTE: The ACC is subject to change with major conference realignment currently in progress):

After adding Miami and Virginia Tech to the conference in 2004, the Atlantic Coast Conference welcomed Boston College in 2005 as its 12th member institution.

With the expanded conference, the ACC created two divisions, the Atlantic and Coastal, and pitted the champions of each in the Inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game on December 3, 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida. Each year, the championship game determines the Conference Champion as well as the recipient of the ACC’s automatic berth into the Bowl Championship Series.

Florida State of the Atlantic Division defeated Virginia Tech from the Coastal in the inaugural championship game. The Atlantic captured the title again in 2006 with Wake Forest defeating Georgia Tech in a rain soaked 9-6 victory.

The following two years saw the Coastal Division take the trophy with Virginia Tech defeating Boston College in both 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Georgia Tech of the Coastal Division captured their first outright ACC Championship since 1990 by defeating Clemson 39-34.

So if you have been keeping track, since the ACC football championship game was first played in 2005, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Georgia Tech have all played in the title game at least twice and the Hokies (2) and Yellow Jackets have won titles along with the Seminoles and the Demon Deacons.

Miami has yet to play in or win the ACC football championship. 

But that is all going to change in 2010. 

Captain Optimist told me so.   

And I believe him too.

The ACC Football Championship: A Brief History

As your Miami Hurricanes begin their quest for their first ever ACC football championship in 2010 we thought that you might be interested in a brief re-cap of the conference title game over the past five years.  So below is a short summary of those games and the teams that played them.

As you read the accounts of the past games and the winners please don't get you knickers all in a wad Hurricane fans.  Things are turning around in Coral Gables thanks to one Randy Shannon.

Word on the street is that this year could very well be our "next year". 

At least that's what Canesteeler told me.

2005: Florida State 27 - Virginia Tech 22

Florida State Captures Inaugrual ACC Title Game

Jacksonville, Fla - Florida State’s Willie Reid returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown and Drew Weatherford threw for 225 yards and one touchdown as the Seminoles upset No. 5 Virginia Tech 27-22 in the inaugural ACC title game ... the victory marked the Seminoles’ 12th ACC title in 14 years ... Reid, who finished with 210 all-purpose yards, was named the game’s most valuable player ... sparked by Reid’s return to open the second half, FSU scored 24 unanswered third quarter points, snapping 3-3 halftime tie ... Marcus Vick led the Hokies to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter that cut the Seminole lead to 27-22.

MVP: Willie Reid, Florida State

 

2006: Wake Forest 9 - Georgia Tech 6

Wake Forest Claims First ACC Gridiron Title Since 1970

Jacksonville, Fla. - Wake Forest’s Sam Swank kicked three field goals, including the game winner with 2:55 left to play as the 16th-ranked Demon Deacons claimed their first ACC title since 1970 with a 9-6 victory over No. 23 Georgia Tech ... Swank, who made good on three of four field goal attempts and punted seven times for a 42.6 yards per kick average, was named the game’s most valuable player ... freshman QB Riley Skinner completed 14-of-25 passes for 201 yards including a 45-yard completion to Willie Idlette that set up Swank’s game-winning field goal ... Deacon LB Jon Abbate had a game-high 15 tackles and keyed a defense that limited the Yellow Jackets to a pair of field goals and 272 yards in total offense ... Tech WR Calvin Johnson finished with eight catches for 117 yards while Tashard Choice had his sixth-straight 100 yard effort, finishing with an even 100 yards on 21 carries.

MVP: Sam Swank, Wake Forest

 

2007: Virginia Tech 30 - Boston College 16

Virginia Tech Wins Second ACC Title in Four Years

Jacksonville, Fla. - Virginia tech held the high-powered Boston College offense scoreless over the final 35 minutes of play, overcoming a nine-point first half deficit to claim their second ACC title since joining the league in 2004 ... Led by junior quarterback Sean Glennon, who was named the championship game MVP, the Hokies scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out the 30-16 win ... For the game, Glennon completed 18-of-27 pass attempts for 174 yards and three touchdowns ... Hokie receivers Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal and Josh Hyman combined for nearly 150 yards and three touchdowns ... The Hokie defense forced two turnovers, scoring one TD on an interception return, and the special teams unit blocked two kicks, including a PAT that was returned for two points ... for BC, Matt Ryan passed for 305 yards and running back Andre Callender set a championship game record with 13 receptions in the losing effort.

MVP: Sean Glennon, Virginia Tech

 

2008: Virginia Tech 30 - Boston College 12

Virginia Tech Downs BC, Claims Third Title in Five Years

Tampa, Fla. - MVP Tyrod Taylor rushed for two touchdowns, and Coastal Division champion Virginia Tech came up with a solid defensive effort to defeat Atlantic Division rival Boston College 30-12 in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. The win marked the second straight ACC title and the third in in five years for the Hokies, who defeated the Eagles 30-16 in the 2007 Championship game. Freshman Darren Evans added 114 yards rushing on 31 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown run, and Dustin Keys set an ACC Championship Game record with a 50-yard field goal. Orion Martin capped the win for the Hokies (9-4) when he recovered a fumble and returned it 17 yards for a TD. Boston College (9-4) scored a second-quarter touchdown on Dominique Davis’ 16-yard pass to Rich Gunnell, who finished the game with seven catches for 114 yards.

