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Duke Is Legend

More than once, the familiar chant rang through the stadium.

And every time he heard the Miami Dolphins faithful shouting “Duuuuuke,” Duke Johnson couldn’t help but recall how often he’d heard the same when he played at Hard Rock Stadium as a Miami Hurricane.

“It just reminded me of college,” Johnson said with a grin. “It felt like my college days again.”

In many ways, Johnson’s performance in the Miami Dolphins’ 31-24 win over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon was reminiscent of the kind of effort Hurricanes fans cheered for years.

The seven-year NFL veteran, who made his first start as a Dolphin on Sunday, finished with 22 carries, 107 yards and two touchdowns. All were career bests.

That he was able to put together a game like that in the same stadium where he starred as a Hurricane and not far from where he grew up only made the day that much sweeter.

“I think for me it means a lot to do it in the area I grew up in, the college field I played on,” said Johnson, who was a standout at nearby Miami Norland High before signing with the Hurricanes in 2012. “I think the most important thing is that I did it and it led to a win. If it had led to a loss, it wouldn’t have mattered as much as it does now.”

Said Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, “He played well. Definitely gave us a spark. Ran it well, ran hard and picked up first downs and tough yardage in a lot of instances when they knew we were running…I thought he definitely gave us a spark.”

Johnson, of course, had plenty of family and friends cheering him on during his big day, though he joked he wasn’t sure quite how large that crowd actually was.

One thing he did know? His cheering section included a group of fans from Charles Hadley Park, where he played youth league football and first learned the importance of making an impact in his community.

“I think the biggest thing I learned from Charles Hadley was support, from top down,” Johnson said. “At the time, no one really thought those kids could make it to where we are now, except for the commissioner of the park. And he pushed us and made sure we were the best people, as well as football players, we could be.”

Johnson carried that mentality with him to Norland, where he became a five-star recruit and the nation’s top running back prospect.

He brought it with him to Miami, too where as a Hurricane, Johnson was a record-breaking force.

His 3,519 career rushing yards at Miami are the most in school history. During his career, he totaled 14 100-yard rushing performances – a record he shares with Clinton Portis.

And in 2014, Johnson had six straight 100-yard games – a feat matched by only two other Hurricanes: Willis McGahee in 2002 and Edgerrin James in 1998.

 

The NFL, of course, eventually came calling, with the Cleveland Browns selecting Johnson in the third round of the 2015 draft. He spent four seasons in Cleveland before joining the Houston Texans for two seasons in 2019.

In October, Johnson’s NFL journey brought him home, initially as a member of the Dolphins’ practice squad. He saw action in Miami’s win over the Jets in November, but was limited to just four carries.

With the Dolphins dealing with COVID-19 issues this week, he was called on to carry a much heavier load on Sunday.

He responded in dominating fashion – and the Dolphins teammates he’s still getting to know thought it was all pretty neat stuff.

Read more at: https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2021/12/19/football-feature-duke-johnson-comes-home/

Diaz Is Done, Cristobal To Canes

Mario Cristobal is coming home to Miami.

Cristobal, who helped lead the University of Miami to national championships in 1989 and 1991 as a standout offensive lineman, has been named the University’s 26th football head coach, President Julio Frenk announced today.

One of college football’s most highly regarded coaches, Cristobal returns to his alma mater after leading the University of Oregon to three straight Pac-12 Conference championship game appearances and two Pac-12 titles. He is the only coach in the nation whose team has played in a Power Five conference championship game in each of the past three seasons.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Mario, his wife, Jessica, and their sons Mario Mateo and Rocco home to Miami,” Frenk said. “Mario’s legacy as a student-athlete at the U is well established. And the standard for competitive excellence that he and his teammates helped establish is one to which we continue to aspire. Our selection, however, was not one based in nostalgia for a proud past, but rather in a bold vision for a promising future.

“The characteristics that helped Mario excel as a national championship-winning player—drive, determination, and discipline—continue to propel his success as a coach. In Mario we have found a head coach who shares our belief in providing student-athletes with the very best opportunities to succeed on and off the field, and our commitment to winning at the highest level.”

“My family and I are excited to return home to the University of Miami, which has been so instrumental in shaping me as a person, player, and coach,” Cristobal said. “This program has an unparalleled tradition and an exciting future ahead of it. I can’t wait to compete for championships and help mold our student-athletes into leaders on and off the field who will make our University, our community, and our loyal fan base proud.”

Cristobal brings more than 20 years of FBS coaching experience to Coral Gables, including 10 as a head coach. He compiled a 35-13 record at Oregon, leading the Ducks to consecutive Pac-12 titles in 2019 and 2020. Oregon advanced to three straight conference championship games from 2019 to 2021 and earned bowl-game appearances in each of Cristobal’s seasons in Eugene, highlighted by a Rose Bowl victory that capped a 12-win season and No. 5 ranking in the final Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls in 2019. Cristobal was named the Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year for his efforts that season.

