Miami Ties Record with Five First-Round Picks
April 20, 2002
* Get your Hurricane Gear Here
* To No One’s Surprise, Giants Draft Jeremy Shockey
* Depleted Ravens Take Ed Reed With First Pick
MIAMI – The Miami Hurricanes’ national championship was no fluke as far as the NFL is concerned.
Miami tied a record Saturday with five players taken in the first round of the draft. Southern Cal also had five in 1968.
The first Miami player selected was All-American tackle Bryant McKinnie, chosen with the seventh pick by the Minnesota Vikings. By the end of the first round, tight end Jeremy Shockey, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, safety Ed Reed and cornerback Mike Rumph had also been drafted.
“Every year the University of Miami has a lot of guys going in the first round,” Rumph said. “It’s like a draft in itself. It’s something we pride ourselves on, trying to outdo the year before.”
The Hurricanes’ previous high was four first-round picks last year.
Their nine first-round choices in 2001-02 are the most for a two-year period. Southern Cal had seven in 1968-69, and Notre Dame matched that total in 1993-94.
Miami has produced 30 first-round picks since 1987, the most in the NFL.
Former Miami coach Butch Davis, now coach of the Cleveland Browns, recruited the Hurricanes drafted Saturday.
“Obviously, I’m very excited for those guys,” Davis said. “They’ve earned everything.”
Davis opted for a non-Hurricane in the first round: running back William Green of Boston College at No. 16.
As expected, McKinnie was the first Miami player drafted. The 6-8, 330-pound tackle didn’t allow a sack in college.
“He’s an enormous guy,” Minnesota coach Mike Tice said. “When you think of big guys, think of him.”
Two teams were so eager to draft Hurricanes that they made trades to move up. The New York Giants advanced one spot to acquire Shockey with the 14th pick. The Oakland Raiders swung two deals to move up four spots to the 17th pick so they could take Buchanon.
Giants coach Jim Fassel said Shockey was the player they wanted.
“He has tremendous ability to be a great tight end,” Fassel said. “I think he has big upside potential, and he’s still raw in his ability to continue to get better.”
Baltimore took Reed with the 24th pick. The Hurricanes tied the record for most first-rounders when Rumph was chosen by San Francisco with the 27th pick.
It was the first time three defensive backs from the same school went in an opening round.
Baltimore hopes Reed can become a playmaker in the mold of Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who played for Miami before joining the Ravens as the 26th pick in the 1996 draft.
“Based on the accounts that I’ve seen, Ed Reed was indeed the heart and soul of that Miami team,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said. “He was their emotional leader. He’s the guy they leaned on.”
Another Miami star, running back Clinton Portis, was taken in the second round with the 51st pick by Denver.
By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer
