University of Miami All-Americans (1950-79)
DON SMITH (DT, 1978)
Received first-team All-America accolades from Kodak and The Sporting News…named to the Associated Press All-South Independent team…pre-season Playboy All-America in 1978…in 1977, named first-team AP All-South Independent and winner of the Jack Harding Memorial MVP Award…first-round draftee of the Atlanta Falcons…native of Palm Harbor, Florida.
DON LATIMER (MG, 1977)
Named first-team All-America by The Sporting News…played in the 1978 Blue-Gray Classic and Senior Bowl…set a UM record with 15 QB sacks as a senior…high school teammate of Eddie Edwards…first-round draftee of the Denver Broncos…native of Fort Pierce, Florida.
EDDIE EDWARDS (DT, 1976)
Was first-team All-America by The Sporting News…played in the 1977 Hula Bowl and Japan Bowl…winner of the Jack Harding Memorial MVP Award in 1976…averaged 13 tackles and had a team-leading 11 sacks as a senior…high school teammate of fellow UM All-American Don Latimer…first-round draftee of the Cincinnati Bengals…native of Fort Pierce, Florida.
DENNIS HARRAH (OT, 1974)
Received first-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and Time magazine…named first-team All-South Independent by Associated Press in 1973 and 1974…first-round draftee of the Los Angeles Rams…native of Charleston, West Virginia.
RUBIN CARTER (MG, 1974)
Was first-team All-America by United Press International and Kodak…named first-team All-South Independent by Associated Press in 1973 and 1974…ended his career with 306 total tackles…holds the UM school mark for tackles in a season by a defensive tackle (98, 1973) and is tied for seventh in total tackles in a season with 147…fifth-round draftee of the Denver Broncos…native of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
TONY CRISTIANI (MG, 1972 & 1973)
Named first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation…named first-team All-South Independent by Associated Press…had 279 total tackles at UM…as a senior, tallied 102 total tackles…in 1972, recorded 84 tackles including 15 quarterback sacks…native of Brandon, Florida.
BURGESS OWENS (DB, 1972)
Named first-team All-America by Time magazine and The Sporting News…earned first-team All-South Independent team honors…recorded 160 tackles, eight interceptions and three fumble recoveries in his Miami career…most valuable defensive player of the 1973 Senior Bowl…first-round draftee of the New York Jets…native of Tallahassee, Florida.
CHUCK FOREMAN (RB, 1972)
Named first-team All-America by The Sporting News…ranks fifth all-time on the UM charts with 3,365 all-purpose yards…had five career 100-yard rushing performances, returned 42 kickoffs for 882 yards and accumulated 17 touchdowns…ranks fourth and sixth all-time for all-purpose yards in a season (1,555 in 1972 and 1,467 in 1971)…finished his UM career rushing for 1,631 yards and caught 56 passes for 732 yards…a first-round draftee of the Minnesota Vikings…native of Frederick, Maryland.
HAROLD SEARS (LB, 1971)
Named first-team All-America by Associated Press…named Associated Press Lineman of the Week for his 26-tackle (21 solos) performance vs. Notre Dame (October 9, 1971)…recorded 117 total tackles as a senior…served as a Navy radio man for 15 months in Vietnam at Cam Ranh Bay…native of Glendale, California.
TOM BEIER (DB, 1966)
Was named a consensus All-America following UM’s 1966 (8-2-1) campaign…first-team All-America by Newspaper Enterprise Association, Associated Press, United Press International, Football Writers Association of America, America Football Coaches Association, Central Press and New York Daily News…still holds the UM record for career tackles by a cornerback (120) and the season mark for tackles by a CB (73)…10th-round draftee of the Miami Dolphins…native of Fremont, Ohio.
TED HENDRICKS (DE, 1966, 1967 & 1968)
Miami’s second inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1990, after Jim Otto) after playing for Baltimore, Oakland and Green Bay…one of four UM inductees in the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame…only UM football player to receive All-America acclaim three consecutive years…as a senior in 1968, was named UPI Lineman of the Year…consensus All-American in 1967 and 1968…first-team All-America by UPI, AP, FWAA, NEA, Football News, The Sporting News, Time and the Walter Camp Football Foundation in `68…finished fifth in the 1968 Heisman Trophy balloting…still holds UM’s career mark for tackles by a DE (227) and fumble recoveries (12)…had a UM season-record five fumble recoveries in 1968…second-round draftee of the Baltimore Colts in 1969…native of Miami.