MVP: Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech

2009: Georgia Tech 39 - Clemson 34

Georgia Tech captures first outright ACC Championship since 1990

Tampa, Fla. - Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer’s 15-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining gave the 12th-ranked Yellow Jackets a 39-34 victory over No. 25 Clemson in the 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Georgia Tech Quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw a 70-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas and Scott Blair kicked a title game-record four field goals to help the Yellow Jackets (11-2) win the crown - in their second season under Coach Paul Johnson. MVP and ACC Player of the Year C.J. Spiller rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns for Clemson (8-5) in the defeat. The 2009 game marked the first time in ACC Championship Game history that neither team punted and was the only NCAA (Football Bowl Subdivision) game in over 700 games in the 2009 season in which both teams rushed for more than 300 yards. The title game appearance was the second for Georgia Tech and with the 2009 win captured its first outright ACC championship since 1990.

MVP: CJ Spiller, Clemson

Player Profile: Chase Ford

This article was written for Canespace by Josh Borne

 

Out of high school Chase Ford was not highly recruited to play football. 

 

However, he was an excellent athlete and was selected first team All-State in basketball (Texas). 

 

He also ran track, finishing as a member of the State champion mile relay quartet.

 

In 2008 Ford arrived at Kilgore Junior College at just over 200 pounds looking for playing time at tight end. During his freshman year at Kilgore, Chase had a minimal impact on the team, playing in 3 games and recording 4 catches for 71 yards. 

 

Ford was determined to get on the field and worked to get his weight up and improve his game. By season’s end he had bulked up to around 220 pounds and focused on improving his blocking technique.

 

Ford showed up the following fall ready to play at a new weight of 240 pounds. He went on to lead the team in receptions (34), receiving yards (571), and TD's (3) while playing in all 10 games. His outstanding effort on the field earned him the title of Southwestern Junior College Conference Most Valuable Player and 1st Team All American Honors.

 

Here is a brief history of Kilgore College

 

In the fall of 1935, operating under the Kilgore Independent School District, Kilgore College opened with a student enrollment of 229 and 11 faculty members. A football team was established in those first months and in its first season, the KC Rangers compiled a 5-3-2 record. KC has fielded a squad every year since, except the WWII years of 1943-1944, and carved its niche into the Texas football annals, compiling a record of 443-245-14. KC is the winningest junior college football program in Texas, claiming two national titles, appearing in 18 bowl games and producing 52 first-team All-Americans. This year's team will continue the rich heritage and proud traditions established by Ranger teams of the past.

 

Here is a brief bio of Kilgore College Head Coach J.J. Eckert

 

Eckert [seen at top row (C) with coaches Russell Thompson (L) and Jordan Lesley (R) along with some of Kilgore's 2009 four year college signees bottom row] will begin his fourth season at Kilgore College as head coach, but is no stranger to KC football supporters. Eckert was the offensive coordinator for the Rangers from 2001-2004, before accepting a head coaching job with Garden City where his teams compiled a 13-8 record and appeared in the 2005 Dixie Rotary Bowl in St. George, Utah. As Kilgore’s offensive coordinator, Eckert was a part of Kilgore’s 2001 and 2004 SWJCFC’s championship teams.

 

Here is a Canespace interview with Coach Eckert on 2009 SWJCFC Most Valuable Player Chase Ford

 

Q: Coming out of High School Chase was virtually an unknown prospect and is now being coined as the next potential great TE to come to Tight End "U". Can you discuss when you knew Chase was a special Player? 

 

A: When Chase got to Kilgore in the fall of 2008 he was 6’6 206 pounds which is a little small (in weight) for a college TE.  Once he got on the field you could see that he had great catching ability.  Once he got the blocking technique down, we knew he was a player that we had to get on the field.

 

Q: Chase put up some very impressive numbers and was awarded 2009 Southwest Junior College Football Conference's Most Valuable Player. Can he have a similar impact at Miami and do you foresee him starting from day 1?

 

A: I believe Chase can have the same impact at Miami as he did here.  He will have work hard on learning the new terminology, but once he gets that down, the sky is the limit.

 

Q. Can you talk about how Chase was used in your Offense? Is he strictly a receiving TE?

 

A: In our scheme, he was our go-to guy.  I noticed around game 4 he felt he had to improve his blocking.  He worked very hard at it and I feel like he really improved towards becoming a complete TE as the season continued.

 

Q. Chase is coming into Miami with two years of eligibility and is considered an upper-classman from day one. Can you talk about his leadership in the locker room and on the field?

 

A: He is your typical small-town East Texas kid.  He grew up around the game and football is really important to him.  When the lights come on, he expects everyone to do their job at the highest level.  He works extremely hard at practice, and really was a much better film preparation player as a sophomore.  He as the ability to make the people around him play at a higher level.

 

Q: Is there any player you would say Chase has a similar playing style too in the NFL?

A: I think he is a lot like Jeremy Shockey at this point is his career.  He has great ball skills and has the ability to make a ton of plays between the hashes.  And you do not want to play the linebackers in man coverage on him.  He will eat them up!

Q: Can you talk a little about Chase's work ethic and what set's him apart from his peers?

 

A: As I mentioned early, football is really important to him.  He works extremely hard to develop the gift that he has been given every day.  He always stays after practice to catch more balls and he will do whatever the team needs from him.  He is a very unselfish player and I think that separates him from I bunch of other players, because at the end of the day, all he wants to do is WIN!