Football

Ring of Honor – Class of 2008

Edgerrin James

Running Back (1996-1998)

Edgerrn James the youngest of the class and cousin of current UM running back Javarris James, was named first team All-American in 1998 before he was taken in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. James, who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals, has been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl on four occasions and has twice led the NFL in rushing.

Jim Kelly

Quarterback (1979-82)

Jim Kelly earned All-America status in 1982. Inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, Kelly went on to enjoy a stellar pro football career that led to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. After a short stint in the USFL after college, Kelly was drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and would go on to be selected to the NFL Pro Bowl on four occasions.

Cortez Kennedy

Defensive Tackle (1988-89)

Cortez Kennedy was chosen in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Kennedy, an All-American at UM in 1989, played exclusively for the Seahawks at the professional level. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992, was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl on eight occasions and was named to the 1990’s NFL All-Decade Team. He retired from the league in 2000.

Jim Otto

Center (1957-59)

Jim Otto was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 1972. A 12-time Pro Bowl selection from 1961-72, Otto was taken in the first round of the 1960 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, a team he spent his entire career with until his retirement in 1974. A member of the AFL All-Time Team, Otto currently works in the front office of the Oakland Raiders.

Gino Torretta

Quarterback (1989-92)

Gino Torretta was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. As a senior, Torretta joined fellow UM quarterback Vinny Testaverde in elite company when he was awarded the 1992 Heisman Trophy. Also in 1992, Torretta won the Maxwell Award, the O’Brien Award, the Unitas Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Torretta played in the NFL for six different clubs, retiring in 1997.