ED WEISACOSKY (DE, 1965)
Received first-team All-America accolades from Associated Press…still holds the UM mark for most total tackles in a season (164, 1965) and solo tackles (112, 1965)…tallied 297 total tackles in his UM career…sixth-round draftee of the Miami Dolphins…eight-year veteran of pro football (Giants, 49ers, Patriots and Dolphins)…native of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
DAN CONNERS (T, 1963)
Received first-team All-America accolades from The Sporting News…played both ways for the Hurricanes…on defense, he established a UM total tackles record (64) as a senior…finished his UM career with 202 total tackles…second-round draftee of the AFL’s Oakland Raiders…still with the Raider organization in player personnel…native of St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania.
GEORGE MIRA, SR. (QB, 1962 & 1963)
Named first-team All-America by Look Magazine (Football Writers Association of America), AP and CBS Television…one of only four players in UM football history to have his jersey retired (10)…finished fifth in the 1962 Heisman Trophy balloting…led the nation in total offense as a senior (2,318 yards)…tied an NCAA record for career pass completions (368, Don Klosterman of Loyola, California)…named Amateur Athlete of the Year in the state of Florida by the Florida Sportswriters Association in 1962…nicknamed “The Matador”…second round draftee of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers…also played with the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins and Birmingham of the defunct World Football League…member of Florida Sports Hall of Fame…native of Key West, Florida.
BILL MILLER (WR, 1960 & 1961)
Was a consensus All-America in 1961…named first-team All-America by Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, The Sporting News, Football Writers Association of America and the American Football Coaches Association as a senior…became the first UM junior to earn first-team All-America honors in 1960 (Football Writers Association of America) when he caught 26 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns…third-round draftee of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and second-round pick of the Dallas Texans (AFL)…native of McKeesport, Pa.
FRAN CURCI (QB, 1959)
Was named first-team All-America by Associated Press…also garnered Academic All-American honors…had 1,328 yards in total offense as a senior…in 1959, completed 100 of 195 passes for 1,068 yards…led the Canes in punt returns (7 for 46 yards)…played one season for the Dallas Texans of the AFL before being called to the Armed Services…served as UM’s head football coach for the 1971 and 1972 seasons finishing with a record of 9-13 (.409) …was head football coach at the University of Kentucky from 1973-81, compiling a 47-51-2 record and leading the Wildcats to the 1976 Southeastern Conference title, UK’s first since 1950 and its only SEC crown since then…member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame…native of Pittsburgh, Pa.
DON BOSSELER (FB, 1956)
Received first-team All-America accolades from Associated Press…rushed for 1,642 yards which ranked second all-time at the end of his UM career…rushed for 723 yards on 161 carries and scored four touchdowns as a senior…first-round draftee of the Washington Redskins (ninth-pick overall and third running back behind Jim Brown and Paul Hornung) in the 1957 NFL Draft…left the Redskins after the 1964 season as Washington’s all-time leading rusher (3,112 yards)…inducted in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in December, 1990…native of Batavia, New York.
FRANK McDONALD (E, 1954)
Named first-team All-America by The Sporting News…led the Hurricanes in pass receiving in each of the 1952-54 seasons…finished his UM career with 69 receptions for 855 yards…as a sophomore, McDonald accumulated his highest yardage total catching 32 passes for 418 yards…seventh-round draftee of the Baltimore Colts…native of Nutley, New Jersey.
NICK CHICKILLO (G, 1952)
Named first-team All-America by Associated Press…a two-way player for the Hurricanes at tackle and guard…speed, quickness and durability enabled Chickillo to get downfield and deliver blocks…native of West Scranton, Pennsylvania.
JIM DOOLEY (HB, 1951)
Named first-team All-America by Associated Press…first player at Miami to have his jersey retired (42)…was a 60-minute player for the Canes…started both ways as a junior and senior…set several season and career interception marks…topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his UM career…set UM bowl record with four interceptions vs. Clemson in 1952 Gator Bowl…member of Gator Bowl Hall of Fame…UM’s first first-round selection into the NFL (Chicago Bears)…head coach of the Chicago Bears from 1968-71 (20-36, .357)…native of Miami, Florida.
AL CARAPELLA (T, 1950)
Was Miami’s first first-team All-America selection by Associated Press…a converted fullback, Carapella became a star on the defensive line…led Miami to a 9-0-1 record and a berth in the 1951 Orange Bowl (New Year’s Day)…native of Tuckahoe, New York.
