The reminders are everywhere. Pictures on the walls of the Hecht Athletic Center. All-American banners surrounding the Greentree Practice Fields. Five national championships trophies in the DiMare Gallery of Champions at the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence.
No matter where linebackers Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud go, they are reminded of all the greatness that came before them at the University of Miami.
Ray Lewis, Jonathan Vilma, DJ Williams and Jon Beason are just a handful of the recent greats to have dominated at linebacker for the Hurricanes.
They are also mentors and motivators for the latest crop of Miami linebackers. "You just can't come here, especially as a linebacker, and not live up to the guys who played before you," Quarterman said.
"Just walk around our campus and our facility and those guys are everywhere. They're all over the walls because they did so many great things. That sets expectations for us to do great things and if you don't, you have to walk around in shame. I refuse to do that and we refuse to do that."
The legacy of great Hurricane linebackers spans decades, dating back to the 1970s when Harold Sears became the first Hurricane linebacker to be named an All-American.
Jay Brophy and Maurice Crum were All-Americans that won national championships in the 80s, laying the foundation for an unbelievable stretch of superstars at the position. The Bermuda Triangle of Micheal Barrow, Darrin Smith and Jessie Armstead followed, winning national titles and making highlight-reel plays for the Canes before going on the NFL stardom.
Lewis, who is arguably the greatest linebacker in the history of the sport, and Dan Morgan, a Butkus, Nagurski and Bednarik Award winner, continued to elevate the standard at Miami. Vilma and Williams were anchors on the 2001 team that won the national championship, while Beason was a standout at Miami that went on to become a star in the NFL like so many Hurricanes have.
"It's a great legacy if you look back at some of the guys that have played here and what they did here and in the NFL," Pinckney said. "We have some of the greatest linebackers ever, including the greatest ever in Ray Lewis. It's a great honor to be part of it."
Pinckney, Quarterman and McCloud are lauded by many as the latest in the long line of star linebackers at Miami. The expectations are warranted, as they became the first trio of true freshmen to start together at linebacker in Hurricanes history.
"Playing as much as we did last year is not what usually happens, especially in a place like this," McCloud said. "It was a huge blessing and was an experience that I am very proud of, but we are all not satisfied. We definitely are motivated to get better and improve of what we did as freshmen."
Jonathan Vilma helped Miami win the 2001 national title. Quarterman led the way in 2016, ranking third among ACC freshmen with 84 tackles and had more tackles for loss (10.0) than any first-year ACC linebacker in nearly a decade. A Freshman All-American, he led the Hurricanes with eight quarterback hurries, added three sacks and scored his first career touchdown on 17-yard fumble return at Georgia Tech.
Pinckney racked up 61 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception to earn Freshman All-America recognition by ESPN, while McCloud burst on the scene with a blocked punt in the season opener against Florida A&M and finished the year with 37 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Despite all the success the trio has experienced, they are hungry for more.
"You've got to remember that we still haven't really done anything," Pinckney said. "Even with all the success we had last year, it's not like we are regarded as the best linebackers in the country. That motivates us to work so we can get to that level. For me, I remember that the projections said I wasn't even supposed to touch the field last year. That motivates me and I have a chip on my shoulder when I play the game of football."