Considered one of the country’s elite recruiters and evaluators of talent, Cristobal, during his tenures at both Alabama and Oregon, helped assemble national top-15 recruiting classes eight straight years, with seven of those classes rated in the top 10. The 2018 class at Alabama produced three NFL first-round draft picks. At Oregon, he constructed the Pac-12’s top-rated recruiting classes in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Cristobal’s national title-winning pedigree isn’t limited to his time as a player. At Alabama, where he served as assistant head coach, offensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator, he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the national championship in 2015 and a runner-up finish the following season.

During his four years in Tuscaloosa, from 2013 to 2016, five Alabama offensive linemen were selected in the NFL Draft and, with Cristobal’s tutelage, the 2015 offensive line unit won the inaugural Joe Moore Award, given to the most outstanding offensive line unit in the nation.

Cristobal’s move to Miami brings his coaching career full circle. A son of South Florida who played prep football at nearby Christopher Columbus High School, he launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Miami from 1998 to 2000 under head coach Butch Davis. He served as an assistant coach at Rutgers from 2001 to 2003 and then returned to Miami as an assistant coach from 2004 to 2006 under head coach Larry Coker.

In 2007, Cristobal was named head coach at Florida International University, becoming the first Cuban American head coach in FBS history. He inherited a struggling FIU program that had been winless the year before his arrival and, in just his fourth season, led it to the Sun Belt Conference title and a bowl-game victory. That season, 2010, he was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year. In total, he coached six seasons at FIU, from 2007 to 2012.

Cristobal, who played his Hurricanes career under coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, was an All-Big East selection in 1992. He is a double-alumnus of the University of Miami, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree from the University. Cristobal was born in Miami on Sept. 24, 1970. He and his wife, Jessica, married in June 2006 and are the parents of two sons, Mario Mateo and Rocco.

From: https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2021/12/06/welcome-home-mario/

The Kid Has Skills

Tyler Van Dyke never expected all of this, not yet anyway.

When the Hurricanes opened preseason camp in August, the quarterback was splitting reps with fellow freshman Jake Garcia, both understanding veteran D’Eriq King – who’d led Miami to eight wins during a surreal 2020 season – was the unquestioned leader of the offense.

Weeks later, though, everything changed for all three signal callers.

King was hurt in a loss to Michigan State and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Garcia injured his foot in a win over Central Connecticut State. And with the start of conference play looming, Van Dyke found himself alone atop the Miami depth chart.

Growing pains and tough losses to Virginia and North Carolina followed. Then, a shift.

Van Dyke led the Hurricanes to back-to-back wins over top-20 opponents. Then a three-game win streak. There was a 300-yard passing performance. Then another. And another. And another. Miami’s receivers broke records. There were headlines and accolades.

Now, Van Dyke can’t play golf or go to the grocery store without being recognized in Miami.

Outside of South Florida, the rest of the college football world has taken note, too – particularly in the Atlantic Coast Conference where Van Dyke this week was named Rookie of the Year.

He will formally receive that award Friday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. But already, the quarterback has made it clear: he wants bigger and better things not for himself, but for all of the Hurricanes moving forward.

“I think it all starts with a great offseason, just coming together, working as hard as we can to keep that connection strong that helped us through this year,” Van Dyke said. “A good offseason, go on to next year playing hard and I feel like we have a bright future as a team.”

 

As Miami’s quarterback, Van Dyke is fully aware he can help set that tone, both in the coming weeks as the Hurricanes turn their attention to bowl preparations and beyond.

Although the second-year freshman has never really considered himself a vocal leader, he stopped out of his comfort zone to find his voice in the locker room after he took over the starting job. Older teammates – including running back Cam Harris and receiver Mike Harley – provided support and encouragement.

And with Miami at a crossroads in October, Van Dyke gave the Hurricanes a rallying point.

Ahead of their game against then-No. 18 North Carolina State – which at the time was 11^th nationally in total defense – Miami’s young quarterback spoke his mind plainly.

“NC State has a great defense. What are they, top something in the country? Top whatever? That doesn’t matter. They’re still the same guys we played last year. We put up 44 points last year on them,” Van Dyke said in October. “They have different types of wrinkles on defense, but we feel really confident…I don’t think they can really stop us.”

Van Dyke’s pre-game comments raised eyebrows in Raleigh. But they resonated in Miami, where the quarterback’s teammates appreciated his confidence.

The Hurricanes went on to beat NC State 31-30 later that week and Van Dyke threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. Wins over Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Duke followed and with every passing week, the quarterback continued improving, on and off the field.

He was voted the ACC Rookie of the Week on five separate occasions. He finished the year throwing for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes. And with Van Dyke at the helm, Miami rebounded from a 2-4 start to win five of its last six.

“His confidence was so impressive. He played the game with no fear and his maturity level just went up,” said Harley, a fifth-year senior who last week became Miami’s leader in career receptions. “Every time he’d throw the ball, it was a dime. He just let loose. He was thrown in the fire when D’Eriq went down and then with Jake Garcia out, he was the only one left…I just told Tyler ‘Take over. The team is behind you. You’re the quarterback’ and when he did that little interview before NC State, that stood out. I knew he was serious. Then he dominated and the rest is history.”