Hurricanes Fans Invited to Join Celebration
Oct. 30, 2007
Coral Gables – Hurricanes fans will be able to celebrate the team’s final appearance at the Orange Bowl in a variety of ways when Miami hosts the Virginia Cavaliers at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 10. A number of exciting activities are planned, including the appearance of former players and celebrities. Fans will also be treated to special halftime and postgame shows and everyone in attendance will receive a color poster honoring the 71 years of Hurricanes football at the Orange Bowl.
“We invite all of our fans to join together in celebrating the history of UM football in the Orange Bowl,” said Athletic Director Paul Dee. “Many things are planned that will showcase the different eras of Hurricanes football. It will be an exciting game and something no one should miss.”
A list of activities honoring the University of Miami’s football history at the Orange Bowl follows:
· Former players return and will be brought down onto the field to form the tunnel when the team enters the field.
· ACC Commissioner John Swofford and Dany Garcia Johnson will participate in the coin toss. Johnson along with her partner, former Hurricane football defensive lineman Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, recently gave a $1 million gift to the Football Facilities Renovation Fund. She is a member of the UM Board of Trustees.
· Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Jon Secada will perform the national anthem. He is a UM graduate.
· Players and families of former coaches and administrators, representing the different eras of Hurricane football at the Orange Bowl, have been invited back and will be honored during a special halftime celebration. Many players, coaches and administrators have been invited back, though some were unable to attend for various reasons. A list of those who have confirmed are:
1. Bowman Foster Ashe (deceased)–UM’s first President who served in that capacity from 1926 to 1952. He will be represented by his grandchildren, Gary Dunn, Bo Dunn and Linda Brown.
2. Jack Harding (deceased)–Head Football Coach from 1937-42 and 1945-47. He will be represented by his children, Betty Ann Parker and Barbara Hoffman.
3. Jim Dooley (physically unable to attend)–Halfback from 1949-51. Named first-team All-American 1951. Later played for and was the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Inducted into the UM Ring of Honor in 1997. His number 42 is retired. He will be represented by his children Lisa Trace and Jim, Jr.
4. Harry Mallios–Fullback from 1950-52 and Director of Athletics from 1979-83.
5. Don Bosseler–Running back from 1953-56. Named a first-team All-American in 1956. Later played for the Washington Redskins. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Elected to the UM Ring of Honor in 1999.
6. George Mira, Sr.–Played quarterback from 1961-63. Named an All-American in 1962 and 1963. Played for several professional football teams. Was elected to the UM Ring of Honor and had his number 10 retired in 1997.
7. Pete Banaczak–Running back from 1963-65. Went on to play professionally for the Oakland Raiders from 1966-78.
8. Ray Bellamy–Wide receiver from 1968-69. The first African American student-athlete at the University of Miami.
9. Burgess Owens–Defensive back from 1970-72. Named an All-American after his senior season. Went on to have a long professional career. Inducted into the UM Ring of Honor in 1999.
10. Ottis Anderson–Running back from 1975-78. Played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants in the NFL from 1979-92. Named MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991. Inducted into the UM Ring of Honor in 1999.
11. Bennie Blades–Played safety from 1985-87. Named an All-American in 1986 and 1987. 1987 winner of the Jim Thorpe Award as college football’s best defensive back. Had a long pro career with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
12. Bernie Kosar–Quarterback from 1982-84. Passed for nearly 6,000 yards and was the starting quarterback on UM’s first championship team. Went on to a stellar pro career. Inducted into the UM Ring of Honor in 1999.
13. Michael Irvin–Wide receiver from 1985-87. Played 12 years for the Dallas Cowboys where he was a member of three Super Bowl champions. Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2007.
14. Russell Maryland–Played nose tackle from 1986-90. Named an All-American in 1990. Was UM’s first recipient of the Outland Trophy, honoring college football’s best interior lineman, that same year. Had a 10-year pro career with the Cowboys, Raiders and Packers.
15. Darren Smith–Linebacker from 1989-92. Named an All-American in 1991 and 1992. UM’s first National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholarship recipient. Played 12 seasons in the NFL.
16. Gino Torretta–Quarterback from 1989-92. Was the quarterback of the 1991 national champion Hurricanes. Became UM’s second Heisman Trophy winner (along with Vinny Testaverde) following his senior season. That year also won the Maxwell Award (best overall college football player), the Davey O’Brien Award (top quarterback), the Unitas Award (top senior quarterback), was a consensus All-American and won every Player of the Year Award. Played professionally for several NFL teams between 1993 and 1997.
17. Andre Johnson–wide receiver from 1999 to 2002. Co-MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He caught seven passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in that game as UM claimed its fifth national title. Currently plays for the Houston Texans.
· All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative poster courtesy of Ocean Bank.
· UM students are having a T-shirt design contest. The winner’s design will be put on shirts given to all students in attendance.
· Tickets, priced at $47, are still available and can be purchased at the UM Box Office in the Hecht Athletic Building, online at hurricanesports.com or by calling 1-800-GO-CANES.
