Jonathan Vilma leads Canes on and off the field

Aug. 26, 2002

Junior Jonathan Vilma, a middle linebacker on the National Championship Football team, has been selected the August 2002 Academic All-Star, leading the Hurricanes both on and off the field.

Vilma, a finance major, has a list of academic accomplishments including Provost’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, AD Honor Roll, Book Buster, Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete, and Big East Football Honor Roll.

His athletic accomplishments are just as impressive. As a sophomore, he led the team with 79 tackles (54 solos) in the regular season and started 11 out of 12 games, missing one due to an ankle injury. He is in the running for national recognition for the 2002 season after earning First Team All-BIG EAST recognition last season. He played three games of double-digit tackles last season, and he made two keynote hits that helped lead Miami to victory against Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.

As a freshman, he was named a first-team Freshman All-America by Rivals.com. He played in all 11 games as a reserve middle linebacker and had 38 tackles (29 solos) and five tackles for losses totaling nine yards. Vilma recorded 10 tackles with 8 solos in his first game at Miami, a solo record he has yet to top. He had two unassisted tackles in Miami’s win over Florida in the Nokia Sugar Bowl.

In Coral Gables High School, Vilma was listed as the No. 83 prospect in Florida by SuperPrep. He was credited with 11 sacks and 138 tackles as a senior, and he set the school record with 109 solo tackles as a senior. He was a three-year letter winner and a two-year team captain in football.